PRIEST's LETTER

As I write this on the brink of July, we are in swift awareness week, and as a family we have been enjoying watching these ariel artists on our regular trips to Sherborne Abbey.  We have also been enjoying our home-grown sparrows at the Vicarage in Gillingham, some even now being named by our children!  The birds are my constant companions from my desk and when I walk the dog, and my birding husband has been enjoying snapping away at nature reserves, spotting everything from majestic Great Crested Grebes to a baby woodpecker hidden in some ivy.  I’m sure there are many more who enjoy our feathered friends through the warm summer months, some species are local residents year-round, some fly in from other countries.  In Christianity birds remind us of God’s care, protection, and provision.  There are many passages of scriptures that feature birds; the quail is sent to the Israelites after they moan about eating manna day after day, showing that God will provide what is needed.  The phrase “mount up on wings like eagles” comes from Isaiah 40:31, symbolizing renewed strength and divine empowerment for those who trust in the Lord.  Matthew 10:29 says, “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny?  Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care”.  This emphasizes that God is aware of even the smallest details of our world and our lives, illustrating His care and value for all creation, including the lowly sparrows.  Jesus talks of wanting to gather his people under his wings like a mother hen.  And of course, the Holy Spirit is often depicted as a dove, descending from heaven, moving from place to place, always there when we need that strength.  As we watch the birds from our windows and out in the wild places, they tell us the story of our creator who fashioned such wondrous, majestic and also such humble creatures.  And they remind us to rely not on our strength alone, but to rely on God’s protection and provision in all things, and to know that we are safe like a baby bird with a parent.

Rev’d Becca McDonnell.