The Changing Season

Dear Friends,

On a dog walk I stepped on a unopened conker shell, there were two conkers inside! It’s the sort of thing that might have appealed to Saint Francis of Assisi, whose day we celebrate this month, on the fourth. Simple things. I remember seeing his rope girldle for his cassock in a church in Florence, it was a little more than a piece of string, it told me everything I needed to know about the man and about what was important to him and what wasn’t! In October we celebrate Saint Francis’s Day on the fourth, but we celebrate the simplicity of his beloved creation throughout the month because in church life, October is a month rich with meaning. We give thanks for the fruits of the earth in our Harvest Festival, remembering that what we enjoy is not ours alone but a gift to be shared. Many of us also mark Bible Sunday towards the end of the month, celebrating the Scriptures that are our basic foundation, that guide us, challenge us, and remind us of God’s love through every season of life.

This season naturally turns our thoughts towards remembrance. At the end of October and the beginning of November, we hold services for All Saints and All Souls. These special days remind us that love endures forever, the most important thing in our life, and that we are part of a great family of faith, a cloud of witnesses stretching back through history and forward into eternity. They also give us space to bring our grief and our thanksgiving before God, remembering those we have loved but see no longer.

As we step into the changing season, may we notice God’s presence, as Francis did, in the beauty of creation, in the stories of Scripture, and in the fellowship we share together. May we also be mindful of those around us who find this season difficult—those who are lonely, grieving, or anxious—and share with them what we know of the comfort and hope of Christ.

With my prayers for you all this month

The Rev’d Andrew Wilkinson