Harvest celebrations have been taking place all round the archdeaconry. If you have any photos of your parish's special services send them in and I'll post them on the blog - or any good ideas, things that worked well that we can all try out next year! On Sunday evening our most northerly parishes celebrated up at St Romald's, Romaldkirk with a service that included prayers for the farming community and the presentation of gifts including an empty bowl to remind us of our responsibility towards those who do not enjoy rich harvests or even enough to eat and drink. The service was led by the Ven. Stephen Adesanya and the choir sang a harvest anthem. There was a suitably sumptious spread in church afterwards and it was lovely to find there were guests from London and someone who had newly moved into the village as well as people from across the parishes of Laithkirk, Romaldkirk with Cotherstone and Bowes. It was wonderful to enjoy the warmth of hospitality and fellowship.
On Sunday morning, the cathedral celebrated Harvest with the help of some members of the Bethany Project from Tanzania and you can read all about this on the cathedral website. Bishop John preached and the cathedral band played.
God, the beginning and ending of all things
in Your providence and care, you watch unceasingly over all creation;
We offer our prayers and thanksgiving that, in us and in all people,
You will may be done according to Your wise and loving purpoes
in Jesus Christ our Lord.
We pray for all through whom we receive sustinance and life,
for all farming families who work so hard, often in adverse conditions,
to provide our food and look after our countryside,
for packers, distributors and retailers.
We pray for young people in farming, for Young Farmers clubs,
for those studying at argricultural college and for the next generation of farmers
as they bring new skills, energy and vision to the care of the coutryside
and the produstion of food in sustainable ways.
We pray for governments and aid agencies in areas of the world
where there is disaster, drought and starvation,
for all involved in agricultural research who face the challenge
to produce more food for a growing world, without harming the environment;
grant us all generous hearts in the face of immediate crises.
We offer ourselves to Your service, asking that, by the Spirit at work in us,
others may receive a rich harvest of love and joy and peace.
Amen.
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