Dear Friends,
This weekend we are “belatedly” marking the ancient feast of Lammas. I say belatedly because it is usually celebrated on the 1<sup>st</sup> August, but in inverted commas because it is the feast at which a loaf was presented in offering to God that was made from the first wheat harvested that year, and yet the mill that one of our number has been liaising with has let us know that this year the first wheat is not yet milled. For me this is a wonderful example of how our modern schedules try to regularise nature rather than allowing for the wisdom of nature’s resilient adaptation through times and seasons. Between September 1<sup>st</sup> and October 4<sup>th</sup> the churches have taken up a season on Creation-tide to re-focus on Creation as God’s gift, and our calling to tend to the earth and care for all the living things amongst whom we are creatures. This year praying for the wisdom to address the damage we have done to the resilience of nature is urgent: let’s keep all delegates to the COP 26 conference in Glasgow in our prayers through this time.
Lammas was also an ancient expression of gratitude for God’s generosity – offering to God the first fruits in the knowledge that all we have comes as God’s good gift. It is a good time to review and give thanks for all we receive in our lives and perhaps review our patterns of giving to sustain the life of our churches to be signs of God’s presence in the midst of this beautiful part of God’s creation. I am sure parish treasurers would be very happy to talk with you about the best way to give regularly to your church.
I have also just received an email from Marilyn who was with us earlier in the year. She is being ordained Deacon on September 11<sup>th</sup> at the cathedral and the service is being live-streamed. Please keep her in your prayers, and if you would like the link to watch the service please email me and I will forward it to you.
God bless
Samantha