I have decided to write a daily blog through this period of lock down –a chance to put my thoughts down and to share with the community of KPC. Please return to this website whenever you want to catch up.
Today being the first day of Lockdown, we as a family have spent time getting organised and making ways to create a rhythm in our days. It has been a very busy week as we prepared and delivered worship kits for the parish, including Sunday services, Young Church, Messy Church and gifts for all mainly music families. We have also been extending our church website so people can participate in regular Sunday worship and even join in a mainly music session.
At the manse, we have also started getting our heads around the school component of Reuben’s day –especially the fun daily challenges for the family that his lovely Hub teachers are providing. Today we all followed instructions to draw an owl –which of course got quite competitive... as you can see in the picture below. But as each of our owls were connected to the one tree I reflected on how privileged we are to have a home nest we feel safe in. A favourite story as a child for me was “The Best Nest” which concludes with these words –I love my house, I love my nest; in all the world, this nest is best”
These owls however, also got me thinking about my favourite psalm, in which sparrows find a home and swallows find a nest. Not surprising I suppose, that under stress we return to those texts that are held most closely. Psalm 84 begins -
How lovely is your dwelling place,
Lord Almighty!
2 My soul yearns, even faints,
for the courts of the Lord;
my heart and my flesh cry out
for the living God.
3 Even the sparrow has found a home,
and the swallow a nest for herself,
where she may have her young—
a place near your altar,
Lord Almighty, my King and my God.
4 Blessed are those who dwell in your house;
they are ever praising you.
This passage reminds me of the interconnectedness between home and church. Between the place we make our nest and the place we find God’s altar. Perhaps the altar is closer to home than we realise. Perhaps in our bubble we will discover afresh that it can be a place of worship too; a dwelling place of the Lord Almighty. May you discover in these weeks ahead that your nest bubble is also the place where God dwells.
