Recently I came across this statue which intrigued me somewhat. The hands and feet of the figure are clearly visible, but the rest of the body – limbs, torso, head, are not easy to see. From some angles, you can only see the hands and feet, as though they are suspended in the air. Immediately I saw that statue, it reminded me of a phrase that we use quite often at Northern Lights MCC ‘being the hands and feet of Christ in the world.’ The body onto which the hands and feet are joined may vary, but the work done by those hands and feet is done in the name of Jesus.

Tomorrow night we have our Social Action meeting and all are welcome. It is a chance for us to review what we have already achieved this year and plan for the next few months. We had a very generous collection of underwear, toiletries and other items in May for the People’s Kitchen. The food from our Harvest service on 27th September will go there as well. Our Social4Justice group has been writing letters in support of prisoners highlighted by Amnesty International. One of the prisoners we supported was actually released. Our monthly group for LGBT folk seeking asylum in the UK, Rainbow Home, continues to develop and grow. More new members came to the August group. People travel from all over the NE, including Teesside to be part of this safe space. Individuals continue to bring in clothing and other items for the West End Refugee Service (WERS). (WERS is very short of men’s clothing, if anyone is having a summer clearout.) We had a fantastic presence at Newcastle Pride this year and the Candlelit vigil was an opportunity to remind everyone of the social action and social justice history of Pride. There is still so much work to be done around the world before LGBTQI people and their families will be able to live freely. Each month, we send a small proportion of our income to MCC HQ to support our global justice ministry worldwide. It is amazing to think that our hands and feet extend around the world.

As well as these actions we do together, I know that many people in the congregation support other social action organisations financially or volunteer their time. Others perform daily acts of kindness that make a real difference. Some buy food or a hot drink for a homeless person they see on the street. More importantly, they sit and chat with them for a while. Some check up on elderly neighbours and do their shopping for them. Mother Teresa once said “Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.” Social action may sound very daunting and a bit radical. However, each of us can make a difference by even the smallest of actions, being Christ’s hands and feet in the world. 

God bless,
Cecilia

When I moved into my new home at the end of April, the crop in the local field was just about a foot high; green shoots that were unidentifiable to the untrained eye. Over the months, the shoots have developed into plants, tall stalks sprouting into ears of grain. Now the whole field has changed colour from green to yellow. In a few weeks time, the grain will be harvested and the field will be bare. I live so much of my life in my head, so it is really important for me to take time to notice the world around me and the changes that take place under my gaze. I love watch the seasonal shifts transforming the landscape around me – colours changing, plants growing and dying back, buds becoming flowers, then giving way to fruits. Noticing these changes keeps me in the present moment, draws me away from my inner thoughts and helps me to appreciate the Divine beauty that is always around me.

As people, we also have our seasons. There are times of new growth, times of maturity, times of letting go, and times just to be fallow and regain our strength. Sometimes, we don’t notice what season that we are in, until things begin to change. At other times, the season seems to drag on forever, like a bitter, dark winter, or a rainy foggy autumn, and we think it will never end.

When my wife was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, we were supported for a year by the brilliant Dorothy House Hospice, near Bath. It is set in beautiful countryside and the chapel has big windows overlooking the valley. Etched into the glass are the following words: “In this quietness falls down the burden of all our sorrows. For when the heart has found quietness, wisdom has also found peace.” Every time I go down south, I sit for a while in that chapel and remember our life journey together. In that chapel, I do let my sorrows fall and it is a peaceful, blessed place for me. As some of you know, my journey through grief has been a deep, long and painful one. I have been so grateful for the support and patience offered by those around me. There have been times when I thought this season of grieving would never end and I would never feel summer warmth again. At other times, I was desperate to be out of this season and made false starts, just like sometimes we go out without a coat and find that the seasons have fooled us. Now, finally, I sense a shift in myself. The seasons are moving again and I am beginning to see new shoots of hope. My heart has found quietness and wisdom is beginning to find peace. This healing is as much a miracle to me as watching a tiny seed grow into a towering sunflower. It seems so impossible and yet it still happens. Every season has its challenges and its own beauty – even grief. Whatever season your life is in just now, I pray that you may find beauty and blessing in it.

God bless,

Cecilia