God speed the plough!

The farming community and local congregation gathered in Howden Minster on Sunday 16 January 2011, to celebrate Plough Sunday. The service also sought to raise awareness of the farming charity, Farm Crisis Network (FCN).

Plough Sunday appears to be a very ancient festival, revived by the Victorians. Traditionally, it is celebrated on the first Sunday after Epiphany, 6th January. Often, the plough was fêted and drawn through the streets to be blessed in church. The following day, Plough Monday, was the first day that work in the fields recommenced after Christmas.

This year a traditional horse drawn plough was brought into church, together with a milk churn and sheep’s fleece in order to represent the wider farming community.

In his sermon, the Rector, Revd James Little, referred to the Gospel reading where Jesus warned his disciples that having put their hand to the plough, not to look back. He noted that anyone with experience of ploughing, will appreciate that when the ploughman looks back the plough takes on a life of its own and any chance of ploughing a straight furrow is lost. He went on to say that New Year is a time for hope and optimism, just as the farmer demonstrates every time that a seed is planted in the ground.

In a brief address, Helen Benson, FCN Coordinator for Yorkshire introduced the charity. FCN is a Christian organisation involving almost 300 volunteers drawn from rural churches and farming backgrounds who provide a national helpline (operating 16 hours every day of the year) and visiting service to farming families facing difficulties. Helen went on to describe some of the problems encountered by farmers, including financial hardship, relationship difficulties, isolation and sheer hard work, to name but a few.

Celebration of the ‘rural festivals’ has become a tradition at Howden, with Rogation, Lammas and Harvest being observed later in the year.

For further information on Farm Crisis Network, visit the FCN website www.fcn.org.uk

It's Not Easy Being Green

I have been struck by two very different things I have come across that make you think about how complicated the climate change issue is. 

The first is an article I came across on the Eco Congregation web-site relating to last year's volcanic eruptions in Iceland - apparently it was Carbon Neutral.  The estimated CO2 emissions arising from the eruption itself were more than compensated by the lack of aircraft in the air as a result of the disruption!!  Not much we can do about "Lifestyle Choice" but it certainly puts into perspective the scale of both the eruption and the emissions of aircraft.

Secondly I have seen a number of supermarkets are selling "double concentrate" fruit squash drinks.  Less packaging, less volume, fewer delivery lorries as a result and less impact on landfill.  But does the energy used to increase the concentration of the juice itself compensate for this?  I don't know - perhaps we should be told.

Graham Andrews

Pickering Mens' Group

Many thanks to the Pickering Mens' group for their invitation to talk to their meeting.  They were generous but robust in the number and style of questions they had after the presentation - particularly on the subject of trees!  It's good that we are all challenged from time to time! 

One of our Green Deans was present at the meeting and he suggested that Pickering PCC might want to look at the ECO Congregation Initiative as part of their response to 2011.  More information on this programme can be found at:  http://www.ecocongregation.org/

Graham Andrews

Bird boxes in Dalby

We've been sent some wonderful photos of the bird box we sent to St Peter's Church, Dalby.  
 

Gelda Churton from St Peter's Church, Dalby told us, "The two boys who put up our bird box are Oliver and Charlie Longbottom, and their grandparents Alan and Racquel Longbottom.  We have lovely birds around the area and we will keep an eye on the box and give you an update when we get residents! 

"We love the idea of the bird boxes.  Especially in a Churchyard like St Peter's where nature surrounds it.  It is on a tree near to the dry stone wall and notice board on the top road.  It faces the Church but can be seen from the road without disturbing anyone in it! (we hope!).

"St Peter's Church, Dalby is such a beautiful 12th Century Church. It is tiny and when you go inside it is not ornate, very simple and you get the feeling that you are in God's presence.  Many visitors just come to sit in the church or the churchyard which has an amazing view of the countryside around. If you ever get the chance to visit don't miss St Peter's, it is always open and everyone is welcome."

Eleanor Course

 

Children help their feathered friends at Stamford Bridge Church.

Children from St John's Church in Stamford Bridge are helping their feathered friends.  The children and young people's groups at St John's Stamford Bridge are busy building bird nesting boxes with the help of Stamford Bridge in Bloom.  

They started building their nest boxes last week, and will be finishing them off on the evening of Friday 28th January ready for the RSBP’s Big Garden Birdwatch on Sunday 30th January, when they’ll be putting the nest boxes in the churchyard with the help of Tim Burkinshaw of Stamford Bridge in Bloom and making a count of the birds in their churchyard.

The events are being organised by the vicar of Stamford Bridge, the Revd Fran Wakefield.  She said, “All the churches in the Diocese of York are celebrating 2011 as the Year of the Environment.  As part of this year, all the churches were sent a bird box to put up.  We loved the idea, and thought we’d make some more boxes! 

“We’re working together with Stamford Bridge in Bloom, and members of the congregation are sponsoring the children’s bird boxes.  And after we’ve made the bird boxes, we’ll be taking part in the RSBP’s Big Garden Birdwatch, taking an hour to count the numbers of the different species of different birds that we can see in the churchyard of St John’s.

“I think it’s really important that children and young people learn about the wildlife that lives around them, and how important it is to protect and preserve the biodiversity of an area.  As Christians, we believe that the natural world is a gift from God to enjoy, but we are also called to join with God in sustaining and caring for it.”

Eleanor Course

Take an hour off to enjoy nature with the RSPB's Big Garden Birdwatch

As part of the Diocesan Year of the Environment, why not join in with the RSPB's Big Garden Birdwatch?

If you love birds and want to help them, then the RSPB's Big Garden Birdwatch is your chance to do something that really counts.

All you need is a pen, some scrap paper (or, a printout of the RSPB's handy bird ID sheet), and an hour to spend watching the birds in your garden on either Saturday 29, or Sunday 30 January 2011.

Then simply record the highest number of each bird species seen in your garden, or churchyard at any one time, and let the RSPB know what you saw.

You can find more information and download the RSPB's handy bird ID sheet at www.rspb.org.uk/birdwatch

Eleanor Course

Wind farm manufacturing plant to come to Hull

There's great news for Hull - wind turbine manufacturers Siemens yesterday announced its decision to build a multi-million pound manufacturing plant in Hull.  Not only will this create thousands of jobs in Hull, it places Hull at the heart of a green industry revolution.  You can read more in the Hull Daily Mail.

Eleanor Course