Harvest Festival

Sunday 16th September 2012

Sun on a harvest arrangement in St Cuthbert's Corsenside

The Bellingham organist had to take the dog to the vet; but the congregation sang well unaccompanied, as we celebrated the parish  Communion according to the 1662 Book of Common Prayer with traditional music.

     At the Harvest Thanksgiving service at Corsenside we acknowledged the difficult year for farmers and growers but knew that we still have much reason to be thankful.  We do have food, despite the really bad wet summer which has caused so much anxiety.   Some fields are yet to be harvested, but it's always poignant worshipping in this little church in the middle of a farm with the livestock grazing outside as we sing hymns inside  -- and being anxious does no good.  We are confident that God knows what it's like to suffer (because Jesus suffered pain and was tortured to death) and that he cares about us, supporting us and giving us the strength to cope with what we have to face. 

Cattle at Corsenside (picutre taken in June)

      I told them about the farmer I knew who would say "Well, at least every day that it rains brings us nearer to the day that the rain stops"!
     In the afternoon we had STARS for the under-5's who heard the story of Jesus' healing blind Bartimaeus.