A Letter from the Minister

Autumn is definitely upon us – there is a crispness in the air.  The Autumnal colours are in full bloom, adorning the landscape in our part of Gloucestershire.  Throughout September, I have continued to reflect on this time of year, in particular the harvest-time, and what this can teach us.  It seems a good place to pause, as we take time to thank God for the harvest of one growing season and start planning for the next.  To help me with this, I have pondered on three things.

Firstly, I have been struck by Luke 8:4-15, the parable of the Sower, where Jesus draws the crowd, and our attention, to the four contrasting seedbeds: the path – where the seeds were trampled on or eaten by birds; the rocky ground – where the plants withered because of the lack of moisture; the thorny ground which choked the plants; and finally the good soil which yielded a wonderful crop.

As you may know, the Methodist Church’s charity “All We Can” is an international development and relief organisation, and their harvest resource message is “Harvest is just the beginning”.  Through the lens of the Luke 8’s parable, they draw on the testimony of a Liberian young man – Ibrahim Fiyyah - whose early life could be described as any of the first three seedbeds; with several of his family dying to Ebola, allegations made against him resulting in him being in an overcrowded prison.  It was in prison that “All We Can” and a partnering organisation, RHRAP, met with him, trained him, gave him resources and mentored him, so that now he is a tailor, and his life has changed for the better.

What Ibrahim, and the two organisations have taught me, is that seedbeds can change.  The situation he was in changes when people invest their time and energy in other people.

Secondly, I have been challenged by the question: “Can you remember when someone showed you a Bible verse that made you feel seen and heard?”  Straightaway, I remembered a couple of occasions, where someone had shared scriptures which have changed my situation/my seedbed at various times, as I have trusted their Biblical truths. 

The question was asked at an excellent seminar of “The Quiet Revival report” by one of its co-authors, reporting on the growing interest of Christian Spirituality over the last 7 years.  We were encouraged to be that someone to somebody else today – bringing Biblical truths to help change situations and seedbeds.

Finally, you may have seen the inspiring Songs of Praise – “Harvest on the farm” episode which was aired on 21st September where a family talked about their reliance on God. Part of the episode centred on the Pinhey’s family farm in Devon to discover how faith, farming and family life go hand in hand.  They shared how the Foot and Mouth crisis of 20 years ago decimated a milking herd of cows that been built up over five generations.  This in itself could have resulted in any of the first three seedbeds taking root, but divine inspiration has helped to turn things around.  Throughout the episode they talked about how farming requires them to rely on their faith from day to day, as they work in partnership with God.

And so, as we continue through Autumn, let us reflect that  “Harvest is just the beginning”, and that “seedbeds can change” when we rely and “work in partnership with God”.