Dear Friends,

In my sermon this week I have concentrated on the awe and wonder of the Creation of which we are part, on how the beauty of the natural world speaks of God our loving Creator. I know, from many conversations amongst us and in discussion, the beauty of nature, even when it is as austere as it sometimes is in this part of the world, is something that helps many of us feel close to God. Let's give thanks for that, and make sure that we can give time to what Jesus calls "considering" the birds of the air and the flowers of the field so as to recognise the care of our Creator.

This week we also hold alongside our wonder and awe, the shock and sadness of the images from Turkey and Syria where the natural disaster of an earthquake has caused such devastation. There are no easy answers to holding both the goodness of God's creation, and the reality of such suffering together. There is however the human response of deep compassion and care, which I can only trust is the reflection of God's love for all that God has made.

Let's hold all who suffer in our prayers. There will be a retiring collection at Lynton on Sunday for relief via the Disaster's Emergency Committee who can be found at https://www.dec.org.uk/ if you would like to give directly.

God bless

Samantha