OUR CHURCH COMMUNITIES

From Yetminster Methodist Church

Hello What a beautiful day it was last Sunday 13 September when I drove across to Yetminster Methodist Church to conduct the first service in the building since March. And it was Harvest Festival! Sue had cleaned and decorated the church and June had placed a beautiful arrangement of flowers at the front of church. The weather was kind and we were able to chat outside socially distanced of course. Above all we could be together and share in worship to celebrate the Harvest being safely gathered in. I even followed a tractor to come to church.

Cornwall being my favourite county, I reminded the congregation that the modern British tradition of celebrating Harvest Festival in churches began in 1843 when Rev’d Robert Hawker invited parishioners to a thanksgiving service in Morwenstow. We read, and lamented that we could not sing, Come Ye thankful People Come and We Plough the Fields and Scatter.

We explored the parable of the rich young fool who when he had a bumper crop had nowhere to store his crop, so he tore down his barns and built bigger ones. Logical the capitalist in you might say, but what about the poor? Perhaps it was the gloating statement the rich man made afterwards Jesus objected to as the man said to himself, ‘You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.’ You fool says Jesus, what is the point for tonight you will die and what will all your big barns mean then?

Verse 14 says, ‘A man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.’

No one ever said on their death bed they wished that they had spent more time at work. My friend died too soon shortly after her 40th birthday. Experiences and relationships, she said, that is what is important. When we talk of those who have died, we don’t talk about how much money they made, we remember their generosity of spirit, how they acted and interacted with family, friends and the world what their values were. That is what endures to the second and third generations in a family.

What should the rich man have done when he had his bumper crop?

Jesus does not say specifically in this passage but throughout scripture we are encouraged to think about the poor, those in need. I am not saying we package up our extra grain and hire a boat to ship it around the world to those who struggle. Although that is sometimes required, the saying give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime means what is more important is using our resources effectively to enable those in need not just to survive but to thrive.

All we need is the Methodist relief and development charity. Their present campaign is to provide bicycles to those who need them and there are great videos on their website of the transformation this have brought for example enabling one girl who has a desire to be a nurse, to get to school. Have a look at www. allwecan.org.uk

Services in the Methodist Chapel in October are currently planned to be on Sunday 11th and Sunday 25th at 10.30am. Although this is subject to change by the pandemic!

May God richly pour out his blessing and provision to you this harvest season.

Rev’d Kate Konrad

Harvest Celebrations this year might be down, but not out!!

It might not have escaped your attention when I say that any Harvest Celebration that we hold this year will be different. It has to be due to that well-worn phrase, Covid-19!

Perhaps the main thing that comes to your mind when we think of Harvest Celebration is the supper. Entering the village hall or even in a farm building and seeing the tables absolutely groaning with food. Food of every different type, a cooked meal or even a buffet washed down with liberal amounts of homeproduced cider or beer! A good time that everyone enjoys immensely. I know churches where there were far more folk attending the supper than ever attended church. Oh the nostalgia. So what are we really celebrating?

It strikes me that both the Service in church and the supper both need celebrating and for God providing all! But who actually provided the food? No, I don’t necessarily mean Mrs Piper who cooked a large meat and potato pie, or Mrs Bramley who gave two apple pies and her daughter Daisy, who gave all the cream to put on them. No, I mean who actually physically provided it all.

The farming community really do have a lot to put up with sometimes. I know from my visits to markets and to the farms themselves, that they think that the great British public just take them for granted. There is an old and wellworn saying that still holds true. It is this, “You need a solicitor, accountant or dentist occasionally, but you need a farmer three times every day”! And how true that is. Every year, the 9th September is Back British Farming Day, when we thank farmers for all that they do and the food that they produce.

Harvest Celebration is a good time as well. So, go on, if you know a farmer, say thank you and the fact that they do so much with God’s creation on a daily basis, and we will never forget them!! So, even though we may be suffering mercilessly at the hands of the Coronavirus, we can still remember and be thankful.

Richard Kirlew Team Vicar Agricultural & Rural Chaplain

57

Before Lockdown

Before Lockdown, my son Caleb was due to take part in a sponsored walk called the Jubilee Challenge. The umbrella event, the Ten Tors, was cancelled but my wonderful wife, Alison, had the idea of doing the challenge from home. With Caleb the pace was slow, and the first mile took us about an hour and a half, what with dawdling and stopping for a picnic lunch. However, we managed the 5 mile loop of Chetnole and Leigh on day one and did the 3 miles through Beer Hackett and Thornford to Bradford Abbas on day two. Caleb raised hundreds of pounds for local charity Ups and Downs Southwest (see his JustGiving website) and I got an idea: walk as prayer – let’s walk the whole Benefice in one day. So we did. Andrew Graham and I, with the support of a few others, walked the whole way round. We visited 20 church buildings in 23 villages and covered 34 miles of backroads and footpaths, all in 14 hours, walking from dawn to dusk. The views were astonishing, the stiles challenging and the prayer kept building as we travelled.

