Create a peaceful space to pause, and allow yourself to feel God’s presence alongside you, as near to you as your own breath. In following the reflection below, as a church we will draw closer to God and to one another as we grow in faith and deepen our sense of belonging to God.
Genesis 1:31 ‘God looks at all Creation’
God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good.
And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.
The pandemic has made the world a very different place to live in over the past few months and understandably there have been a number of things that have got people down. There have been some very justifiable and serious worries for many, about health, jobs, education and finances. But something that took on a disproportionate dimension for lots of us during lockdown was our hair. I know I was no exception. Oh what joy when we could get our hair cut again!
One morning as I sat at the dressing table and despaired once more at the sight in the mirror, the story of the creation suddenly came into my mind, and that oft-repeated phrase, “God saw that it was good” struck me. I went back and read the story again, realizing afresh that once humankind was created, on the sixth day, “God saw everything that he had made, and indeed it was very good”.
It was a chastening moment, the recognition that it’s so easy to be dissatisfied with who we are, with how we look, or with what we can do. God created each one of us with a different personality and appearance. with different talents and “God saw everything that he had made, and indeed it was very good”.
That includes you and it includes me. We have so much for which to thank God.
Prayer:
We give thanks, O God,
for the wonder of your creation
from the beginning of time until now:We give thanks that you
made humankind in your own image,
able to hear and answer your call;We thank you for the talents and powers you have given to us,
and for all the good use to which these have been put over the millennia.Most of all we thank you for Jesus,
for his life of love,
for his teaching and example,
for his death on the cross,
for the new life he has bought us
and for all that we enjoy because of his perfect love.God of love, make us more thankful for all the boundless mercies of our daily life.
Forgive us that we are so often ungrateful, complaining and discontented,
taking for granted your greatest gifts.Show us why you have given those gifts to us
and how you would have us use them to bring in your kingdom.Teach us day by day to number our blessings.
Fill our lives with gratitude,
and our lips with praise;
for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Reflection © 2020 Ann Caffyn.
Image freely available online.
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All material within this order of worship is reproduced by permission under CCL 1226356