Readings:
Genesis 2: 18-24;
Psalm 8;
Hebrews 1: 1-4, 2: 5-12;
Mark 10: 2-16

Collect:
God, our judge and saviour,
teach us to be open to your truth and to trust in your love,
that we may live each day with confidence in the salvation which is given
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

Reflection

When I was on holiday recently, I looked up at the sky at night and was amazed by how many stars I could see, out in the countryside away from the interference of light pollution. Even here in Milton Keynes we can often see a beautiful array of stars – if only we remember to look up! I wonder what you think of when you look up at the night sky? Perhaps, like me, you might be struck by the sheer scale of the universe, in both space and time, as you see stars which are many light years away. 

This week’s psalm reminds us of both the beauty and the enormity of God’s creation, and of our own place within it: 

“When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars you have set in their courses,
what are mortals, that you should be mindful of them?
mere human beings, that you should seek them out?”

It is a humbling thing to think that the creator of the universe, of all that we can see and far beyond what we can see, is also intimately involved in and concerned with our lives. In this week’s gospel reading we are reminded of Jesus’ call to us to become like little children: “whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it”. I wonder whether one of the ways we receive the kingdom like children is by recovering a sense of child-like wonder at the world around us, at all that God has made. 

As I walked home from church last week, I encountered a woman and her two small grandchildren walking – very, very slowly – in the opposite direction. Why were they going so slowly? Because for those two little ones, ever conker and leaf and insect and crack in the pavement seemed to be a source of delight, to be closely examined and exclaimed over. Perhaps part of the calling to receive the kingdom like little children is a calling to slow down, to allow ourselves to be side-tracked by what catches our attention, to delight in the small joys of life and be curious about all that we encounter. 

I wonder what opportunities you can find this week to delight in God’s creation as you encounter it? Perhaps you might look up at the night sky, or watch the birds in the garden, or become attentive to the variety of trees in our local area, as their leaves begin to turn. As you delight in all that God has made, remember that you too are part of God’s good creation – and God delights in you. 

Ruth Harley