Sermons by Vicar Paul Eldred (Page 2)

Has anyone else here been watching the new nature documentary, Planet Earth II? I have. When the first episode premiered a few weeks ago, I turned it on for some background noise and to catch some glimpses of spectacular natural wonders, but before I knew it I was hooked! I couldn’t look away! The series has a surprisingly enticing way of bringing to life the dramatic stories that play out in nature all around us – often without our notice. Now the intricate details of the lives of these exotic animals that are scraping out a way of life in beautiful but demanding climates captivate millions of people around the world, myself included. Last week, I was engrossed by the literal life and death struggle for a small family of elephants in Africa’s Kalahari Desert as they desperately searched for water. They trudged through the barren and arid landscape hoping that they would find water before it was too late. And just when it seemed that the burning sands would be unending, they find a watering hole full of life. Zebras, antelope, giraffes, ostriches, birds, and more huddle around this small oasis in the desert as they all lapped from this fountain of life. The animals that traveled for miles to find this water source show that even with the diversity of wildlife – four legged or winged, big or small, they all share a common need of water to live…

When was a time you were changed? Think about it – when in your life have you experienced something that transformed you? We can have many of these moments in life – falling in love, having a child, moving across the country, the death of a loved one. Whatever it may be, you can look at that moment and realize that you were not the same afterwards as you were before. Perhaps you’ve seen that transformation in others. Last year, I was blessed to see a small glimmer of transformation in a group of young people…