It would be interesting to ask a group of people to say a word which they associate with each month of the year. I am sure that for the month of November the word “remember” or remembrance” would feature.

The month begins with the Christian festival of All Saints or All     Hallows on 1st November (hence Halloween on 31st October is really ‘All Hallows Eve’). All Saints Day celebrates all Christian saints, particularly those who do not have their own special feast day of remembrance. Of the 16,500 churches in the Church of England, 1467 are dedicated to All Saints.

The 2nd November is All Souls day which is set aside to commemorate the souls of Christians who have died. Typically, we remember deceased relatives on that day. It is seen as an extension of All Saints Day and several Anglican churches are dedicated to All Souls.

“Remember, remember the 5th of November, gunpowder, treason and plot I see no reason why gunpowder treason should ever be forgot.”

This rhyme of course refers to Guy Fawkes and the plot to blow up the Houses of Parliament on 5th November 1605 in order to remove James 1st from the throne and return the country to Catholicism. Robert Catesby was the instigator but Guy Fawkes was put in charge of the explosives. The plot failed as an anonymous letter caused a search of the House of Lords and Guy Fawkes was found guarding 36 barrels of gunpowder.

Remembrance Day falls on 11th November and it is a day when we can remember those in the armed forces who have died in the line of duty. It is a time to give heartfelt thanks for those who willingly sacrificed their lives to give us the freedom to live out our own lives. At the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918, the armistice was signed between the allies of world war 1 and Germany. Since then many brave men and women have fought sacrificially, and lost their lives in conflict, so on Remembrance Day we remember them and their families for the sacrifice they made.

But of course we need to remember also the words Jesus spoke to his disciples at the last supper and which we hear during the communion service. As Jesus broke bread, he gave it to his disciples saying “This is my body which is given for you, do this in memory of me”. Offering them the cup of wine he said “This cup is God’s new covenant sealed with my blood which is poured out for you. Drink it in remembrance of me”.

We have much to remember and be grateful for. Let us this year, 100 years since the end of world war 1, pray for peace in our world .

Vicky Wilson, Reader, St Peter’s Church Stanley

October sees us celebrating harvest (and everyone at St Peter’s is welcome to the St Anne’s harvest supper on Saturday 13th October at 6.30pm!), which is many people’s favourite festival of the church year.  It’s a relatively recent addition to the church calendar, being a Victorian invention.  The inventors of the harvest festival were drawing on the Old  Testament festival of ‘first fruits’, and perhaps also on the Mediaeval feast of ‘Lammas’ (a corruption of ‘Loaf-Mass’), which was celebrated near the first of August, at the wheat harvest, when the first grains of the year were milled into flour, baked into bread, and brought to church for a blessing.  But the Victorians decided to celebrate harvest in the autumn, as fruit and vegetables put forth a last abundance before everything slows down for winter.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been almost overwhelmed by the productivity of the vicarage garden – especially by the wonderful and slightly terrifying bounty of plums.  Many jars of jam have been made, although I didn’t entirely manage to keep up with the tree’s production – it would have been nearly a full time job to do so!  But I felt a responsibility to make as much use as I could of the fruit which God’s had blessed me with. It’s a blessing, but there were moments when I wasn’t sure I wanted that blessing!

God gives us abundantly of his love, in our creation and in our redemption and in the presence of his Spirit among us.  I wonder, how often do we stop to dwell on this?  And how do we respond?  Of course, God’s grace is a free gift – but it demands a response from us too, not because we need to earn God’s love, but because we shouldn’t waste the grace and love poured out on us.  Sometimes, we might perhaps feel slightly overwhelmed by this.  But God does not over-burden us – he calls us to live lives of faithful love, sharing that love with others.  We’re called to bear the fruits of love and holiness – and it’s in doing that, that God’s gift to us come to its full harvest of joy.

This month will also see the launch of a six week study course that we’re inviting people from across the benefice to participate in, called “Lifting the Lid.” It aims to equip churches to support people affected by mental health issues.  It’s being held in Outwood church on Tuesday evenings.  (Tuesday evenings at St Mary Magdalene church, Outwood at 7.30pm) 

As many of us have become increasingly aware, there are lots of people known to us who are going through hard times mentally; it’s my prayer that this course will help us to offer a little bit of support. It’s not just an us and them thing – some of us have dealt with or are dealing with the issue for ourselves, and this course should give us all a bit more insight into positive ways the church can make a difference.  Blessings,

Rev Joanne Kershaw, Priest at St Anne’s, Wrenthorpe