Remember back in March, when we said we’d be doing Church differently?
Now more than 6 months later, we’re still having to think how to adapt one of the church’s annual highlights to the new circumstances.

This year there will be no large gatherings of people, bringing Harvest gifts to St Mary’s; no schools choirs in a beautifully decorated church; no parcelling up of gifts and distributing to the Colchester Night Shelter, Beacon House or Soup Kitchen.
This absence of an opportunity for collective thanksgiving and celebration will sadden many and understandably so.

Yet, there was a harvest – and it was good.

And though we cannot make it a rousing thanksgiving this year, it is right and possible to give our individual thanks to the Lord of the Harvest for (as we say Sunday after Sunday) ‘all the benefits you have given me‘, and sublimate our feeling of loss into gains for others.

On Sunday 4 October Erwin will use the Harvest readings in the morning service.
Collecting and distributing food stuffs  this year is problematic – but the need for them still is great.
So may we urge you to express Harvest thankfulness through gifts to the Wivenhoe foodbank;
or a financial donation to the Colchester foodbank (we’ve found the link for you here),
or to Beacon House (this is their donate link).

Wishing you all a HAPPY HARVEST TIME!