Ascension : Church News
Submitted by The Islander (Islander Editors) 20.10.2011 (Article Archived on 10.11.2011)

This coming Sunday, we celebrate our Harvest Festival at St. Mary’s. Do come along and support this thanksgiving service for everyone.

From: FATHER CHRISTOPHER BROWN

This coming Sunday, we celebrate our Harvest Festival at St. Mary’s. Do come along and support  this thanksgiving service for everyone. The familiar harvest hymns will be sung and children will be able to bring up their food parcels for dispatch to St. Helena.

All contributions will be gratefully received. We tend to think of a Harvest Festival as a time of celebration and thanksgiving for the in-gathering of the harvest of crops but, our  island community  relies heavily on food supplies grown in other parts of the world and brought to us on ships and aircraft .

This was one of the themes of the Harvest Festival at Two Boats School last Friday: our reliance upon people and food from far away places. The tables were groaning with food and everyone present was able to eat to their hearts content. At that service, it was good to reflect on other kinds of harvest which we enjoy as part of daily life, other than bread.

How about this lot for a harvest:  PEACE, FREEDOM, JUSTICE, HEALTH CARE, EDUCATION, SECURITY, HOMES, CLEAN AIR, PURE WATER, ELECTRICITY, ENTERTAINMENT, LEISURE ACTIVITIES , and, most importantly, the LOVE of family, friends and neighbours.

All of these we enjoy every day ,taking them for granted, but for the majority of the world’s People many of these blessings are not available, and certainly not plentiful.

Jesus gave a very specific teaching on the harvest theme: in St. Matthew’s gospel He reminds us of the great harvest  when the faithful will be gathered in. (Mtt.9; 37)

Harvest is about more than fruit and veg; it’s about the harvest of souls. In the month of November the church focuses on that theme beginning with All Saints Day, then All Souls Day and Remembrance Sunday.  This Sunday’s Service starts at 10-30am..

Church Wardens: Mervyn Isaac 6230 and Alan Nicholls 6232