At the Harvest Service in Felixstowe Methodist Church at Trinity last Sunday the items donated have been given to the Little Pantries Project. The Rev Jo Jacobs remarked about how different our services are now in that we are very much including helping to feed the hungry. It made me think about Harvest Services when I was a child. My church was set in the countryside and hours and hours were spent decorating it. The farmers brought in sheaves of corn and flowers were everywhere. There were many baskets of fresh fruit and vegetables with no tins of anything. Freshly baked bread and apple pies were used in the decorations as well.
One year when I was in my mid-forties, I suggested that we decorate one half of the church beautifully and that we used withered plants and weeds to do the other half. The aim of this was to draw attention to how many people in the world lived in very dry and harsh conditions. I must say the message was understood but the people sitting on the “withered” side were not happy.
Advance another 25 years and the Harvest Gifts included lots of tins and packets of food, plus toiletries and other non-perishables. We had a couple of floral displays but money wasn’t spent on luxuries. We had a Bring and Share lunch afterwards so that we could continue in a time of sharing and fellowship.
The Rev Jo remarked that even though we had many tins and packets, the food all had to be grown by someone, tinned by someone, packaged by someone, delivered by someone and then sold by someone.
Thank You, Lord, for all the people involved in our food production and for your many bountiful gifts to us. Help us always to remember those who are hungry, tired and ill and remind us to share what you have given to us.