So here’s my thought. It is sometimes wise to walk the path set out for you and not long for a better one. The frustrations of Lockdown sent us down a new route, quite literally, and, by following the way offered, we found something good. I know this is not always the case but it is worth a try. When we welcome our limitations they can become our friend. As St Paul hears God say, ‘My strength is made perfect in weakness’ so we can see hope in ours.

Oh and if you want a long walk of prayer, we think we might do it again next year, first week in September, assuming we’re recovered by then.

The Rev. George Moody Team Vicar

58

During Lockdown

Jennie Greenwood’s son, Luke Hambidge, used the lockdown time of the last few months to learn hand shearing with Ed Goodfellow.

THREE VALLEYS TEAM

Team Office:

Yetminster Jubilee Hall, Church Street, Yetminster, DT9 6LG

01935 872600 e:3valleysoffice@gmail.com w:www.threevalleysteam.org Opening hours Mon, Wed, Thurs & Fri 9.30am – 12.30pm

Chapel Lane, Yetminster DT9 6LJ Minister: Rev Kate Konrad 01935-415837 Worship co-ordinator: Mrs Barbara Driver

Tel: 01935 873690 Tues 1.30 – 4.30pm

Team Rector: Rev’d Tony Gilbert

The Rectory, Church Rd, Thornford, Sherborne. DT9 6QE

01935 873044 e: rector3valleys@gmail.com

Team Vicars Rev’d George Moody

The Rectory Church St, Yetminster DT9 6QE

01935 873214 Treasurer:

Mrs S Gilbey

All services begin at 10:30am followed by coffee. e: revgeorgemoody@gmail.com Rev’d Richard Kirlew

@RuralChaplain

01963 23570 e: rector3valleys@gmail.com

ENQUIRIES: Three Valleys Benefice Office,

01935 872600 e: 3valleysoffice@gmail.com

Yetminster Methodist Church

Jubilee Hall Yetminster

Sundays:

7.30am Morning Prayer followed by silent prayer 8.30am Sung Eucharist 12.30pm Midday Prayer 5.15pm Evening Prayer, followed by prayer time Night Prayer arranged at supper

Tuesday to Saturday

7am Silent Prayer in Chapel 7.30am Morning Prayer 12 noon Midday Prayer and Eucharist 5.15pm Evening Prayer, followed by prayer time 9pm Night prayer (8.15pm -Thurs, 8.45pm-Sat)

Roman Catholic Services Roman Catholic Church

The Sacred Heart & St. Aldhelm, Westbury, Sherborne DT9 3EL

tel: (01935) 812021 Weekend mass times: Saturdays at 6.00pm Sundays 10.30am Holy Days 10.00am and 6.30pm

Parish Priest: Monsignor Canon Robert Draper e: sherbornerc@prcdtr.org.uk w: sherbornecatholicchurch.org.uk

THREE VALLEYS TEAM LOCAL CHURCH SERVICES For complete list see www.threevalleysteam.org go to Services page Because of Covid-19, restrictions are still in place for worshipping in churches and the full schedule of services can not be implemented. Please check with the website and your local church.

SUNDAY OCTOBER 2020

BATCOMBE

BEER HACKETT

BRADFORD ABBAS

CHETNOLE

HERMITAGE

HILFIELD

LEIGH

RYME INTRINSECA

THORNFORD

YETMINSTER

4th

TRINITY 17

9am CW Holy Communion 9am BCP Holy Communion 10.30am CW Holy Communion 3pm Havest Festival

9am BCP Holy Communion 12 noon Harvest Festival 10.30am Welcome2Worship

10.30am CW Holy Communion

11th

TRINITY 18

10am CW Holy Communion

18th

ST LUKE TRINITY 19

25th

LAST SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY BIBLE SUNDAY

10am CW Holy Communion

10.30am 10.30am CW 9am Welcome2Worship Holy Communion Welcome2Worship 10.30am 9am BCP Village Worship Holy Communion 10.30am CW Morning Prayer 4pm Harvest Festival 6pm BCP 9am CW 10.30am Evensong Holy Communion Community Spirit 9am BCP Holy Communion 9am BCP 10.30am CW 10.30am Holy Communion Holy Communion Village Worship 9am BCP Holy Communion followed by breakfast in St 10.30am CW 10.30am Andrew's School Harvest Festival Holy Communion 10.30am Second Sunday in the school 10am via Three 10am via Three 10am via Three 10am via Three ON-LINE SERVICES Valleys Facebook Valleys Facebook Valleys Facebook Valleys Facebook page page page page

CW= COMMON WORSHIP BCP= BOOK OF COMMON PRAYER EXTRA AND WEEKDAY SERVICES

On-line via Three MONDAY Every 6pm Compline Valleys Facebook page On-line via Zoom WEDNESDAY Every 6pm Night Prayer See website for details. Please email for link. On-line via Zoom FRIDAY Every 6pm Night Prayer See website for details. Please email for link.

1st TUESDAY

10am Holy Communion tbc The Old Vicarage Leigh

1st THURSDAY

2.30pm Lower Covey service tbc Yetminster St Andrew

TUESDAY- SATURDAY

Every 12 noon

Midday prayer followed by Holy Communion tbc

Hifield Friary