Come ye thankful people come, raise the song of harvest home. That is exactly what we did at Blandford Methodist Church on Sunday 5th October. The church was decorated with numerous tinned and packeted goods destined for the Blandford Food Bank as well as flower arrangements made by the ladies of the Lunch Club, items of fruit from various gardens, a fantastic assortment of autumnal foliage and conkers galore.
The service, led by Rev Keith Beckingham, encouraged those gathered, both the regularcongregation and visitors from Lunch Club, to be thankful for what we have, especially having Jesus in our lives. With a variety of personal examples and a smattering of humour there was certainly pause for thought. Peter Aston, our Circuit Steward, played his guitar and invited us to join with him in a song he had written especially for harvest.
After an excellent service where the singing was superb, it was then onto a lovely lunch prepared by Mark Lilley whose wife Christine helped to serve the delicious homecooked steak and onion pie with all the trimmings followed by trifle. A harvest quiz had the little grey cells working overtime with one particular question baffling those assembled. However, winners were found and suitably rewarded. A short story, some harvest jokes and sung grace before everyone tucked into the meal where good food was enjoyed and stimulating conversations abounded.
The old saying that many hands make light work saw the washing and tidying up quickly undertaken, then it was home for an afternoon nap.
