Events

Gardner Memorial Church of Scotland

1 week ago

'Acting Locally but Thinking Globally'

Luke 21: 1-6:
“As Jesus looked up, he saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. ‘Truly I tell you,’ he said, ‘this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.’ "

Last November Chris, my wife, and I had one of those holidays of a lifetime when we sailed down the East Coast of New Zealand and then across to Tasmania and up to Sydney. I had always wanted to see Sydney Harbour Bridge because as a child my dad who was in the merchant navy sent me of postcard of it. And as many of you know the pillars at either end of the Bridge were designed by Sir John James Burnett who was the Architect of Gardner Memorial.


In retrospect it was a holiday of three narrow misses. We declined the opportunity to visit the White Island Volcano, which erupted in December; we could smell the smoke but fortunately could not see the Australian Bush Fires; and Covid-19 was waiting just around the corner – we might still have been in Australia!.

When I came home I purchased over 100 tree whips to offset the CO2 of the holiday. The trees were planted with the help of Kirrie Rotarians, Webster’s High School pupils and Angus Council.


Now all of this is by way of introduction to another person who was instrumental in the planting of millions of trees in Africa.

Professor Wangari Maathai was the subject of Fr. Richard Rohr’s reflection Tuesday past…

Maathai devoted herself to environmental and democratic reform in her native Kenya. Her maxim was think globally but act locally.

As a young academic biologist at the University of Nairobi in the 1970s . . . Maathai grew concerned about the environmental devastation created in Nairobi by widespread deforestation. She recognized that a massive replanting program could both save the land and provide a source of income for Nairobi’s poor. So in 1977 she founded a small local organisation that paid Nairobi women to plant trees. The organisation soon grew into a nationwide and then pan-African one - known as the Greenbelt Movement. Since its inception, the movement has planted upwards of forty million trees in Africa and provided sources of income for nearly one million women.

The genius of Maathai’s vision was its holistic awareness of the linkage between environmental sustainability and economic opportunity. . . .

In 2004 she was the first African Woman to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. In her acceptance speech, Wangari Maathai said,

"[The Green Belt Movement] participants discover that they must be part of the solutions. They realise their hidden potential and are empowered to overcome inertia and take action. They come to recognise that they are the primary custodians and beneficiaries of the environment that sustains them.

Entire communities also come to understand that while it is necessary to hold their governments accountable, it is equally important that in their own relationships with each other, they exemplify the leadership values they wish to see in their own leaders, namely justice, integrity and trust.

Although initially the Green Belt Movement’s tree planting activities did not address issues of democracy and peace, it soon became clear that responsible governance of the environment was impossible without democratic space. Therefore, the tree became a symbol for the democratic struggle in Kenya. Citizens were mobilised to challenge widespread abuses of power, corruption and environmental mismanagement. . . .

Through the Green Belt Movement, thousands of ordinary citizens were mobilised and empowered to take action and effect change. . . . They learned to overcome fear and a sense of helplessness and moved to defend democratic rights.

In time, the tree also became a symbol for peace and conflict resolution. . . .
It is 30 years since we started this work. Activities that devastate the environment and societies continue unabated. Today we are faced with a challenge that calls for a shift in our thinking, so that humanity stops threatening its life-support system. We are called to assist the Earth to heal her wounds and in the process heal our own — indeed, to embrace the whole creation in all its diversity, beauty and wonder. This will happen if we see the need to revive our sense of belonging to a larger family of life, with which we have shared our evolutionary process.

In the course of history, there comes a time when humanity is called to shift to a new level of consciousness, to reach a higher moral ground. A time when we have to shed our fear and give hope to each other.

That time is now"
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I believe that those sentiments apply just as strongly to us as they do to the folks of the Green Belt Movement.

I am horrified by some of the press images of people actively ignoring and flouting the social distancing and wearing of masks guidelines.

So many of you have made huge sacrifices these past 4 months.

We run the risk of a second surge of the virus because somebody felt that going to the pub or the beach was essential.

We are all called to shift to a new level of consciousness and to reach a higher moral ground.

When we think globally but act locally then we are all bringing the story of the widow’s mite alive!
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Last week I invited you to send me details of your favourite reading and hymns and say why they are special. Here are the thoughts of one member

I have followed your reflections over recent months and following on from last week I thought I would let you know about my favourite hymns. Two of mine are our wedding ones which are “The Lord is King, lift up your voice” and “O Father all creating”. The second one is in CH3 and not included in CH4. Another good one is” Guide me o thou Great Jehovah” to tune Cwm Rhondda. There are so many lovely hymns and tunes ,many of which can be used as prayers or readings. Our Worship team noticed this while looking for hymns for our services at Airlie Gardens and Newington Gardens. Hymns are so much part of worship which many of us will miss.
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Congratulations to

Jim Copland 90TH Birthday on 6TH March
Abb. Scott 90TH Birthday on 7TH June
Mr and Mrs Abb Scott 66TH Wedding Anniversary on 27TH March
Jim and Jean Copland 65TH Wedding Anniversary on 6th June
Neil and Janice Low Ruby Wedding Anniversary on 7th June
Chris and Mabel Smith Ruby Wedding Anniversary on 2ND August
Norma Black’s Great Grandson Hunter was born on 31ST March

Prayer

O Great Love, thank you for living and loving in us and through us.
May all that we do flow from our deep connection with you and all beings.
Help us become a community that vulnerably shares each other’s burdens and
the weight of glory.
Listen to our hearts’ longings for the healing of our world, the creation of a new tomorrow, and the strengthening of friendships

[Please add your own thoughts of the folks about whom you care]

Knowing you are hearing us better than we are speaking,
we offer these prayers in all the holy names of God,
Amen.

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Similar to previous week’s a choice of services to watch this week. This week, the chance to visit Stornoway, Bellshill and Dalgety Bay

Stornoway: Martin's Memorial Church, live stream 11am and 6.30pm

North Lanarkshire: Bellshill Central Parish Church of Scotland, livestream from 11am Sunday and available as a recording after

Dalgety Bay:Dalgety Parish Church, Livestream

And so to the members of Gardner and Farnell, may the touch of God on your hearts bring you a sense of peace, belonging and love.

Malcolm
E: malc.rooney@gmail.com M: 07 909 993 233 ...

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