September 2024
Given that this newsletter is published for the first Sunday in September, today is when we celebrate Father’s Day.
Father’s Day arose out of the idea of having a counterpart to Mother’s Day – to celebrate the gift that God has given of fatherhood.
God’s ideal for us is that we would be born into, and raised in a family where there was a father and a mother. Each one having different roles, but working together to display different aspects of God’s character.
That is the ideal, but we know that for various reasons, that is not the experience of every child.
Where a father is absent for whatever reason, the void is often filled by others – grandparents, uncles, older brothers amongst others. We should recognise them today as well.
We traditionally celebrate Father’s day with the giving of small gifts – ties and socks are solid favourites. But, in truth, the greatest gift that a father can receive is to have their children grow up to be those who do what is right and honour God.
Proverbs 23 covers quite a few subjects but verses 23 and 24 contain the following;
Buy the truth and do not sell it. Get wisdom, discipline and understanding.
The father of a righteous man has great joy; he who has a wise son delights in him.
Sadly today the concept of fatherhood is under attack from many quarters – some even say that children would be better off being raised without the input of a father. That is simply another attack on everything that God has said is good.
The truth is that a father who cares for his children like our Heavenly Father cares for us, is a priceless gift for any child.
Likewise, a child who grows up choosing to love and serve God is the greatest gift that a father could know.
Happy Father’s Day
Pastor Murray
August 2024
Why did God create mosquitos?
These nasty little insects have a way of making any occasion a misery. We all know the feeling of finding a lovely spot to sit and enjoy the view or maybe have something to eat, only to feel the pain and itch of being bitten by these little blood-suckers.
And it is not simply that they cause us irritation and inconvenience. Because they feast on our blood, they are exceptionally good at spreading disease amongst us. Deadly illnesses like malaria, yellow fever and encephalitis are spread largely by mosquitos.
If you are like me, you probably find it hard to think of anything good about mosquitos. I was amused to learn that on the 20th of this month, it is World Mosquito Day. We are encouraged to observe this day by using an insect repellent, wearing long sleeves and pants and keeping our windows and doors closed. I’m struggling to get excited about it.
The book of Genesis tells us that when God created the world, he said that it was good. That included mosquitos. In fact, most mosquitos are vegetarian. Male mosquitos do not bite, nor do many types of mosquitos – male and female. They exist quite happily on plant nectar.
Mosquitos are good at pollinating plants and serve as a food source for fish and birds. It was only after sin entered the world that some of them turned to consuming us – drop by drop. They are just another example of how sin has blighted the world that God created.
The good news is that the decay of sin will not last forever. Jesus is coming back to put things right. Perhaps in the new heaven and new earth that is promised in Revelation, there will still be mosquitos. But if there are, they will be a source of joy and fascination to us – not irritation and pain.
Pastor Murray