In March I wrote about the emergence of new life in springtime and the succession of varieties of flowers that appear in our gardens and most impressively in our churchyard. Now, as Autumn approaches we reach the other end of this particular cycle of growth and development. The 'season of mists and mellow fruitfulness' may not always be as misty these days as I remember it from my youth, but thankfully it remains just as fruitful. Indeed, despite, or perhaps because of, the variable weather during the summer the fruit trees seem particularly heavily laden and good crops of apples, pears and plums are ripe for the harvest.

Our thankfulness for the abundance nature provides is expressed and celebrated each year at Harvest Festivals, and we will do so at Adel Church this year on Sunday 10th October. The 10am service will be All-Age Worship including a celebration of Holy Communion and, as usual at these services, the children from our Junior Church will play a big part. The service, as the name suggests, is suitable for all ages and is sure to be a joyful occasion, so please do come along. This is the main service at which we will gather together and bless our harvest gifts. There will also be a special Choral Evensong service for Harvest at 6.30pm the same day. And don't forget the 8am service of Holy Communion if you prefer something quieter and more reflective, and harvest gifts will be just as welcome then.

Of course, alongside our celebration of joyful thanks for all the good gifts God provides, we must also pause to think and pray for those less fortunate than ourselves. Alongside our distribution of fresh produce brought to the services to folk in our local area, we also donate longer-life foods, such as tins and packets, to charities caring for people in need, and all donations are gratefully received.

Looking further afield we cannot forget the problems being experienced in more distant lands. The suffering and hardship caused by the extensive floods in Pakistan is still fresh in our minds and the loss of food crops and damage to the land there will have a major impact for many months, if not years, to come. I am sure we all consider making donations to those in need in many and various places already, but perhaps this harvest-time is another opportunity and reminder to reflect again on the situation in Pakistan. Donations from individuals and groups will still be gratefully received, for this and other emergencies, by the Disasters Emergency Committee at http://www.dec.org.uk.

With God's blessings,
Ian