15 May 2022 is Christian Aid Sunday.

Christian Aid Week is 15-21 May 2022.

See the article at the foot of this week’s post for how you can help during this week and how any donation you can make would be used and make a real difference.

This week’s main Bible reading is from Matthew’s Gospel and focuses on John the Baptist in the context of wider issues raised by Christian Aid Week such as Climate Justice and the relief of poverty.

Main Scripture this week

Matthew 3:1-10 (from The Message Translation of the Bible)
Thunder in the Desert!
3 1-2 While Jesus was living in the Galilean hills, John, called “the Baptiser,” was preaching in the desert country of Judea. His message was simple and austere, like his desert surroundings: “Change your life. God’s kingdom is here.”

3 John and his message were authorised by Isaiah’s prophecy:

Thunder in the desert!
Prepare for God’s arrival!
Make the road smooth and straight!

4-6 John dressed in a camel-hair habit tied at the waist by a leather strap. He lived on a diet of locusts and wild field honey. People poured out of Jerusalem, Judea, and the Jordanian countryside to hear and see him in action. There at the Jordan River those who came to confess their sins were baptised into a changed life.

7-10 When John realised that a lot of Pharisees and Sadducees were showing up for a baptismal experience because it was becoming the popular thing to do, he exploded: “Brood of snakes! What do you think you’re doing slithering down here to the river? Do you think a little water on your snakeskins is going to make any difference? It’s your life that must change, not your skin! And don’t think you can pull rank by claiming Abraham as father. Being a descendant of Abraham is neither here nor there. Descendants of Abraham are a dime a dozen. What counts is your life. Is it green and flourishing? Because if it’s deadwood, it goes on the fire.

Video Service from St. James’ Church for 15 May 2022

The tree is an important symbol in Scripture and this year the Christian Aid worship collective has chosen this symbol because of the rich mix of metaphors it offers in reflecting on the hunger crisis caused by climate chaos.

rev. geoff mckee

This Christian Aid Week…

Every gift. Every action. Every prayer. Every one of us can change lives.

Drought starves.

It robs women of the power to farm and grow food for their families.

Now, for the first time in a generation, global poverty is rising. Covid-19, conflict and the climate crisis are pushing more of our global neighbours into a struggle for survival.

Women and men in Zimbabwe are hungry to provide a more hopeful future. Mums often skip meals to share with their children what little food they have.

One of these mums is Jessica Mwedzi. Drought makes every day a struggle for survival. Jessica is hungry. Hungry for a good meal. Hungry to earn a decent living. Hungry to provide a more hopeful future for her family.

‘My children crave a good meal, but I can’t provide.’ Jessica says. ‘It pains me to send them to bed hungry.’

Your gift could help Jessica grow drought-resistant crops. You could help her set up a water tap on her farm and learn how to grow food in the harsh climate. She’ll turn her dry, dusty land into a garden of hope.

This Christian Aid Week, you can be one of the hundreds of thousands of our supporters who give, act and pray – stepping out in love for our global neighbours. With you by our side, we won’t stop until everyone can live a full life, free from poverty and hunger.

From envelope collections to walking 300,000 steps in May, Christian Aid Week brings people together as one community helping those living in poverty to transform their own lives.

This Christian Aid Week (15-21 May), please:

• Give generously to help women grow crops that survive in the drought.
• Act and raise your voice for justice. Join our Loss and Damage campaign.
• Pray that families will stay strong during tough times of drought.

Together, we can turn hunger into hope.

Join us at this link for Christian Aid Week.

A Hymn for Christian Aid Sunday

Image Credits for The Dark Hedges:
Banner Photo by K. Mitch Hodge on Unsplash
Post Photo by Nick Kane on Unsplash