Dear Friends
Thank you so much for your prayers and support – we really do appreciate your love.
We are delighted that the building work of Phase 7 is all but finished. The Marsh Lounge is truly transformed and is a beautiful space. On Friday we welcomed Archbishop Stephen. We had a wonderful time with Stephen and part of the day was a celebration service re-dedicating the Marsh Lounge to our loving God and the ongoing ministry of Scargill.
Below are a couple of photos, one just showing how spacious and beautiful the Lounge now looks, without the pillars, and the glorious art installation (created by Michelle Gillam-Hull), and the other with Stephen and Felicity Lawson, Chair of our Council.
We often talk about Scargill being an adventure and the day felt like reaching a glorious point on that journey. We are very grateful to Dave Lucas for holding the project over the last nine months, working closely with the contractors. Dave’s care and attention to detail, and fostering good relationships with the contractors, has been key.
We are so thankful for God’s faithfulness and love which is often expressed through our Friends. Thank you!
There are still online tickets available to join us ‘virtually’ for journey through Holy Week and Easter weekend – it would be good to see you online.
Here is Di’s latest reflection on the wonder of the Curlew. It’s a joy to welcome their ‘call’ back….
Diane writes:
The Curlews have returned, they have been heard, they have been seen. Phil and I bought this painting by Liz Toole from a little art shop on the Isle of Arron. To be honest it was all we could afford but what a treasure we found. A daily reminder of the joy of hearing that first cry of the Curlew heralding Spring.
Our love for the Curlew also led us to a delightful exhibition in Hawes: ‘The Cry of the Curlew’. On entering the exhibition there stood this poem.
EXTINCTION
Have you heard the call of
The Curlew?
I tell you
I would rather we lost the
entire contents
of every art gallery
In the world
than lose
The cry of the Curlew.
Alistair Mcintosh
A passionate, ardent poem drawing a range of strong feelings. One minute I liked it, another I was angered by it. It seemed a bit OTT to me, abandoning everything for the Curlew! But as Phil said being Over The Top was probably intended, the poet wanted to ignite our feelings. Which he certainly did!
My thoughts went to Deuteronomy 6, a passionate, OTT passage, perhaps!
‘Listen, Israel! The Lord our God is the only true God! So, love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and strength. Memorize his laws and tell them to your children over and over again. Talk about them all the time, whether you’re at home or walking along the road or going to bed at night, or getting up in the morning… Worship Only the Lord’. Here is a passionate call from Moses to listen to God, obey Him, and love Him with all our heart, soul, and strength.’
I don’t really do passionate but I did ask myself ‘Do I love God in that way – with ALL my heart, soul and strength. Do I listen, obey and love Him? Am I all consumed by God?’ Perhaps, at times, but I’m not so sure. Is this not just Old Testament and the Law of Moses?
Well, NO it isn’t! in Mark 12 (CEV) Jesus tells us ““The most important (commandment) says: ‘People of Israel, you have only one Lord and God. You must love him with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.’ The second most important commandment says: ‘Love others as much as you love yourself.’ No other commandment is more important than these.”
Well, that’s clear – there is only ONE God who calls us to be fully immersed in His love, to love God above ourselves, being willing to lay down our life for our God. There is an understanding that loving God is a natural response to having been loved first. ‘We love because he first loved us’ 1 John 4:19. Love made the first move; our love for God is simply a response to His love for us as is loving our brother and sister. In fact, loving our brother is not only an expectation; it is a must.
And when we love God with all that we are, everything else falls into place, God’s place, God’s perspective, God’s balance. We find ourselves spending time with God, telling others about Jesus, serving others, and building others up.
Loving God with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength takes our everyday loving of family, friends and neighbours to a different level. Maybe even a passionate level!
So how well do I, do you, really love God today? Do we just love God or do we really LOVE God, passionately love God with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength?
With love and prayers from