Putting People First, Earth Hour and Bikes

This morning's notices included one from Rosemary about the Put People First march next Saturday. Six people from the congregation will be catching the train to join the service at Central Hall, Westminster and for the march afterwards. This march is to give a message to the G20 meeting in London on 2nd April:

Our future depends on creating an economy based on fair distribution of wealth, decent jobs for all and a low carbon future.

There can be no going back to business as usual.

I gave a notice too: we have applied for the Eco-congregation award and will soon be visited by assessors. I've put the details of the application on the Eco-congregation notice board for comments, queries and additions.

As usual on Mothering Sunday, the cubs and scouts were present to hand out the flowers. Often it's a worship together service but this year it was a normal communion so we invited them to join Exclaimers for the middle part of the service. Exclaimers have been looking at the Lord's Prayer this term and had reached 'Deliver us from evil'. Among many other definitions and explanations the issue of climate change was mentioned and we all made beeswax candles, both as a symbol of the light of the world that drives away evil and specifically to use in Earth Hour, also next Saturday: an hour to switch off all lights to demonstrate our support for action to protect the planet, especially in the run up to the London G20 meeting. I was surprised by how few people have heard of Earth Hour since Reading Borough Council and Reading football team have apparently signed up to it and it is being well advertised on buses around town. The very safe and easy to make beeswax candle kits came from the Museum of English Rural Life.

Over coffee afterwards Vicky came up to tell me that we have a pleasant problem with cycle parking. Vicky's dedicated cycling in all conditions inspired me to get a grip on my own fear of night cycling. Now that spring is upon us more folk are coming to church by bike - we only have four bike racks (ie space for 8 bikes) but there were twelve bikes parked out the front this morning.