Dear Scargillians
We are excited to announce that our latest Momentum, prayer letter and our residential programme (yes!) for the Summer will be coming through your letter boxes by the end of this week. Obviously, we will have limited in-house numbers as we navigate through the Covid restrictions. Our residential bookings will open on Saturday 1st May.
Meanwhile, we will continue with our online programme of events and just to highlight some in May that are available to book:
- Tue 4 to Thu 6 May: Felicity Lawson leads ‘Walking with Jesus – Adventures on the Emmaus Road’.
- Fri 7 to Sun 9 May: Shaun and Phil will be leading a weekend on ‘The Wisdom of Community meets Mindfulness‘.
- Tue 11 May: Mike will be leading an online Singing morning entitled ‘Finding your voice‘
- Wed 12 May: We will be having our Scargill Forum (7:45-9:30pm)
- Fri 14 and Sat 15 May: Phil will be leading two separate Quiet Days, with repeat material.
- Tue 25 to Thu 27 May: Margi and Di will be leading a week on ‘Enneagram 3‘.
- Fri 28 to Sun 30 May: We are very glad to welcome Donna Worthington to lead a Pentecost Retreat weekend.
- Watch out too for news of our online Half Term event during the week beginning 31 May.
We are obviously still looking for new Community, so please do check our website for further details.
Here is Di’s latest reflection – enjoy!
The other day I went up to Morning prayers, there I found the table beautifully covered with daffodils and large pebbles/stones. Blue and brown fabric fell down, alongside the potted tree from the Morning room, and across the floor in front of the table in folds playing with the small gems, candles and more pebbles. We were to look at Psalm 15 – Who May Worship the Lord?
For me, and I am sure for many, Psalm 15 presents a conundrum. David describes the man ‘who may stay in God’s temple’, who may ‘live on the holy mountain of the Lord’. Now please, have a quick read because who do you know that fits these credentials? Definitely not me!
So I chose to sit at the back, hiding behind a pillar facing the Taizé cross. As I sat and faced the cross there in front of me was God’s greatest gift – Himself. There was the gift of GRACE. I knew that although I cannot perfectly live up to these standards, Jesus has, and because He has, I can, through him. I leant against the pillar, the wood was warm and surprisingly comforting, I felt at peace.
After prayers, I googled paintings of sitting by trees and found Mary Sitting in a Wood. I was drawn to the dappled light, the hint of Spring (so like Scargill), the open coat and Mary lost in her sewing, at peace and untroubled. Is there a soft cushion by her back? I do hope so, it would be rather nice if there was. Here is a beautiful painting giving substance to my thoughts, a reminder of that rare morning; of feeling cocooned, loved, accepted and forgiven.
Watchman Nee wrote ‘For rightness is not our goal. The test of our actions is not, ‘Are they right or wrong?’ But always and only, ‘Is the divine blessing upon them?’
The divine blessing is surely upon Mary sitting in a wood and I feel certain it is upon us all, if we, with the help of the Holy Spirit and encouragement from each other, follow the example of Jesus, and seek to live the pathway of love and the kingdom.
Please be assured of our love and prayers, and we very much look forward to seeing you either on Zoom or in-house.