Harvest Festival—30 September

This year we are marking Harvest Festival with a United Eucharist at St Andrew’s church at 10am which will include activities for children. Please bring your harvest gifts either on Saturday morning, 29th September, for decorating the church, or to the service itself. Fresh produce will be auctioned and non-perishable gifts will be given to local organisations. Please make sure these items have a long shelf-life. You may wish to make a cash donation instead and these, along with money raised by the auction, will be split between flood relief work in this country and overseas. In response to requests made at the annual parish meeting, some time after the service will be given to talking together about the development groups which are working on new patterns of ministry and mission. The morning will end with lunch in the Parish Centre; this is being provided but we will be invited to make donations to cover the costs, with any profit being put to our flood relief charities. We will make sure we end in time for those who wish to attend Bishop Peter’s service in the cathedral at 4pm.

Salt of the World

The second Droitwich Salt Day was held in the town on 15th September allowing the town to celebrate its heritage and to show the resilience of the townsfolk, especially in the High Street following the floods of July.

The uses and importance of salt are immense and it’s not surprising that over the years towns where salt was found where important places.

The Greeks saw salt as a symbol of health, wealth and happiness, and in the past salt was as valuable as crude oil is today.

Salt has many uses:
Culinary –
Of all the flavour enhancers, salt is unequivocally the best and it acts as a natural preservative.
Monetary -
The word salary comes from the Latin root “sal” referring to the gesture of rubbing thumb and forefinger together as if sprinkling on salt.
Medicinal -
Salt acts as a disinfectant and removes the bacteria which generates a breakdown of the body’s functions.

It isn’t surprising that Jesus uses the example of the usefulness of salt to explain the purpose of his followers. He reminds his disciples and those who follow him today that they are “here to be the salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavours of this earth!”