Dear Friends,

I’ve been advised by Mr. Peter that I should advertise on ecay trade that we have a need for a large 1000 gallon plastic water storage tank. Somehow I feel reluctant to do this because I don’t want to get shafted with something that is going to spring a leak in a few years’ time. So I am advertising this with you (who live in Cayman) first, just in case any of you know of a good one that someone is just trying to find a home for. It seems they are in so little demand now that none of the usual outlets are stocking them.

When we built our house in about 1998 many houses still had working cisterns beneath them, and in fact, though less used or not used at all many houses still have these large caverns beneath them. I am sure some home owners or renters now hardly know that they exist. We built in an area where piped water was due to come in, though in the event piped water remained unobtainable for about four years after we moved in. Of course we built our house on a slab without going to the expense of digging out a cistern. I remember finding it ironic at that time that we were contributing to water projects overseas while we were finding ourselves carrying potable water home for our own use from our place of worship! 

Nevertheless, after the piped water came we soon found that for watering our developing garden without incurring large water bills it would still be good to continue to catch rain water from the roof and use the outside storage and pressure pump system to direct it to thirsty plants by hose whenever needed. Over the years the storage quickly grew from a 300 gallon tank (which ran out after a few rainless days) to 1300 gallons by the addition of a 1000 gallon tank to the initial system. This has actually been marvellous, but usually still runs out after 3 weeks to a month without rain. I have long felt it advisable to add a second 1000 gallon tank to the system to carry us through more of the dry periods, but now that the decision has at last been made to do it we are finding it less than easy to to source the tank. 

There may be a lesson somewhere in this but I’ll leave it to you to suggest what that might be ….

The Collect for the week of the Second Sunday after Trinity is

O Lord, who never failest to help and govern them who thou dost bring up in thy stedfast fear and love: Keep us, we beseech thee, under the protection of thy good providence, and make us to have a perpetual fear and love of thy holy Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

As has been noted already, the Collects for this period (often called “Ordinary time”) refer in general not to a particular action of God for us, but to the Good News of His grace made evident to us by His entire Word and Sacramental provision of the whole Gospel. We are assured in this Collect that the Lord “never fails" to help and govern us, the objects of His steadfast love, who maintain an appropriate respect and love towards the One who has bestowed us with such "bringing up”. In the power of this assurance we continue to ask for divine providential protection. And with that privilege we pray also to be made able to exercise a corresponding and appropriate responsibility: to maintain in perpetuity the “fear and love of thy holy name”. 

May we ponder this prayer in the depths of our hearts.

For directions about the services this Sunday the 13th June, the Second Sunday after Trinity, please see the website www.TruthWithLanguage.com  .

In reliance upon the mighty power of the Triune God to keep us faithful to and in all truth, I am in your service 

Bishop Nicholas