VICAR'S LETTER
17
Sundon Road
Streatley
November, 2007
Dear
All
In the period around Harvest, Sunday School and Sunday Club investigated the theme of "Caring for God's World." The outcome of their researches can be summed up in this re-telling of a familiar Bible Story:
GENESIS TWO
Chapter 1
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In the beginning - or not long afterwards - there was rock.
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From the rock there erupted volcanoes.
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The volcanoes created the atmosphere.
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From the atmosphere there fell rain, filling the rivers and the seas.
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In the seas, minute life-forms multiplied.
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The life-forms generated oxygen.
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Plants grew upon the land.
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Animals fed upon the plants.
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And then there came man.
Chapter 2
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But man was more wily than any other creature. He had a large brain.
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He used that brain to gain knowledge.
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With knowledge, man gained power.
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He used that power to rule the world as if it was his own.
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And the world suffered.
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Its atmosphere was poisoned by his pollution.
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The animals that were no use to him were pushed out.
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The plants that were no use to him were discarded.
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The rivers and the seas were polluted by his effluent.
Chapter 3
- Then man heard the sound of the Lord God walking on the earth in the cool of the day.
- God called man to him.
- God said: "What is this that you have done?
- You came into a wonderful world, but by your arrogance and your greed you have all but destroyed it.
- Are you a god that you treat the world as your own?
- Do you think that everything that exists is there just for your benefit?"
- Man shrank before the anger of God, but God was pitiless.
- "You have presumed to be a god," He said. "Now you must act like one.
- You must love the earth. You must cherish it, care for it, and, if necessary make sacrifices for it,
- Just as I once did for you.."
All best wishes,
Roger