Dear Friends
The Scargill Community are continuing to welcome guests through our doors, who are enjoying the refurbished Marsh Lounge, seeing all the other fruit of the building work labours of the past year, and continue to receive from God via the experience of meeting here, walking in the beautiful grounds, listening to inspired speakers, and sharing conversation over meals.
Swifts and Swallows, our Summer bird visitors, have returned and it is a joy to see them soaring in flight over the site, and watch the change into Summer revealed by the plants, trees and creatures that call Scargill their home.
Phil and Di have enjoyed the first month of their sabbatical, and are to be away for another two months of sabbatical time. Di has taken time to write a reflection on knitting – see below.
We are preparing for the release of our latest combined Momentum magazine and Programme covering new events running from September 2024 to February 2025, and is due out on Monday 13th May in the morning (during office hours).
Our website events pages will be made live to coincide with printed copies of our publication starting to reach your doorstep. When the programme is released, do put in your booking requests via the website (rather than by ‘phone) to help our lovely Admin Team deal with your booking requests in the order that they are made, and we thank you in advance for your patience as we work through each booking in turn.
In the meantime, do look at our website for online and in-house events (May to August 2024) that still have space – we would love to see you!
We would like to highlight the following on-line events for you to join from the comfort of your own home:
Monday 13th to Thursday 16th May – Living gently and generously ONLINE – led by Roy Searle
Saturday 25th May – Online Quiet Day May 2024
Here is Diane’s reflection on knitting – Enjoy!
Marjorie knitting by Leonard Fuller
So our sabbatical has started and I have given myself the task of learning how to use a circular needle to knit a jumper. Not a very challenging or inspiring task you may say, but one that has already led me to reflect and learn.
The last jumper I attempted to knit was several years ago and it came out square!!!!!!!!!! I had bought a pattern, the correct wool and as far as I know followed the instructions to the tee – often, as you can imagine, drinking a cuppa as well. It was all very disappointing.
But here I am loving the challenge and the circular needles; so easy to hold and at last I have reached a section where all I do is go round and round in circles knitting away, which may I quickly say is not the profound part. No, enlightenment came when all was not as it should be, when all was not plain sailing, by any means. You see it took me several attempts to cast on using a Swedish method and then I found ‘making a stitch’ quite demanding, my fingers failing to be either dexterous or nimble and to top it all I keep losing my markers. But on I go, why? because I have a lovely supportive friend who is always there on the end of an email offering advice and encouragement.
Now the book of Proverbs gives us much sound advice about friends:
Friends give pleasant, sincere advice, seeking our highest good (Proverbs 27:9; Proverbs 12:26); Friends challenge each other to meet the highest good (Proverbs 27:17). They also command us to, “… not forsake your friend” (Proverbs 27:10). Mine certainly hasn’t.
But what really came to mind were the lyrics from a great old hymn – “What a Friend We Have in Jesus” written by Joseph Scriven, a native of Dublin, Ireland (1820-1886).
What a friend we have in Jesus
All our sins and griefs to bear
What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit
O what needless pain we bear
All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer
Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged
Take it to the Lord in prayer
Can we find a friend so faithful
Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness
Take it to the Lord in prayer
Here is the reminder that God is our refuge and strength, an ever–present help in trouble (Psalm 46v1). We can take all our concerns and needs to Jesus in prayer. Jesus who also calls us friend. In John 15 we read: “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command.”
So, my friends, much to reflect and be grateful for. Not only in the richness of true friendships here on earth but also in the knowledge that we have a heavenly friend and saviour who cares and loves each one of us.
With love and prayers from