Displaying items by tag: countryside

At the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in September, the Bible Society's 'Psalm 23’ garden attracted much attention (bit.ly/bspsalm23). Many were touched by the garden, by the psalm that inspired it, and by the Good Shepherd himself. One visitor said, ‘I suffer from paranoid schizophrenia, I saw the garden and wanted to pray there. I’ve got a deep faith in God now, it's helping with the anxiety and voices’ (bit.ly/bs23josh). Others are now creating Psalm 23 gardens in their localities. As individuals, schools and communities read the psalm and plan their own gardens, pray that they will hear the Lord speaking and come to know Him as their Shepherd and dwell with Him for ever. We can thank God that nature and gardens are attracting many different spiritualities and therapies, though some will need sifting to align with the truth.

In recent weeks we have heard of declining mental health and increasing suicide among many, including young people and those working in farming. Pressures on the latter have been immense over the last year, due to weather, Covid, Brexit, bovine TB and bird flu. Continue to pray for all working in farming and on the land and for those ministering to them in any way. Pray for their physical and emotional protection and for them to cry out to the Lord, come to know Him, and experience His love for the first time. A good maxim for the countryside is ‘Leave only footprints, keep to the paths, take only photographs, kill nothing but time’. In recent years, public concern for the environment and wildlife and appreciation of farmers and farming have grown. As lockdown eases and the weather improves, visitors will head to the countryside; may they remember this motto.

An avian influenza prevention zone has been declared across England, Scotland and Wales to reduce the risk of the disease spreading following a number of confirmed cases in recent weeks. This means that all bird keepers must follow strict biosecurity measures. Those with more than 500 birds now need to restrict access for non-essential people on their sites; workers must change clothing and footwear before entering bird enclosures, and site vehicles need to be cleaned and disinfected regularly. Backyard owners with smaller numbers of poultry including chickens, ducks and geese are also urged to strengthen their biosecurity measures in order to prevent further outbreaks of avian influenza in the UK. Public Health England said the risk to public health is very low, and the Food Standards Agency advises that ‘avian influenza poses a very low food safety risk for UK consumers’.

Spring has burst forth in all of its beauty and splendour. Blossom still covers many hedges, and flowers have increased in size and structural complexity. Leaves have unfurled in their fresh, green shades as trees begin their yearly quest, hungry for the sun's rays. All this seems to be in total contrast to the lockdown restrictions that have been imposed on us all, and reflects the fact that God's Spirit is moving throughout the land equally unfettered. Give thanks that God loves to work for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose. See the Lord enthroned in splendour, see Him high and lifted up, yet His touch is light and tender, His love an overflowing cup.

What will life be like for the over-70s in self-isolation in the countryside? When Carol, aged 70, heard on 15 March that she could be stuck indoors for the long haul, she took the first bus of the day four miles into Bridport to buy supplies. ‘I was the only person on the bus and when I got to the shops some shelves were bare. I tried to book a Tesco delivery but there were no slots until 4 April.’ Her story is repeated across the country. Elizabeth Harley, a lay preacher at the Chapel in the Garden in Bridport, runs a community fridge which distributed four tonnes of surplus food to people in need last year, but gifts to her project are now scarce. However, thanks to a coronavirus community support Facebook page, Carol has received many encouraging offers of help.

We live in turbulent and troubled times. The floods and other troubles facing rural Britain are just the tip of an iceberg: across the world, nature, society and church are being thoroughly shaken. These are the times of ‘signs’ that, variously, warn of God’s judgment, call us to repentance and herald Jesus’s return. Pray that God’s people will understand the times and know what to do, always being ready to give an account for the hope that is in us, and work to bring in His harvest. The season of Lent is traditionally marked by fasting and abstinence. It is a time to consider our ways. Many churches will set aside special times to meet, pray and study the Bible. Pray for Christians, both rural and urban, to understand how what we eat and how we live affects God’s creation, the land and those who farm it.