Words from Bede Circuit

Dear Friends,

During this first week of Lent our attention has been very much drawn to the situation in Ukraine and especially the awful suffering of its people as they have been shelled, bombed and terrorised. Even if we’ve wanted to take our eyes off the pictures on our TV’s and in our newspapers, we haven’t been able to. What can we do when confronted with something like this happening so far away and not directly affecting us? Well, we can and I’m sure many of us have already, given money to help through the many agencies helping both the people still in Ukraine and the millions of refugees. We can join our prayers to the prayers of millions of others, especially praying for religious leaders in both Russia and Ukraine that they would lead calls for peace – we understand Putin listens to leaders in the Russian Orthodox Church.

We can also add to pressure on our Government to act more quickly and compassionately towards those seeking to come here from Ukraine as refugees, and if the opportunity allows we can get involved in local schemes to welcome them.

But even if we do all these things we, if you’re like me, are still left feeling rather helpless and ineffective and we can if we’re not careful become depressed and even despairing. So at the same time as all this is going on, let’s look out for the positive things happening. The most obvious of these are the signs of spring all around us – it might only be the first week in March but spring is happening earlier and earlier as climate change becomes increasingly apparent. The rhubarb is going well in my garden already – I could pull a few sticks right now, lovely red and fresh! 

We have 2 little ponds in our garden and our frogs have been doing what frogs do, (they were even at it under the ice yesterday morning!!), so the frogspawn has already started to appear – a biology lesson for our grandchildren every year as the spawn changes to tadpoles and then little frogs!

So let’s join the Psalmist, changing some words but not the sentiments:

I lift my eyes to the signs of spring and new life –
Where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord,
The maker of heaven and earth. (Psalm 121:1,2 altered)

Zoom Prayer meetings on Wednesday mornings at 10am
Zoom Lent course on Prayer every Thursday evening at 7pm from March 10th
Please contact your minister for Zoom login details

With my love and prayers

Rev Paul Worsnop on behalf of the Bede Circuit Staff Team