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![\"Rev](\"https:\/\/www.pattinghamchurch.org.uk\/web\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/rev-merry.jpg\")
<\/a>April 2026<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n At this time of year we see signs of renewal all around us. Spring unfolds quietly: trees come into blossom, birds fill the mornings with song, and new life appears in fields and hedgerows. Yet the natural world that brings us such joy is also fragile. Across the world, and closer to home, creation faces real challenges: the loss of wildlife habitats, pollution, and the changing climate that affects both people and nature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Easter reminds us of the unfailing love of God for all that He has made. The love shown in the resurrection of Jesus, and in the promise of eternal life to all, is the same love that brought into being, the beauty and complexity of the natural world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Easter itself is full of hope. From sorrow comes joy, from death comes life, and from despair comes renewal. The resurrection reminds us that God can bring new beginnings out of places we might least expect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the face of world conflicts and the escalating climate crisis; I may feel like an ordinary person with little influence. Yet small acts of care can help carry the weight of the world\u2019s needs and take part in the hopeful work of renewal that Easter proclaims. In Genesis we read that God placed Adam in the Garden of Eden to “work it and take care of it.” Genesis 2: 15.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As I reflect this Easter, I feel encouraged to look more closely at what can so easily be overlooked and taken for granted; the wonder and the needs of our natural world. As we increasingly live lives of convenience and waste, I wonder how best we can care for the things God has created. My own unlikely Easter response is a simple one. To take small, practical steps to care for creation \u2013 wasting less, supporting local wildlife, caring for green spaces, and paying closer attention to the beauty of the world around me. And so, I plan to try one small act of care for creation each day: recycling and buying just what I need; planting something for pollinators, supporting local nature, and simply spending time in the wonder of nature noticing the love that inspired it and the hope it can nurture in us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n An Easter blessing to you all<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rev Merry<\/p>\n\n\n\n Previous month<\/a> \u2013 Monthly index<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u2018Merry’s miscellany\u2019 The Vicar\u2019s monthly letter for the Parish News April 2026 At this time of year we see signs of renewal all around us. Spring unfolds quietly: trees come into blossom, birds fill the mornings with song, and new life appears in fields and hedgerows. Yet the natural world that brings us such joy … <\/p>\n
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