The St Mary Magdalene Parish experienced God’s creation as both sanctuary and responsibility during two special gatherings at Steenberg’s Cove.
On Wednesday, 30 September, the parish held a Beach Eucharist at the Cove. Behind the congregation, the ocean stretched out in picturesque beauty calm, vast and sparkling in the sunlight, a living reminder of God’s magnificent creation. The gentle sound of the waves and the wide-open sky created a perfect place for worship.
That challenge was put into action on Sunday, 04 October, when the Sunday School, joined by parents and members of the congregation, returned to the same beach for a Beach Clean-Up.
Their theme was taken from Ephesians 2:10 “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
Members of the Parish joined hands and picked up endless pieces of glass, some even in the water, including many exposed broken bottlenecks left behind by people with drug habits. While there were fortunately not many plastic bags on the beach itself, they found that most of the rubbish lies on the grass just before the edge of the beach, which has sadly become a regular dumping site. When the wind blows, most of that dirt blows onto the beach and into the sea.
The clean-up served as a practical reminder of the parish’s calling. As God’s handiwork, Christians are called to care for His creation. A clean beach is not just about beauty. Broken glass can injure children and animals, plastic and rubbish in the sea harms fish, birds and marine life, and dirty beaches become unsafe for everyone. By keeping the beach clean, they protect God’s creatures, keep the community safe, and show respect for the gift of creation He has entrusted to them.
The parish came to the beach to worship God in His creation, and returned to care for it, moving from hearing the Word to doing good works.
By : Lucy Burgess