Monthly Newsletter

Dear Church Friends

October is a month of change, as we move from summer into autumn. In our church we are thinking about harvest, mirroring the traditional harvest time in the agricultural year, and also recognising that our lives have their own seasons. In our parish we will be celebrating Harvest with a harvest supper and four services, a Eucharistic harvest service at Christ Church at the end of September, a harvest BLASCT service at Christ Church, harvest Morning Prayer at St Michaels, and a week later a harvest themed Evensong. A veritable feast of festivals. Jesus frequently used harvest images and ideas in his parables and teaching, reminding us that our faith is not just an academic exercise, a matter of beliefs and doctrines, but rather the way in which those beliefs and ideas play out in our lives. It is a matter of heart and body, spirit and mmind. Those thoughts and ideas that we hold as true produce fruit in our lives, the harvest of our faith.

Paul talks of the fruits of the Spirit.

“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, 

faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (Galatians 5 :22,23)

These are of course the very qualities which Jesus exhibited in his life, the ideas that are held within his teaching and in large part the themes which draw us to call ourselves Christians. They are the fruit that the Holy Spirit nurtures in our souls, and the ideals to which we aspire, as we are held in God’s grace.

A popular part of our harvest celebration takes place on 3 October with a harvest supper. Sharing food together and sharing time together; a way of saying we belong together. The meal and our harvest services are a celebration of thanksgiving to God for all of his gifts, individually and collectively as his church, here in this parish.

As we spend time together, we recognise the harvest of those fruits in the lives of those around us. If you are free and able for the supper, I hope that you will be able to join us, all are welcome.

We were hoping to interview for a new vicar in September, but as we know that was unable to happen. It was disappointing but it hasn’t diminished our trust in God to bring forward the right person for our Parish. We now know the dates for the re-issue of the advertisement so although the future may still be uncertain there is a light ahead,

Uncertainty is a part of faith; trusting even when we are unsure of the future. That is difficult. And yet as we proceed without a vicar, we have to draw on the generosity of visiting priests and on the people and resources that we have within our church.

The gifts of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, gentleness, and self-control, seem to me to become even more

apparent as we support each other and stand together. As we worship

and pray together. As we talk and laugh together. As we are church together.

Church communities are built on relationships. Giving and receiving. Not on power and authority, but trust and mutual vulnerability. Letting down our guard, in the sure knowledge that we will be seen and accepted as we are.At the core of community is friendship and at the core of friendship is love. And God is found there., in love the first of the fruits of the Spirit.

This October, let us bless one another, as we give thanks for all of God’s gifts.

Blessings

Keith