I want firstly to say a big "Thankyou" to all those who worked together to make the Farewell Lunch last Sunday such a wonderful occasion. Rosemary and I are so very grateful for all the hard work that was put in. where it has certainly given us a wonderful memory to take with us, it has also shown us the strength of the "Family" that we will be leaving behind. We thank God for all of you!

I have also been asked to say a special "Thankyou" to those who cared for the incapacitated visitors; your ministry was greatly appreciated. Just to clear up some misconceptions, I do not actually finish at St Mark's until the end of the year. My final Service will be Christmas Day.

The news this past week has brought us appalling pictures of devastation in California, with thousands of homes and many lives being lost in the terrible fires. Apparently they have been experiencing unusually high temperatures and very low humidity, plus continuing strong winds. This has created conditions where thousands of experienced firefighters using the best technology available, have been unable to control the raging inferno. One fire chief I heard on radio made the observation that they were helpless to do anything unless "Mother Nature" stepped in to give a hand.

This comment stirred me to think further about the whole problem of so called "natural" disasters. On the one hand, our society is technologically much better equipped than ever before to deal with bushfires, floods, drought etc. There is no doubt that in the bushfires we have experienced over the past few years, there would have been a much greater loss of property and life were it not for the use of sky-crane helicopters etc. Yet, as the tragedies in Canberra, and now California, remind us, the forces operating in nature are still far greater than we can control.

This raises the further question, "who, or what does control these forces?" Thoughts of "Mother Nature" are quite popular. They arise from our pagan roots, where belief in "Mother Earth" or "Mother Nature" has been an enduring part of primitive pagan religion. It has experienced a kind of revival in the past few decades with the rise of feminist theology, but has no foundation in Scripture or in fact.

By contrast, the Bible on which our culture and society is based, speaks not of "Mother Nature," but of "Father God." And such revelation of God is set over against the many other pagan gods of nature and fertility that were worshipped by the other nations of the time. The God of the Bible is revealed both as "Father," One with whom we are called to have a personal relationship, and as "Almighty," who controls the "natural" forces operating in His world.

Thus, His people are told not to seek help from pagan idols for the sending of rain and the proper functioning of nature. Rather they are to maintain a proper relationship with their heavenly Father, and they are to rely upon His help. The famous contest which the prophet Elijah held on Mt Carmel demonstrated plainly that it was only the Lord God who had the power to control the forces of nature (1 Kings 18: 19-46.)

As our society slips more rapidly back into paganism, we need to remind ourselves, and others, that our real help, our only help is not to be found from "Mother Nature" but from Father God.