Dear Friends
Today, 4th July, has many associations, and for us as a nation it is a further easing of the lockdown. Later on you will be able to read Di’s reflection on patience which is so relevant for us in these days. There are many ‘ifs and buts’, and the future is unknown, but if the momentum keeps moving in the right direction, we are hopeful we will be able to re-open sometime in the Autumn. We are not taking any bookings at the moment, but be assured, we will keep you well informed. We are very much looking forward to welcoming you through our doors, even if it may start by being a limited number. Thank you for your continued support and prayers, especially as we plan to re-open.
The Community continue to be in good spirits, truly entering in to a daily rhythm of prayer which has sustained us during this time. Please do get in touch with us at prayer@scargillmovement.org if we can pray for you during these strange times.
On Thursday 9th July (8-9:30pm) we will be having our second Forum, and my guests will be: Lucy Cleland (currently our Chaplain); Andreas Andersson (Zooming in from Sweden – a former Chaplain); and Bishop Chris Edmondson (Chair of Council). A rather esteemed group and I think we can look forward to a good evening together. These Forums are an opportunity for us to continue to learn about God and ourselves through these disorientating times. If you would like to be involved in this Zoom event please send an e-mail request to hello@scargillmovement.org so we can send a link.
Thank you for the very positive feedback for the Zoom Quiet Days that we shared last week. We will be doing some other stand-alone Quiet Days on Friday 31st July and Saturday 1st August which will involve a range of Community. Please book for one or the other of the days. Each will begin at 10am and finish around 5pm. Within the day there will be a couple of reflections, an opportunity for a Zoom discussion and tea and cake together at the end of the day with some worship. Again, if you would like to be part of either of these days please e-mail us at hello@scargillmovement.org
These events are free but if anyone would like to donate then please visit our website here which shows how you can do that.
If you wish to listen to our morning prayers and the Sunday morning sermon they are to be found here on our website
We are delighted to be in partnership with ReSource where I have just written a blog. If you wish, you can read it here
So here is another reflection for us from Diane Stone:
Recently when sitting in the garden enjoying the sunshine I mentioned I wasn’t sure about what to write this week and Phil quickly responded, partly seriously, partly ‘tongue in cheek’ (I hope!) that I should write on patience, hopefully because he is thinking about a sermon series on the Fruit of the Spirit. Well, I rose to the bait and replied I consider myself very patient although I did appreciate that others may find me a little impatient.
After a little naval gazing I recognised that I can be, and was, patient when working with others in my teaching and SENCO role, nursing, midwifery, motherhood and now my Scargill personnel role, especially when I have enjoyed supporting one or two community members BUT I have to be honest and say yes I AM impatient particularly when waiting; waiting for someone, waiting for something to happen and now waiting to play with, read to (side by side) and cuddle our grandchildren.
Everyone can be impatient for right and wrong reasons and you could argue that every day as individuals our patience is tested. This could be something trivial like waiting in traffic, to something vital like waiting for a friend’s COVID-19 test results. We though are called to be patient, it is one of the Fruit of the Spirit but I fear most of us need to practise patience. There is a lovely scene from the film Evan Almighty, where a modern Mrs Noah has become exasperated by her husband building the ARK outside their home and wishes she had more patience. Now Mrs Noah happens to be mentioning this to God who is sitting next to her in a burger bar (in the disguise of Morgan Freeman) where he is working! And God suggests that if we ask for patience surely we would be given situations in which to practise patience. Don’t you sometimes wish you hadn’t asked the question? But I am sure the answer is worth mulling over and as we look back there may well have been many opportunities where we could practise patience, though I wonder how many we recognised at the time?
Interestingly Faith sent in a poem that is also about, yes, you are right, patience. Faith said this poem spoke very powerfully to her and she thought it ‘very apt for us all in these times’. It is by Pierre Tielhard de Chardin SJ (1881-1955).
Patient Trust
Above all, trust in the slow work of God.
We are quite naturally impatient in everything
to reach the end without delay.
We should like to skip the intermediate stages.
We are impatient of being on the way
to something unknown,
something new.
And yet it is the law of all progress
that it is made by passing through some stages of instability
and that it may take a very long time.
And so I think it is with you.
Your ideas mature gradually –
let them grow,
let them shape themselves,
without undue haste.
Don’t try to force them on,
as though you could be today what time;
that is to say, grace and circumstances
acting on your own good will,
will make of you tomorrow.
Only God could say what this new spirit
gradually forming within you will be.
Give our Lord the benefit
of believing that His hand is leading you,
and accept the anxiety
of feeling yourself in suspense
and incomplete.
In these bewildering times it takes patience to know that we are on the right path, and while we may not be exactly where we would like or want to be, we can recognise it’s only for now. This won’t be forever. I’m still learning how to be more patient, but at least I know I will get there eventually.
Well I hope so anyway!
Please be assured of our love and prayers