Tag: Lynn Hurry

A little honey too!

Bee and flower kiss and make nectar. Photo : Lynn Hurry

World Bee Day

According to all known laws of aviation, there is no way that a Bumble Bee should be able to fly. Its wings are too small to get its fat little body off the ground. It’s something to do with its body mass in relation to its wing span. It’s all been tested out, using the science of aerodynamics and a wind tunnel.
The Bumble Bee is, however, blissfully ignorant of this scientific fact and, possessing considerable determination, and refusing to accept a low expectation of its capabilities, it not only does fly, but it makes a little honey too.

[Perhaps we can bear that in mind when we are faced with difficulties about things we can or can’t do. Even more important when others tell us what we can’t do. Think of the bee and don’t let others put you down.]

Despite possessing determination, the bee population needs our help at present.

This week, the United Nations led us in the observance of a World Bee Day. It is generally held on May 20^th. The date was chosen to honour Anton Jans̆a, a pioneer of modern beekeeping who was born on May 20^th, 1734.The main purpose of the Day is to raise awareness about the essential role that bees and other pollinators play in “in maintaining healthy ecosystems and ensuring food security.” (UN).
By encouraging the observance of this day, it is hoped that actions might be promoted to protect and enhance bees and other pollinators and their habitats which are threatened increasingly by human activities such as habitat loss, increasing and indiscriminate use of pesticides and the effects of climate change.
Pollinators, which include bees and also endangered butterflies, are responsible for a staggering reproduction of over 75% of the world’s food crops BUT 40% of them are currently at risk of extinction.

The United Kingdom Government has issued suggestions how gardeners and other’s involved in the growth of plants, might help to nurture nature and help our pollinators to thrive:

Grow more nectar rich flowers, shrubs, and trees. Using window or balcony boxes are good options if you don’t have a garden;
Let patches of garden and land grow wild;
Cut grass less often;
Do not disturb insect nests and hibernation spots; and
Think carefully about whether to use pesticides.
In addition you could build a bee hotel and make a bee watering station. Bees and butterflies, wasps and other pollinators need water and bowls placed around your garden or window box can be a real lifeline.

Don’t forget to commit this action to prayer:
In Ecclesiasticus Chapter 11, verse 3, we can read:
The bee is small among flying creatures,
but what it produces is the best of sweet things.

Here’s a prayer inspired by this:

O God, Creator of the earth,
We pray for tiny, buzzing bees
who work so hard and true to pollinate
and bring life anew.
May we protect them from harm and wrong
and cherish the gifts they bring along.
All creation speaks of Your divine glory.
May we honour and protect it, in Your divine name.
Amen.

Singing the song in our heart

I post this on St Cecilia’s Day, November 22^nd. Since the 15^th century she has been known as the Patron Saint of Music. A document known as the Golden Legend’ described her as a “bride of Christ whose love of music elevated her soul to God. This document also encouraged us to consider the link between earth and heaven. It is a link between the song of heaven, led by the angels and the echo of that song on earth, particularly in religion, poetry and music.

The poet, John Dryden, wrote a Song for St Cecilia’s Day which strengthened that link and serenaded the power of music with the line:

“What Passion cannot music raise and quell?”

For many of us, this is expressed in song and hymns and psalms whilst others use the gifts they have to make music in other ways. (Not a mutually exclusive experience!)
Song and music as an expression of faith has been the subject of a short piece of writing by the Taizé Community which is worth pondering over:

Singing is one of the most essential elements of worship. Short songs, repeated again and again, give it a meditative character. Using just a few words they express a basic reality of faith, quickly grasped by the mind. As the words are sung over many times, this reality gradually penetrates the whole being. Meditative singing thus becomes a way of listening to God. It allows everyone to take part in a time of prayer together and to remain together in attentive waiting on God, without having to fix the length of time too exactly.
To open the gates of trust in God, nothing can replace the beauty of human voices united in song. This beauty can give us a glimpse of “heaven’s joy on earth,” as Eastern Christians put it. And an inner life begins to blossom within us.
These songs also sustain personal prayer. Through them, little by little, our being finds an inner unity in God. They can continue in the silence of our hearts when we are at work, speaking with others or resting. In this way prayer and daily life are united. They allow us to keep on praying even when we are unaware of it, in the silence of our hearts. (Taizé Community)

I love the quotation from Maya Angelou which accompanies the photo above.
In the interplay of the Godly song of heaven and our earthly melody of the heart it is good for Maya to remind us that the main reason we can sing and make music is because there is a song in our heart to be sung. A Song put there by God. It raises spirits and lifts our lives beyond ourselves to God. That’s a good enough reason for me to sing.

