Today is harvest festival. what does that mean to us.

A time of getting together… a time of sharing the abundance of the Lord’s goodness in the fruits of Our labour.

I’d like to take you to a time in around the 1950s to a time when my father Jeffrey would go on holiday with his family… mum dad and all eight of his brothers and sisters hop picking for the beer companies. Anybody here who’s ever been hop picking knows what kind of holiday that is.

It was a working holiday but also a time for them to getaway from the soot and the grime of London, no hiding from the rent man this week or scrubbing the step and boiling nappies in a bucket… it was a time to spend time in the fresh air and the sunshine all the while they’re Earning a bit of money to save up for Christmas.

They used to get paid in volume, for each bushel basket you collected. And a pole puller would go between the rows to pull down branches so you can keep picking from the higher branches. But along with that holiday time, came the chance for them to swim in the lakes eat good food and laugh and love together creating those amazing memories. So many luxuries, apart from the loo which was a small hut with a plank of wood with a hole in it.

I asked my father what was different about eating at home to eating when he was hop picking with his family he said they used to get rainbow trout caught fresh that morning and if you didn’t catch it you didn’t eat lunch. The rivers were absolutely teeming with fish, so, they always got something. Every kind of fruit from the trees and milk straight from a cow’s udder into a bucket. They used to sleep top to toe in beds that were packed with feathers from the chickens and other birds that they used to have for their supper, and they remember on the Sunday of harvest the church would invite all the people have been hop picking that season and all the children for a wonderful spread at the church hall and they would play music and dance.

Apparently, my grandfather used to play a squeezebox, and someone had a harmonica. Dad said that was the first time he’d ever seen a Jelly cakes that you wouldn’t believe, fish, fresh baked bread for these youngsters there wasn’t often when their bellies were completely full. When they lived in East Ham, money was so scarce with nine of them to feed.

Grandad was a docker was often on strike, but on holiday, my dad and his brothers and sisters couldn’t believe how amazing everything tasted he remembers saying to a priest this is the best dinner I’ve ever had, and the priest said “Well we have the Lord to thank for that.”

That’s exactly what we’re here to do at harvest time to thank the Lord for everything he has given us to share with others. Beautiful treasures of food that we’ve grown from the land and spend time together and enjoying life after hard work is done, even though they were working through that holiday he said he was completely unaware that they were going to be the best times of his life. There’s something really amazing about us all getting together to share a meal as a community it gives us time to put aside the stresses of life to enjoy abundance that we have received from the Lord. Every time we get together to enjoy a meal,. we’re building friendships building memories enjoying laughs.

Maybe now all that lock down business is over we can do more to get together with friends, family and with your church family who love you. Just as a bit of a side thought relating to this, I know many of you in here have got green fingers I haven’t everything I’ve ever tried to grow sadly dies the moment I’ve touched it I’m so grateful for those of you that can. I might not be able to grow anything, but I can share what I do have. We do what we can…

There’s something quite amazing about planting a seed, I’m sure. Watching it grow nurturing it caring for it watering it knowing that it will feed us and nourish us. Well, it’s the same with faith, isn’t it! Faith takes time, effort, energy and nurturing to help it to grow, but with enough of the right love and care. Even just a little faith has the power to do great things, like in the gospel Parable… Today that tiny seed amount of faith could move a huge mulberry tree roots and all and be planted in the sea. It’s basically saying little acts done in the name of faith can do great things.

I felt so many things are woven into this harvest time. My dad was spending time with his mother and father and with his siblings they were working and earning money which gave them a sense of pride the but also having a new experience as a community with other people making friends, they were tasting new foods they were enjoying a time of togetherness and companionship.

What are we without these things in our lives? Surely life isn’t all about paying our bills and cleaning out the sock draw. We could all spend a little more time in the pursuit of togetherness I think. There’s an opportunity here for us to share in our community. Sometimes when we go to some of our local events or donating to the food bank, like all your kind generous hearts have done today, we are showing others we care. And saying thank you for the abundance of God’s love.

I don’t know if you feel the same as me. Maybe there could also be more opportunity to say grace before we eat. I know I’m guilty of not saying thank you to God before I eat. Maybe we might be embarrassed or just really hungry, but if we could all just take a minute to put the lord in the front of our thoughts for a moment someone else around that table might have a tiny seed of faith being planted, that might be just the nurturing it needs.

My dad looks up on that time with such fond memory even the words of the priest saying we’re thanking God for his meal has stuck firmly in his mind. Again, that is another example of a small act like that meal. It might be only a small gesture in the world but as we know small acts can turn into such great things.

The gifts you’ve given in this very place make such a difference to someone in need, and maybe the person who receives will think about all those nice people down at the church sending a little bit of love is because God is in their heart. They will feel they have a friend in the world. They might even come along to see the lovely people who give every year? Then the possibilities are endless!

In beautiful acts of kindness at the harvest time can be planted in the heart of somebody who needs God’s love and our love too…

When love takes root in a person it’s amazing what can happen for them all eyes can be opened, and hearts could be opened. Love heals and nurtures a person and is the perfect food for a growing faith. That sounds like a wonderful world to be involved in.

I’d like to take your attention to Jesus at the Last supper. He was showing us all the treasures of heaven and his love in that meal. He washed his disciples’ feet to show he cared for them in love and humility. He sat at the table with them to eat and nourish them, and as he broke the bread he first gave thanks to the father before he spoke those words that we all know so well, breaking bread together, Jesus transforms it into a piece of his body that nourishes every part of us body mind and spirit.

And that Is exactly what Jesus wanted us to do. Every Sunday in church when we receive. We take this bread, so he is a part of us, and we are a part of him. In this small act the greatest connection is made. Jesus didn’t do this in a room on his own, he shared it with his disciples to they could share it with the world. And that’s what we are doing in our curry night, our quiz nights, and all our community events.

Planting love and faith in others through the joy of a meal. All good things have come from the Lord. You. Everyone here, you are those good things I’m referring to. So let’s share together as often as we can. It’s in this we are doing the Lord’s work. This is lovely advice, huh? But it’s for me too. I’m not at enough events. I don’t engage enough with this beautiful community. I’m missing out on these experiences. So this is a pledge I’m goanna make to myself to join in more, maybe some of you who are a bit like me in that sense might come along too.

But at the very least I’m going to say grace today to thank God when I begin my meal. I want to pray for anyone who doesn’t have enough food. And to pray I have the strength to do something about it to help. And lastly thank you. To all of you, who give your time and effort and for these gifts you’re giving to others. It really is letting God shine through you.

Cathy Ranson