Hello Faith Pals,

Happy Monday!  Some lovely sunshine about-but don’t be tempted to go outside your 5 km radius!

I have enclosed Bill Pugh’s reflection about Sunday School picnics.  I remember how much fun they were.  Lots of games.  It was the only time during the year that I was allowed to drink red cordial!

Last week I was speaking with Iris.  During our conversation  she recited W.H Davies’ poem Leisure.  I was at primary school in the mid 1960s, when rote learning was on its way out, so I did not learn a lot of poetry by heart, which is a shame.

Here is the poem:

Leisure

What is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare?—

No time to stand beneath the boughs,
And stare as long as sheep and cows:

No time to see, when woods we pass,
Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass:

No time to see, in broad daylight,
Streams full of stars, like skies at night:

No time to turn at Beauty’s glance,
And watch her feet, how they can dance:

No time to wait till her mouth can
Enrich that smile her eyes began?

A poor life this if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.

William Henry Davies (1871-1940) was a Welsh poet who started out as a tramp, but ended up a respected poet. Raised by grandparents after his father died and his mother remarried, William was inclined toward a life of adventure; he traveled by boat to North America repeatedly before losing a leg in attempting to jump a train. He eventually returned to England, wrote a book about his wandering years, paid and starved his way into becoming a published poet and, eventually, gained equal standing with such contemporaries as Yeats and Ezra Pound.

Some of the information about Davies label him as a ‘supertramp.’ For music fans back in the 1970s-one of the big groups at the time was called Supertramp.  Connection?  Perhaps. 

Which brings me to ask the question-what is your favourite poem/poet?  I know there are some fans of Pam Ayres in the congregation.

One of my favourites is Mary Oliver.  I have a copy of her poem The Summer Day on my desk, wirh the last two lines of this poem in bold type:

‘Tell me, what is it you plan to do

with your one wild and precious life?’

To me, that is a call…and a daily reminder of the unique contribution we each make to God’s world.

So, from these two poems-we are to stand and stare, and reflect on/take stock of, our gifts and purpose.

‘There are two ways to live your life.

One is as though nothing is a miracle.  The other is as though everything is a miracle.’

– Albert Einstein.

Keep up the ministry of prayer, especially for Alan and Fredrica.  Alan is having chemo on Wednesday.

‘The sun and the wind were arguing about who was stronger.  Soon there arose an opportunity to settle their argument.  A person wearing a coat was walking down the road.  The sun and the wind agreed that whoever could make the person remove the coat the quickest, would be the winner.

The wind went first; it blew and it blew, but the more it blew, the tighter the person hugged the coat.  The sun went next.  It merely shone in all its glory, prompting the person to remove the coat.

The point of this ancient fable is: more can be achieved with gentleness than with violence.

‘…with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love.’ (Ephesians 4:2)

‘Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.’ (Matthew 11:29)

Blessings and love,

Barbara Allen

Sunday School Picnics

In the !930’s and 40’s before Maccas and Red Rooster , we had once a year, The Sunday School Picnic.Homemade sandwiches,cakes and the best buttered bread covered by coloured hundreds and thousands. Jugs of cordial.Some kids, because of family circumstances, had never been to a picnic.And they looked forward to it.It was all free.And a generous one or rwo in the Church paid for the hire of a bus so we could travel together to the bush or a beach.Games and races were fun.And a three legged race caused tumbles and much laughing. We climbed into old bags for a sack race.Teachers and the minister joined in the fun.No distractions then,no mobile phones.No social distances.It did not matter which home you came from, or which school you went to ,or if dad had a posh car . Many had no car.We were all the same, together, at the Sunday School picnic.In one country parish we picnicked at a lake,swam and played cricket with a bat manufactured from a fallen branch.Together, we were one.I sum that up in a word ,FELLOWSHIP.How we need that experience today in our mad rushing world. where Sunday is just another day.We have no time for fun and spiritual togetherness in this mad rushing world.

Reflection: Lord, please give us a dose of common sense about priorities.May our thoughts and actions focus on the goal of discipleship as the scripture reminds us:

Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness ,and all these things shall be yours as well.[Matthew 6:33]

Bill Pugh