What a Wonderful World!
Dear Friends and Families,
Welcome back to Term 3, and I do trust that you and your children found some quality time for rest during the recent school holidays, especially the blessing of enjoying God’s wider creation.
In the second week of the break, I was able to travel down to Phillip Island and enjoy five days of hiking, sunshine, sunsets, arctic wind blasts and hot coffee! Some long treks around the cliff tops were a particular highlight for me, and I truly relished the feeling of walking, rugged up, in the cold, and seeing the brilliant aqua hues of the surrounding ocean.
There is indeed something invigorating and transforming about experiencing creation in all its natural and unscarred beauty isn’t there?
Some of you may have also seen the recent remarkable photos of deep space galaxies, taken from the James Webb Space Telescope. When we see such incredible sights, we should understand that over the centuries, Christians have always understood that God speaks to human beings by two books – the book of his word (the Bible) and the book of his world (the created order).
When we see his handiwork, it should make us sing with the psalmist from Psalm 19:
‘The heavens are telling the glory of God;
and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.
Day to day pours forth speech,
and night to night declares knowledge.
There is no speech, nor are there words;
their voice is not heard;
yet their voice goes out through all the earth,
and their words to the end of the world.’ [vss. 1-4]
The Christian worldview helps us to recall that nature is not magical, capricious, unpredictable, or foreign, but is, rather, the orderly gift of a good and rational Creator. It saves us from seeing the universe only as cold matter and mathematics; rather, it invites us to see the universe as a gift from a good, kind and rational God.
If you would like to speak further, or have questions about the Christian life, then do please contact either me or Reverend Sheela (our Associate Chaplain) at the respective email addresses below:
Reverend Peter: [email protected]
Reverend Sheela: [email protected]
I also encourage you to pray the prayer for the week below and sing the song at the weblink.
If you would like to explore the certainty of Christ further, the two local Anglican churches listed below lead regular Sunday gatherings.
St Peter’s, Craigieburn (meeting at 10:30am on Sundays in the Chapel at Hume Anglican Grammar: 100 Mt Ridley Road, Mickleham)
Minister: Reverend Sheela Pandhare
Mobile: 0451 973 733/03 9308 2452
Email: [email protected]/[email protected]
http://www.humeparish.melbourneanglican.org.au
Redemption Church Craigieburn (meeting at 4:00pm on Sundays in Building 12 – the Year 5/6 Centre at Hume Anglican Grammar: 100 Mt Ridley Road, Mickleham)
Pastor: Reverend Akhil Gardner
Mobile: 0400 021 381
Email: [email protected]
https://www.rccraigieburn.com.au
https://www.facebook.com/rccraigieburn/
A Prayer for the Week
Saving God,
in Jesus Christ you opened for us
a new and living way into your presence:
give us pure hearts and constant wills
to worship you in spirit and in truth;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen.
Song (God of wonders – Chris Tomlin)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOL3pIqqdKo