Rector's View - October 2017

Dear friends,

The power and destruction of this year's hurricane season reminds us to offer thanks for the blessing of our relatively mild weather. And through October we remember to give thanks for the blessing of the seasons in Harvest Thanksgiving. It is a good practice to count our blessings, even in the darkest of circumstance, for in counting the good of our lives we may rise from despair to hope and remember to offer hope to others in their need. By seeking out those things to offer thanks for we re-align our lives turning away from those things which bring harm toward those things which bring good.

In giving thanks for the produce of the land we remember creation's gift to provide for our need that we may provide for the needs of others. Through good stewardship and accountability we may ensure and protect the blessing of creation. So we value energy sources that have potential to stabilize climate change, we value working practices that make for a safer working environment for those working on the land, we value the food we buy making amends for unsustainable restrictive markets and food waste. All this through counting the good and turning from the bad. So we pray for and offer aid to those rebuilding lives and homes at this time as we offer our Harvest prayer:-

Lord of the harvest,
with joy we have offered thanksgiving for your love in creation
and have shared in the bread and the wine of the kingdom:
by your grace plant within us a reverence for all that you give us
and make us generous and wise stewards of the good things we enjoy;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Rev'd Brin Singleton
Rector