Well, you know what it’s like when you’ve been waiting for some content for your website… There’s nothing for ages then three contributions come along at the same time! Rather than post them separately, I decided to put them all in a single post because they are all on the same topic – Harvest Festival. My thanks to Mike Gareh (Treasurer, Cockshutt Church), Cathy Thorold (Church Warden, Cockshutt Church) and Valerie Cartlidge (Meres & Meadows Messenger Content Co-ordinator) for their excellent reporting! Please enjoy reading about the events of the day from three different perspectives.
Andrew Cartlidge
Editor, Meres & Meadows Messenger.
Dr. Mike Gareh
Following the Sunday Harvest festival service, led by visiting Revd Edith, in Cockshutt church, which was beautifully decorated with flowers and fruit, we all adjourned to the village hall where we enjoyed a sumptuous three course meal with a glass of wine. The volume of conversation was high and enjoyable, also the periods of quiet when food was on the table.
Revds. Edith and Dianna were welcomed. Edith prepared all the broccoli!
It was an appropriate occasion to thank the army of people who keep the Church fruitful and alive. Mentioned were Rachel Pittaway, editor of the parish magazine, Rosemary Allen who distributes the magazine and organised the lunch and raffle, Valerie Cartlidge and family for keeping the parish website occupied with such interesting and varied articles on a very regular basis, the flower arranging team who supply a beautiful array of flowers through the year, the people who look after the hospitality in the church, and many others not mentioned.
Our 91 year old organist Doug, who is now in a care home was mentioned with warmth. A special mention was made for our church wardens Cathy Thorold and John Dicken who have both worked extra hard over this year of the interregnum, Cathy has been the backbone of Cockshutt church, working tirelessly preparing the church for Sunday services, organising messy church, dealing with all the diocesan correspondence and requests and organising services when no clergy were available, all this with the loving support of her Dad, Michael Judge. And, of course, all the parishioners who support the church’s growth and wellbeing by their financial support must always be remembered.
Where Cathy was described as the backbone of Cockshutt church, the honoured guest, Revd Anne, was described as the head of the benefice, overlooking all that was going on, organising rotas for the visiting clergy, and keeping church matters running smoothly and
being our guide over this last year. She very kindly said a few words followed by Grace.
Finance- explanation:
Originally outside caterers @ £15 per head. Not enough people so Mary and Rosemary Allen decided to cater in house – done by Mary, and original price left as it was. Mary was left with a profit of £90. To be donated to the village hall.
The raffle of £40 goes to church.
Cheers
Mike
Cathy Thorold
Valerie Cartlidge
A Celebration of Harvest – Ss Simon & Jude, Cockshutt
Raise the glorious harvest-home!
On a beautiful sunny and warm October morning, we held the wonderfully joyous service of thanksgiving for the harvest. For our small parish, there was a good turnout of worshippers as well as some visitors.
The church was adorned with flowers of thanksgiving, all of which reflected the warm colours of Autumn, whilst the wonderful fragrance of the apples and pears reminded us that we are giving thanks to God for a successful harvest and all that he blesses us with.
As we continue through interregnum (no Priest-in- Charge) we welcomed the wonderful Rev. Edith Quirey (retired) to lead our Service. Her sermon, which was based on The Parable of the Talents (Matthew 21) certainly gave us much to think about and reflect on. Afterwards, she blessed the symbols of harvest which had been taken to the altar: soil, fruits of the earth, seed, water, bread and wine.
It was a truly lovely Service and one in which we enjoyed singing the good old traditional harvest hymns. (if you would like to join-in please follow the links given below).
VJC
(All hymns are from Hymns Old & New, Anglican Edition, Kenin Mayhew, 1996)
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101 Come ye thankful people come
137 For the beauty of the earth
506 This is my body broken for you
534 We plough the fields and scatter
Feature Image: Copyright Meres & Meadows Messenger, 2023.