October 2018 Father Bob writes
This year our Harvest Celebrations have slipped into October so that we can combine them with Animal Welfare Sunday. As you probably know, this year we are working with the Anglican Society for the Welfare of Animals to consider how we can care for the marine environment.
For the Ministry Team we are not only celebrating Harvest in the Church, we are also invited to celebrate with many of our local schools. These celebrations are also at the start of October. So, for the next few days we will be talking about thanksgiving for the gifts we have and use; thinking about how we can best care for creation and those gifts and how we can share them with others.
These themes will also be reflected in October as we celebrate both Saint Faith’s and Saint Wilfrid’s Patronal Festivals. These two celebrations give us a chance to pause and give thanks for the gifts we have been given – for the life of the two worshipping communities and the resources we have. But we also need to think about how we can best share them with others and also care for them.
It is important that all of us find opportunities to pause and look at our lives and the world around us. Too often we slip from one thing
to the next; we follow the rhythm of the day, the week or the year and have a reassuring pattern that we follow. But we do all need to stop and stand back and look to see how we are using our God given gifts to serve Him and others.
So perhaps this October you could ask yourself
• What are the gifts that God has given to you?
• How can you show your thankfulness for the gifts you have and the good gifts that surround you?
• How can you best care for these gifts and ensure they are able to be used by others?
• Lastly, how can you share your gifts with others?
If you want to explore these questions with myself or a colleague then please contact us – we would be delighted to have a conversation.
I hope you enjoy the Harvest and Patronal season!
Best wishes
Father Bob