Welcome to my Perching Post.

Pentecost – a special birthday

Ask a lot of folk what the three key festivals in the Christian year are and most would probably have no difficulty naming Christmas and Easter – but the third? With its strange name, ‘Pentecost’, maybe it doesn’t quite slip off the tongue so neatly.

The word comes from the Greek word meaning ‘fiftieth day’ – because it falls fifty days after Easter Sunday – this year on 31st May. It is a celebration because it marks the birthday of the church – the body of Christ’s people. After he had ascended to heaven, Jesus told his disciples to wait in the city for the Holy Spirit, a sign that God would still be with his followers, despite his physical withdrawal. He tells them that they will be ‘clothed with power from on high…’ (Luke 24:49.)

...clothed rom on high — …clothed from on high

The church’s birthday at Pentecost goes largely unnoticed – and how sad that is. We’re told that ‘churchgoing’ is in decline; at the moment, of course, it is almost impossible due to coronavirus restrictions but there are many green shoots of growth and renewal, especially with the vast array of social media and technological communication resources available. ‘Streamed services’ abound; radio and TV have found inventive ways of ensuring that a pattern of worship and reflection is possible. Enforced isolation means that people have found different ways of reaching out to others and there are many heart-warming tales of communities rediscovering links with neighbours through offers of shopping or simply easing loneliness with a chat. So many ways of ‘being church’; of loving God and neighbour; of seeking a more meaningful life enriched with the power and presence of God.

Sun shining in glory above white clouds — Glory from on high

On that first Pentecost the followers of Jesus probably had no idea how the gift promised by Jesus would appear. They had been told to go to Jerusalem and wait. But at last they were rewarded as the Holy Spirit came to ‘inspire’ his people – to breathe new life into them and make their lives all the more joyful. The Holy Spirit appeared as tongues of fire above the head of each disciple and they found they were able to speak in many different tongues, making the message about Jesus available to all people.

It is the same for each one of us today. God does not abandon us at Ascensiontide, when his Son returns from earth to heaven. Instead, God sends a new comforter, or strengthener. In the words of one of the chants from the Taize community in France:

‘The Lord restores you. God does not push you away. The Lord comes to meet you.’

God is with us for all time. The Holy Spirit comes to build up those who love him. And that is truly a birthday we need to celebrate.

Lily of the Valley

As spring unfolds the delights of the garden gradually reveal themselves and almost every day something new unfurls tentative green leaves or delicate fresh blooms. Suddenly a new perfume wafts its way into the consciousness and we discover another hidden gem.

One such bringer of joy is the beautiful lily of the valley, or convallaria. The tiny, bell-like flowers hide shyly amongst the long spear-like green leaves like fragile strings of pearls and the sudden breath of perfume energises the senses. It is said that when the lily of the valley blooms, happiness returns. Another belief is that the nightingale, one of our songful migrant warblers, will not return until this jewel-like flower blooms.

White lily of the valley peeping through foliage — A shy lily of the valley peeps through…

Christian legend tells that the tears Mary shed at the foot of the cross fell to the ground and were turned into these pure white, delicate flowers. The Victorians loved to assign qualities to flowers – lilies of the valley represented beauty, purity, sweetness and humility – for this reason they often find place in wedding bouquets.

Wedding bouquet with white flowers — Lilies combine with other beautiful blooms in wedding bouquets

The French name, porte-bonheur, means ‘bringer of happiness’ and it is traditional to carry posies of lilies on May Day, to celebrate the arrival of spring. The scent of the plant is renowned for alleviating depression and bringing a sense of wellbeing and security. (But, like so many plants that look and smell wonderful, it is poisonous if eaten.)

A posy of lily of the valley fills a room with its glorious fragrance — A posy of lilies of the valley fills a room with its glorious fragrance

Much loved by perfumers lily of the valley provides high notes for many soaps and scents. It has always been popular – but to encounter it in its natural setting is exceptionally special.

Swifts – a Joyful Return

Excitement in our household here in the UK – the swifts have returned!

We always greet these harbingers of summer with great joy. Here for such a short time they are a reminder of the fragility and wonder of nature. They are pilgrims of a special kind; such tiny birds, travelling vast distances at amazing speeds in their quest for survival.

The swift - an intriguing bird — The swift – an intriguing bird

Our swifts will have returned from Africa, where they spend the winter. Before this was understood it was believed that swifts spent the winter hibernating in the mud at the bottom of ponds!

Flying high and fast swifts feed on insects taken in flight. The scythe-like silhouette of the swift is immediately identifiable, as is its shrill, screech-like call. Watching them wheeling, swooping and diving in the sky is one of those wonders that gladdens the heart. It’s almost as if they indulge in aerodynamic gymnastics for the sheer joy of it.

Since Roman times swifts have nested in buildings rather than in holes in trees or cliff faces. Older buildings – barns, churches and traditional houses – provide nooks and crannies ideal for these acrobatic little birds to breed and rear young – and that’s the only time they ever rest from flight. Swifts have a small beak but wide gape and they’re able to gather small insects at the back of the throat, where they use saliva to form a bolus that can be regurgitated and fed to their young.

Swifts have tiny feet with forward-pointing toes and they are unable to perch on wires like swallows. They can’t take off from the ground, either. If you see one of these beautiful birds grounded take it gently in your hand, raise your hand slowly with the swift’s head facing outwards and encourage it gently into flight. They have a life span of up to ten years – during that time it has been estimated that they could fly a distance equivalent to the moon and back.

A swift flies the equivalent of the distance to the moon in its lifetime!

Their conservation status is not known accurately owing to the difficulty in surveying a bird that spends its life flying. However, indications are that the population has declined in recent years, especially in England and Scotland. Their future survival depends on successful breeding – we can help by placing artificial swift boxes on the outside of our houses, either fixing them to walls or using one to replace a house brick.

So, let the summer begin. Rejoice in the swooping, screaming and chasing of the swifts, as they revel in their summer-long party. No social distancing here!