St Mary's Church, Mudford

                                         October 2024

This month's message comes from Richard Gardner, one of our Lay Readers

Dear Friends

As we open our curtains in the morning and look around the countryside we realise we are in ‘the season of mists and mellow fruitfulness’ At our annual flower and produce shows, we witnessed colourful selections of fruit, vegetables and flowers, which displayed not only the skill of our gardeners, but also the fertility of the soil. In church we have been celebrating our harvest thanksgivings and in the village halls, harvest lunches and suppers are always a special occasion to gather together for a delicious meal, with friends and neighbours.

    So why do we celebrate harvest? From Old Testament times God’s people were encouraged to bring the first fruits of the harvest as an offering to God and then they were to be distributed not just amongst themselves, but among those who were needy around them. Through our harvest worship, we have been supporting the work of the Lord’s Larder in Yeovil, which is finding increasing demand for its services.

   In doing this we are following Jesus’ concern for those who were at the margins of society. When crowds followed him to a deserted spot, in response to the disciples concerns, he used the five loaves and two fishes to make a miraculous provision for everyone. When the wine ran out at a wedding, Jesus transformed 30 gallons of water into the best wine! He wanted us not just to survive but to have life in all its abundance. So it is right that, at this time of year, we are thankful for all the good things of life that we enjoy. In the words of a popular harvest hymn, ‘All good gifts around us are sent from heaven above, so thank the Lord, O thank the Lord, for all his love.’

Richard