Happy New Year, and a peaceful and healthy one to you all! Christmas is over and we hope you’ve had an enjoyable time with friends and family.

Now to January! To give us encouragement and hope for the forthcoming year and for the growing season, we’re reviving the ancient tradition of a Plough Sunday service, at 10:30 am on Sunday 8th January. This service dates to the Middle Ages, the time when everything was spring- sown. It would take place on the 1st working day after the 12 days of Christmas. The plough was got ready and was worked in all weathers to prepare the land for sowing. In Mediaeval times, the plough was so important that it was often stored in the church when not in use. As well as cultivating the land, ploughing was an effective method of weed control, long before the advent of chemical weed killers.

A large modern tractor and plough will be outside the church, so that it, and all those involved in agriculture and food production, can be blessed. We’re encouraged to bring some seeds which we’re intending to sow and have them blessed also. Everyone is welcome, particularly those involved in farming and those who grow anything from seed in their gardens. The miracle of growth from a small seed to harvest, which provides us with our food, is something to marvel at daily and it needs to be celebrated.

The service will be led by the Rev’d Trevor Stubbs and will take place partly inside and partly outside church, so please wear suitable clothing! We’ll sing some well-loved hymns with an agricultural theme, including “We plough the fields and scatter the good seed on the ground”! Tom Rogers, who farms locally, will be our organist and promises us some lively music and playing!

Please come and join us for what will be an uplifting service. All are welcome, whether or not you’re gardeners or growers.
God speed the plough!

Jill Nicol, Churcwarden