[Mr G + Taizé Community]

Innocent victims

*Nearly grown up fox cub at Latton Vicarage. Photo by Lynn Hurry*

“Excuse me bothering you.
I am one of the little fox cubs who live in the garden of Latton Vicarage. I belong to a family of foxes who live safely at the top end of the garden. My mamma died earlier in the summer but papa is still with us.
As you see I am almost fully grown now and this is thanks to my surrogate mama, Auntie Lynn. She looks after us, feeds us and cares about us. She is a loving and kind person and she has taught us gentleness and care for others. I suppose you know that us foxes tend to be a bit self-centred.

What I want to bring to your attention today is about other foxes who have no one to care for them, and not just foxes.

Aunty Lynn has been telling us about the awful things that are happening in the bigger world at the moment. She told us about places called Gaza and Israel and another with a more difficult name – I think it’s called Youkrane.
Lots of terrible things are going on at the moment. Humans are fighting each other. Not in the playful way me and my sisters and brothers do – that’s just fun – but violently and with guns, bombs, missiles, shells which explode. There are so many people injured or killed. Homes are destroyed and many people, including children, old people, vulnerable sick people need lots of attention and love.

But I also want to talk about the animals. Like the children, they are innocent. They’ve done nothing wrong. So many of them are suffering. Many have been completely abandoned. Others have been injured as the bombs have destroyed the places where they live. Some have been buried under the rubble. There is no one to rescue them or animal doctors to make them better. Cats, dogs, donkeys,cattle, sheep, chicken, even some animals I’ve never heard of who lived in a zoo, are facing death and are in pain. They can’t find food, water, warmth.
They don’t know what’s happened to them or why. The humans who cared have too many other troubles to worry about animals. They don’t mean to abandon them. It’s just what happens when human beings fall out of love for each other and fight.

So I’m very grateful that Aunty Lynn loves and cares for others and all of you who care for other animals. We don’t always say, ‘thank you’, but we are lucky, especially when we think about other animals much worse off than ourselves.

Please think about the animals suffering in the places of war. Please pray for them.”

Lord God,
you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power.
You created all things for your glory,
yet there are those in your Creation who languish in pain and suffering.

Among them, we pray for all animals who have been abandoned
and who have lost security and shelter.
We pray for those without food and who are thirsty in places
where there is no water.
We pray for the animals injured by bombing, shrapnel or fallen buildings;
for those who are trapped and are dying in the rubble.

In the trauma of war and violence, stretch out your loving hands
and bless all animals in need today,
whether wild, in captivity, on the streets, lonely and afraid.
Please bless also, all who had to abandon their pets as they too fled from safety.
The hardest decisions may be small in the face of terrible violence
but hearts will have been be broken.
Please be with all who are missing their pets and grieving for them.

Lord, as Pope Francis told us that our animals will have a place in Paradise,
may those who have and died find a home in your eternally loving heart.

Lord,have mercy and bless with your peace those in conflict at this time.
Amen

[Mr G]

Prayer and the Little Fox

Photo: Lynn Hurry. Little fox kindly posing in Latton Vicarage garden

FOX DAY

Yesterday (September 17^th) was National Fox Day. Partly this is promoted by charities and others concerned that foxes and other wild animals are cruelly hunted and killed but there are also those who have concerns for the provision of our wildlife generally. One of the groups keen to promote the well-being of animals is the Woodland Trust and it is worth following them and even supporting their work.

Of course, my friend Lynn Hurry is a great champion of wildlife, especially locally in her garden and especially foxes. Photos of Foxes and their cubs are often on my blog and other postings.

Lynn alerted me yesterday to Fox Day and as I browsed the web I found a delightful story about the Fox, prayer and God. It isn’t a story original to me. I came across it on a site of the Evergreen Community in Spokane Valley, USA.

The Tale of the Prayer and the Little Fox

In Egypt, in their ancient Christian past there had once lived a monk who befriended an uneducated and simple peasant farmer. One day this peasant said to the monk, I respect God too, who created this world! Every evening I pour out a bowl of goat’s milk and leave it under a palm tree. In the evening God comes, and drinks up the milk; He’s very fond of it. There’s never once been a time when even a drop of milk is left in the bowl.

Hearing the words, the monk smiled, and kindly told his friend God does not need the bowl of milk. The peasant insisted he was right; and the monk suggested an overnight watch secretly watching to see what happens to the bowl of goat’s milk.

When night fell they hide and secretly watched from a distance. And soon in the moon light; a little fox crept up to the bowl and lapped up the milk. The peasant sighed disappointedly, and said “I can see it’s not God.” The monk explained to him God is a Spirit; and tried to comfort him; telling him every one comprehends God’s presence in their own unique way. The peasant wept and went home to his hovel. The monk also went back to his cell, and when he got there his path was blocked; he was amazed to see his cell blocked by an angel. Utterly terrified he fell to his knees, and the angel said to him with what wisdom, and education you had: you took away what wisdom the peasant had.

But there’s one thing that you don’t know; learned O man; God seeing the sincerity and true heart of this good peasant; every night sent the little fox to that palm tree to comfort him and accept his sacrifice.

For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things.
To Him be glory forever. Amen. Romans 11:36