Pastor’s Pen

Caring for Our Shared Home

Dear Friends,

Earth Day, which was on April 22nd, was in my sights a few weeks ago but I had no definite plans about what to do or how to observe it. And although a friend kindly gave me some flower seeds to sow in the garden, the big day passed me by and like many of you my good intentions became a missed opportunity.

Then, yesterday evening, after the children were in bed, I was scrolling through one of our TV channels (Prime) and found this year’s latest documentary movie about Regenerative Agriculture. The original was “Kiss the Ground” and the newest one is called “Common Ground” featuring some familiar faces and one or two new ones. If you don’t have Prime, you might struggle to see as I tried to watch some more of it on my laptop and hit paywalls. So, I suggest a watch party at our house or any friend you know with the same service.

The main thrust and thesis of the movie is that looking after the soil will help us and our planet to be healthier and mitigate the effects of Climate Change by drawing down the excess carbon from the atmosphere back into the ground where it belongs. So, whether you are gardening or farming we need to respect the soil science that tells us tilling is destructive, learn from the traditions of indigenous peoples and realize that soil is a living organism, not to be tamed or controlled but nurtured. Instead of using fertilizers and weed killers which kills the good organisms as well as the bad whilst damaging us in the process, we need to feed the soil with organic matter, avoid tilling or digging which disrupts the natural order and help to keep the carbon in the ground. We can plant cover crops which help protect and restore soil nutrients and support environments and ecosystems with which we can work in partnership.

The Late Pope Francis who died last Monday was not only a champion for the poor and for social justice but also for the Environment. His papal encyclical Laudato Si on care for Our Common Home is part of his legacy. The subjects of his interest is no coincidence because poverty and the degraded environment are closely connected. When our planet is damaged and reacts with storms and floods, it is always the poorest people who get hit first and worst. Therefore, we have a duty not only for ourselves and our grandchildren but also to the most vulnerable in our world, as Jesus said, “whatever you did for the least of these, you did for me.” (Read “The Parable of the Sheep and the Goats” Matthew 25:31-45).

Pastor Cliff

Lost Sheep

Dear Friends,

In my former parishes there was an abundance of shepherds who worked on the nearby farms. These were a hardy breed of individuals whose devotion to their sheep was remarkable. Just as the seasons rolled around, there was also the lambing season from late winter into spring, trimming their feet, then shearing during the warmer summer months and the mating of the ewes with a tupp or ram. In August every year, when the animals were in peak condition, the best sheep would be taken to the local agricultural show and entered into a competition. This was a wonderful occasion for the minister to spend time with the farmers as they showed off their hard work. Invariably, they were seldom in church because of their relentless workload of caring for their sheep.

Some shepherds opted for early lambing which was indoors from the New Year onwards, others went for the more traditional outdoor lambing in the fields or on the hillsides. The advantage of indoor lambing would eliminate predation by foxes and ravens. It also meant the lambs would be ready for market earlier the following year. The spring lambs enjoyed the milder spring weather but when lambing outdoors without the protection of the shepherd, there would always be some losses to predators.

Every day, I could set my clock by the regularity of the various shepherds through their attentiveness to their flock. You’d see their truck or quad-bike parked near a field and they would be found leaning on a gate as they watched their animals, counted them and assessed their well-being. After they had been served by the ram, they would receive a nutritional supplement in the form of sheep nuts to help see them through the winter and be ready for lambing season. The shepherd would walk through the flock with their bag of food and they would come running to him. All the time, he was able to assess how well they were moving and if any were ailing.

Early in its history, Israel celebrated its cultural heritage of shepherding. And spiritually, God was mentioned in scripture like a shepherd who cared for His sheep. The leadership in Israel were also likened to shepherds and Israel’s most famous king, David, began as a shepherd boy. It was his character, honed from shepherding that caused God to choose David as King. However, somewhere along the way, the religious elite came to look down on shepherds and fishermen because their work made them unclean. How ironic that the people of the land whose traditional profession was a reason for them to be made into outcasts and regarded as sinful. When Jesus, the carpenter from Nazareth, called Himself the Good Shepherd, He restored the image of the shepherd and gave dignity to the common man and woman who worked with their hands. He walked among His people and revealed God’s loving compassion to His flock, the lost sheep of Israel.

Pastor Cliff

Welcome Spring

Dear Friends,

“Today is the first day of spring!” My neighbor reminded me, as we chatted when we met on our morning walks. A lovely thought even if the weather is still a little unpredictable. But hopefully, the deep winter chill is mostly behind us. Somebody told me it was the coldest New Jersey winter in ten years. Thankfully, the daffodils are growing and swelling with each day of sunshine to make the children remark about them while waiting for the school bus.

All wildlife has accelerated their levels of activity as they prepare for the mating season. American Robins seem to form groups as they forage together, and squirrels are heard rustling in the dry leaf litter before you catch a glimpse of them. But my favorite signs of spring are the evening chorus of the swamp wildlife and the dawn chorus which percolates my sleep in the early hours before I have to get up. Now the temperatures are milder, it is almost time to open the bedroom windows a crack, to avoid waking in the night feeling too hot and also enjoy these diurnal treats as they lull us to sleep and gently nudge us awake.

With all the swelling of buds and growing we see in the transforming landscapes around us, we are reminded that Lent is not only a time of penitent reflection but also a time to grow. And, it is fitting, during this emergence of new life from what once seemed dead and frozen that we celebrate the end of Lent with the final crescendo of the resurrection and the Easter story.

Pastor Cliff

What is Your Purpose?

“The two most important days of your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.”      Mark Twain

Dear Friends,

Perhaps you remember when you began to ask about your ‘why’. I was in my teens, but it took me into my twenties to find the right path for me. Whereas some people discover from an early age and others later in life.

It seems like the first disciples had good days and bad as fishermen, but that was par for the course and just the way life was. Jesus came to them as they mended their nets after a fruitless night’s work. Perhaps Jesus used the opportunity to impress them or engineered the situation for His purposes. We’ll never know. Jesus climbed into their boat and told them to push the boat out into deeper water to let down their nets. The result was a miraculous catch, which grabbed their attention, showing them that they were lesser men without Him. They were afraid, but Jesus said, “From now on, you will fish for people.”

Up to that point, they thought they knew what their purpose in life would be. But the Lord of Creation revealed that He had something they needed. He gave them a new reason to live, and immediately, they followed Him.

Those disciples didn’t need to go to college or university, they learned about discipleship on the job as they followed Jesus. They brought life skills and experience. And though they left their nets to follow Him, they did return to fishing for a while. So, following Jesus does not always disrupt your life, it just requires the change of focus to change your world.

Pastor Cliff