SUNDAY, September 28 was our Gift Day and Harvest Festival at Crediton Methodist Church, the service led by Andy Jerrard, the South West Peninsula Livestock Market Chaplain and Agricultural Chaplain.

Andy spoke about the problems facing farmers and how the faming community feels threatened by the Family Farm Tax hanging over their heads like a wrecking ball as well as the capping of capital grants, easing of SFI and the threat of ceased funding for young farmers clubs.

Farmers currently feel under attack and large trailers from England, Scotland and Wales are due to be taken to the Labour Party Conference with many expressions of concern written on them showing the farmers’ frustrations.

Andy explained why he had started a Harvest Festival service with these words, but as Agricultural Chaplain it is his role to make sure that people understand the problems and also to give voice to people who are not being listened to.

In readings from Genesis we heard how when there was a great famine in Canaan, Abram went south to Egypt. After 7 years of bumper crops in Egypt there was a hard famine there also – just as Joseph had predicted.

Abram was in the Negev desert, the north east corner of which was capable of being cultivated for food. However, whether it was the weather, pestilence or farming incompetence, there was no food. We are currently in the same position – we have run out of food that we produce ourselves. We need to be entirely grateful for what we have.

In Mark 4 we heard the Parable of the Seeds where some seeds produced 30 grains, some 60 grains and others 100 grains.

Jesus said that the Kingdom of God was like that. A man scatters seed then sleeps at night. The seed is sprouting and growing all the time but yet he does not know how it happens. The soil itself makes the plant grow and the head fills with grain.

This is also Disability Sunday and we remember people who are struggling with mobility, poor eyesight and ill health.

We thank God for the gifts He has given us not just in food, but for those who have had hip or knee replacements or cataracts removed, we give thanks for the skills of the surgeons.

The joy that the relief from pain and the ability to do things that we have not been able to is a real harvest.

What is the heart of the harvest? How can we be thankful? Why should we be thankful? And why should farmers be thankful?

Firstly, we show our thanks by being here today and thanking God for His bounty.

Secondly, we should be thankful because we will be fed today, unlike thousands of people around the world who are starving.

Thirdly, farmers have ensured that we can be fed. God wants farmers to be the conduit for His miracles of nature bringing food to us in order that we can use it.

In the words of an old song, God has no feet but ours, God has no hands but ours – God needs someone to bring the miracle of food to us.

Andy remembers a college lecturer saying he understands the science of food production, but we cannot know exactly how it works.

All man’s knowledge does not match the Creator’s.

The magnificence of God’s creation is that just one seed can give up to 30, 60 or 100 grains. How when you put something that small into the ground does it grow to something so tall?

If you wish to see God – look around you. Look at the fields which look bare now but have been ploughed and will be green again within a few weeks.

The Heart of the Harvest is Man sows – God grows. We do our bit and He does His and that is the mystery and miracle that feeds us.

During the service food was donated and will be given to Crediton Foodbank.

Prayer stations were available around the church where we prayed and thought about various parables of Jesus during our Prayer Share the previous day.

Bronwyn Nott