Sensory Garden              Word on the Week                27^th April 2024.

This week we finally bit the bullet!   The project had languished for a long time but this week the Men’s Shed unanimously agreed to turn our garden into a sensory one for use by the school for Autistic children.

The Kill Men’s Shed occupies a small part of the school campus.  Last year we erected a Polly Tunnel for the pupils to grow plants and vegetables.  Transforming the garden was the big one which had been put on the long finger.   It was the generous offer by a local business to deal with the site preparation that galvanized us to action!

The aim of a sensory garden is to engage with our five senses.   Plants and grasses are chosen for their abilities in the following areas.   Sight, Sound, Scent, Taste Touch.    The appropriate plants will occupy large boxes and by planting them together accentuate each of the five senses.

The garden is long and narrow.   It will have a central path winding through it.   The boxes with plants will be located on either side of the path.   They will be readily accessible to those walking along the path.   The school pupils will be encouraged to get to know the different categories.

We plan seating and a water feature.    No doubt there will be other items introduced to enhance the tranquillity of the place but these items are foundational.

Where these gardens exist they appear to live up to their reputation to bring peace and calm into the lives of those who relax in them.

The Bible has much to say about peace.  (a)Peace with God; (b)Peace with our neighbour and (c)Peace within ourselves.

(a) You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.

Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock. (Isaiah 26:3/4).

(b) Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.  Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.  (Colossians 3:15/6)

(c) The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4 verse 7).

And for you Reader Jesus benediction where peace is not just the absence of conflict but the Hebrew word Shalom epitomized in the hymn ‘All is well with my soul.’           Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

Peter Pan Syndrome             Word on the Week                 13^th April 2024.

Peter Pan was the creation of the playwright J.M.Barrie.   It became the favourite Christmas time pantomime of yesteryear.   Peter was the little boy who, among other things, could fly.   He also had the secret of perpetual youth!

It’s the latter that is being pursued today, largely but not exclusively by women.   It manifests in the battle against ageing which can commence in the teenage years and carry on into post maturity.  

In my youth women called it a facelift.   As far as I could gather the hairdresser wrapped hot towels around the head of the client who was left to steam for some time.   More sophisticated methods developed involving cosmetic surgical operations. 

However, in the world of today tools and chemicals are employed in the task of rejuvenating faces and sundry other body parts as well.  The aim however has not changed – the desire to look one’s best (forever)!

As a result of its popularity there is a sameness emerging effectively cancelling the earlier comment, “He is the image of his father” of the infant.   Now it is beginning to look as if we are all physically related!

In the Bible Job had the same problem.    He was the victim of a wasting disease.    In the Scriptures, Job addresses God; “Thou hast filled me with wrinkles, which is a witness against me: and my leanness rising up against me beareth witness to my face” (Job 16 verse 8).

Even if there had been Botox around I doubt if Job would have used it.   Although he was reduced to skin and bone he had the believer’s true assurance.  This is how he expressed it, “I know that my Redeemer lives and that in the end he will stand upon the earth.   And after my skin has been destroyed yet in my flesh will I see God.” (Job 19 verses 25 and 26).

Indeed, Job’s faith was rewarded.   His fortunes were restored.   He made a full recovery and lived to be 140 years old – seeing his children and their children to the fourth generation (Job 42).

Our body is temporary.   It was never meant to be permanent.   For those who know and love the Lord the Apostle Paul has this news.  The trumpet will sound and the dead will be raised imperishable.   Our new body ‘without spot or wrinkle’ will last forever (1Corinthians 15 verses 50 to 58).

The Peter Pan desire in us will be fulfilled through trusting in Christ our Redeemer.

A Real British Cock-up                 Word on the Week                       6^th April 2024.

It came to be known as Mr Bates v The Post Office and involved over 900 sub-postmasters (operating as franchisees) who were accused of stealing. The shortages were revealed by the new computer system which was compulsorily introduced in the 90ies. 

The ‘Horizon’ computer was designed to provide a swipe card system for payment of pensions and other benefits.   It failed and in an effort to salvage something of the £700 million costs the post Office, against the better judgement of its IT specialists decided to move all its paper based functions onto Horizon!

These Postmasters were numerate people who occupied a vital place in their community.  They were valued by their customers who knew them as honest, upright members of their town.   It was out of character to find them accused of theft, fraud and false accounting.   The Post Office decreed if they wished to retain their employment they had to replace the losses out of their own pockets.  

From 1999 to 2015 over 900 sub-posters were accused of stealing.   During that period 700 were convicted, faced disgrace in their community and were dismissed from their work.    The court cases, criminal convictions, imprisonments, loss of livelihoods and homes, debts and bankruptcies, took a heavy toll on the victims and their families, leading to stress, illness, family breakdown, and at least four suicides.

During this period a number of reports were produced but none were acted upon.  Instead the Post Office hierarchy was led by the nose by its own middle management and in-house and external legal advisors.    If they had done their job huge amounts of money, and human suffering, would have been avoided.

Out of all this human suffering Alan Bates emerged.   He first reported computer problems in 2000, was fired in 2003 and went on to launch the Justice for Sub postmasters Alliance.    The Post Office took the line that each accusation was unique and it was Bates tenacity in investigating the extent of these cases that began to reveal the true extent of the problem and create remedial action.

With the aid of a whistleblower at Horizon, makers Fugitu admitted the system could be tampered with and that daily adjustments had been made without any record of them being retained.  This brought disgrace and shame to the Japanese company. They have volunteered to assist with the astronomical compensation costs!  

Will justice ever come to the Postmasters – the weakest people in the case?  Will money compensate?   Will the public apology restore the disgraced?   What of those who died with the stigma hanging over them?

What of the lies told implying that their case was the only one?   That ‘Horizon’ could not be tampered with!    That no changes to the figures could take place during the night!    The weak management.   The ignoring of expert advice.  The case rolls on. Will anyone be brought to account?   Could it happen here?  Could I be part of it?  

 ‘If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth.  But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.’ (1 John 1 verses 6 and 7).