Dear Friends and Colleagues,

So far the hurricane season of 2022 has not been at all bad for us in the Cayman Islands, and we are most grateful for this. So far this year the systems that have come across the Atlantic from the west African coast have turned in a generally northeast direction before getting anywhere near us. But, and especially as the 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th September are just a few days away, we should not take continued quietness for granted - as the graphs over recent years show quite well. 

Especially if anybody lives in a flood-prone area in a single storey house, it is good to try to make sure that essential documents are kept safe and dry. It is always good also to ensure that one’s dwelling is as hurricane-proof as possible, that food and potable water are available, and that if things got really bad we could live without an AC electricity supply for some time, as happened to many of us in 2004.

The Collect for the Thirteenth Sunday after Trinity is

Almighty and merciful God, of whose only gift it cometh that thy faithful people do unto thee true and laudable service: Grant, we beseech thee, that we may so faithfully serve thee in this life, that we fail not finally to attain thy heavenly promises; through the merits of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

There are a number of notable points about this prayer: the first of which declares that doing “true and laudable (praiseworthy) service” unto God is always the “only gift” of the “almighty and merciful" God Himself. If it were otherwise, we might wrongly consider such service to be a praiseworthy result of our own merits, and that would be spiritually disastrous to us. I find it easier to think of the role of the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Holy Trinity, in this. The Holy Spirit with all His gifts, of which discernment is one, is the great “gift” of the “almighty and merciful God” to us, enabling us indeed to do good service to Him. And so we pray that “we may so faithfully serve thee (the almighty and merciful God) in this life, that we fail not finally to attain thy heavenly promises”, not indeed through our own merits but “through the merits of Jesus Christ our Lord.”

For directions about the services this Sunday the 11th September 2022, the 13th Sunday after Trinity, please see the website www.TruthWithLanguage.com .

In faith in the holy Name of our Lord Jesus, who will continue to provide guidance and joy by the Holy Spirit to all His people.

+ Nicholas

PS This letter was written yesterday with the intention of my sending it today. As I expect you will all know Queen Elizabeth II died earlier today at Balmoral and the former Prince of Wales is now King Charles III. 

May her soul rest in peace.