THE service at Crediton Methodist Church on Sunday, June 18 was arranged by the Worship Team and led by Mrs Pam Murphy with the theme of “On Eagle’s Wings”.

The challenge was to think of where you have belonged. 

A lady belongs to a walking group, whilst another volunteered as a Red Coat leading guided tours in Exeter. 

Someone had been a local preacher and had celebrated 50 years of belonging and giving service.

Several people had been involved in Scouting and Girl Guiding from childhood to the present day as leaders.  

Another showed photos of himself as a member of the prefects team at school and later as district president of the Chartered Accountants Society.

All the above represent what belonging means. 

Pam said that where we belong endures – even though time passes and our lives take different twists and turns. 

Hilary brought us a quiz on “Birds in the Bible” and we listened to the beautiful hymn “On Eagle’s Wings”.  

We heard of God’s message to the people delivered by Moses in Exodus 19. Earlier in Exodus God had rescued his people from slavery in Egypt by creating safe passage through the Red Sea. 

Three months later they entered the wilderness as free people and camped near Mount Sinai.

God tells Moses to speak to the people to prepare them for when he will give them the “Ten Commandments”. 

God told Moses to tell them “you’ve seen what I did to Egypt and how I carried you on eagle’s wings”. 

Pam said the eagle is a very powerful bird with great strength – God is all powerful and has great strength. 

The eagle soars the highest and goes the fastest yet shows great tenderness towards its young. 

It builds nests high up on a mountain crag and both parents bring food for the baby eagles and both teach them to fly. 

As the fledglings take off from the dizzy heights and attempt to follow their parent in flight, the adult eagle swoops beneath it and bears it on its wings when it seems exhausted.

The message is one of grace. 

God’s caring love, provision and forgiveness is not earned – but given.

In most Bible versions we read “you will be my treasured possession”. 

The New Life version says “If you listen obediently and keep my covenant you will be my treasured possession and if you do that – you will belong to me”.

There are stories of disobedience in the Bible. 

Yet God, even though He is angered and disappointed, never gives up on His “treasured possessions”.  

He never gives up on us as we try to abide in His way and to live as He has not only told, but actually showed us in and through Jesus His Son. 

The bond of belonging will not be broken by God. 

Being human, despite all that God had done for them, the people of Israel nevertheless grumbled quite a bit – forgetting Him as people do – and as people now do also. 

But God’s love forgives and gives us fresh starts.

Moses came back and called the elders of Israel together and set before them all these words which God had commanded him. 

The people were unanimous in their response – “Everything God says  - we will do”.                                                                          Bronwyn Nott