25‘Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?
 
28‘And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labour or spin. 29Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendour was dressed like one of these. 30If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you – you of little faith? 31So do not worry, saying, “What shall we eat?” or “What shall we drink?” or “What shall we wear?” 32For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. (Matthew 6 NIVUK)

 
Birds flying high, you know how I feel; Sun in the sky, you know how I feel; Breeze driftin' on by, you know how I feel;
Fish in the sea, you know how I feel; River running free, you know how I feel; Blossom on a tree, you know how I feel:
It's a new dawn, it's a new day, it's a new life, for me: and I'm feeling good.
(Feeling Good, “The Roar of the Greasepaint – the Smell of the Crowd”, 1964)

 
I daresay we all will have heard the lyrics of this song: some, during our experimenting with Jazz phase, hearing it sung by Nina Simone; others who prefer more “easy-listening”, by Michael Buble; or, if you have a particularly high quality taste in music, by the alt/prog rock band, Muse.
 
What I did not know is that “Feeling Good” actually comes from a musical written in 1964 called “The Roar of the Greasepaint – the Smell of the Crowd”. I did not read much more about this musical, other than to gather that the character who sings “Feeling Good” does so after winning an unexpected victory during the course of the musical’s narrative. Winning an unexpected victory does, often, leave us feeling good!
 
As I reflected on these lyrics recently, however, and particularly in light of this most recent summer, I realised that the things mentioned are not likely to leave us feeling good. The birds are struggling to find food; the sun has been scorching the earth; the breeze has felt humid and uncomfortable; the fish feel the heating of our oceans; rivers have run dry thanks to drought; trees have not blossomed, because they have been destroyed in wild fires. These are the realities of our climate crisis, long felt on the parts of our planet we in the West rather patronisingly call, “the Third World”; but now coming to be felt in those countries most culpable for the damage done to our environment.
 
All is not lost, and I do hope the adversity of summer past does elicit greater change than has already been implemented. Yet, despite this, the reasons for worry are quite obvious. And that is what I want to address.
 
Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 6 almost perfectly reflects all we have touched on so far: including the birds of the air and flowers of the field! God cares for these, and they do not worry about what tomorrow may bring. Are we, His children, not significantly more precious than these? And therefore, does it not stand to reason that we can find peace in knowing that, whatever trials we may face in this world, our God will hold us and help us through?
 
Trusting in God does not, of course, mean inaction on our part. We still have agency and can make a difference in our world. The difference in doing so knowing God is with us is that we can turn to Him for strength to persevere; comfort when we are worried; peace that He will hold us, no matter what; hope that we are His from now into eternity.
 
I finish with 2 quotes from Corrie Ten Boom:
 
“Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow. It empties today of its strength.”
 
 “Never be afraid to trust an unknown tomorrow to a known God”.
 
With every blessing,
Stuart
Email: slove@churchofscotland.org.uk
Tel.: 07916 176 873

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Music Notes          

From comments I have received, I know that our congregation appreciates the work of our praise band in leading the singing of the congregation.  For our part, we also enjoy doing so.   
In this note I am putting out a request for others in our congregation who would be willing to  sing in the band.  This would enable us to work on a rota basis, giving individuals regular ‘Sundays off’.  If you would be willing to join us please see Ian after a morning service.
Over the next few weeks, we will introduce some new songs for our services.  These will be introduced initially by the band, singing them as ‘introits’ or at other occasions during the morning services. Watch out in the monthly bulletins for further information about these and for links to YouTube recordings of the songs.
Here is a link to one of the potential new songs – ‘Holy forever’ – which I have played on keyboard during offertories recently.

Chris Tomlin - Holy Forever (Lyric Video) - YouTube

I plan to bring together the singers from the Mearns churches and Clincarthill to prepare for and present a Joint Churches' Christmas concert - along the lines of  last year's  successful concert..  
Practices will be held in Maxwell Church on Monday evenings starting on Monday October 5th and our concert will be planned for  the evening of Thursday December 17th. .

Ian G.