On Sunday, Harvest Thanksgiving was led by Rev. Nanette Lewis Head who announced that the theme for worship was 'Small Miracles.' Nanette had many helpers in exploring this theme, which is that of the Methodist Development Fund, founded 21 years ago with the co-operation of Christian Aid.
A presentation concentrating on three people, one from Ethiopia, one from Cameroon and one from Nepal, showed how this organisation had helped them to improve their harvests and thus the quality of their lives.
The young people took an active part in this worship through readings and a question and answer interchange with the congregation entitled Who?
Nanette had brought pumpkins into church, three of many grown from seeds taken from a pumpkin at last year's Harvest Festival. How they illustrated the theme of small miracles. She shared other illustrations, such as the yeast in the harvest loaf and the story of the mustard seed.
A reading from Leviticus was introduced with a brief explanation of how the Jews celebrate their harvest at three different times of year. In the prayers, we gave thanks for all who help to gather the harvest of our own land.
Nanette used a further reading from John 4 7-14, the story of Jesus with the woman at the well, as a basis for more thoughts upon the theme. There are many small things we can do in peoples lives and we may seem to be a small group, but we can make a difference.
The singing group once again enhanced the worship throughout, in leading the singing and in their own contributions.
Before the celebration of Holy Communion, Mr. John Cousins made his own affirmation of faith and through transfer was welcomed into membership at St. Johns.
This had been a wonderful time of thanksgiving for the bounty of God's harvest, and a time to reflect upon the way we can help to share this bounty with others, by making small miracles happen in other peoples lives across the world. Nanette thanked the young people and others for taking part, also those who had prepared the harvest display. During worship, Mathew Storer was congratulated in the traditional way on his birthday, and Nanette announced another small miracle to give thanks for the birth of a baby to Justine and Chris.
Thank you to all, too numerous to mention, who made this such a wonderful celebration, and finally to Nanette, who will lead worship, to which all are welcome, this Sunday at 10.30 am.