20 September 2025
A reflection from The Revd Canon Janet Nicholls, Rural Adviser & Agricultural Chaplain:
Grab and Go’ is a familiar sign above the sandwich sections of garages and supermarkets. It’s intended to appeal to those who are in a hurry. The food is designed for speedy purchasing and speedy eating. The “Grab and Go” food culture stands in stark contrast to the eating habits that many of us teach children: “No grabbing”, “Say thank you”, “Use your knife and fork”, “Stay at the table until everyone’s finished.”
These basic childhood lessons are more than good manners. They slow us down, encourage us to respect and savour our food, allow us to digest our food properly and invite thankfulness to become a habit. Take Away food threatens to take away cherished practices that respect our food and our bodies.
Harvest Festivals offer an uplifting antidote to the mindlessness of “Grab and Go”. Services of Harvest Thanksgiving invite us to pause to give thanks to the God of creation and our foodproducers. They invite us to receive the gift of food with thankful hearts and minds. These are challenging times for the farmers of our diocese. According to ONS data, over 6,000 UK businesses connected to agriculture, forestry and fishing closed in the first six months of 2025. This is a record high since such data has been collected and reflects the tough conditions our farmers face to maintain food production for us. Our prayers of thanksgiving for their commitment and work will be especially valued during this Harvest Festival season.
With that in mind all are invited to the County Harvest Service at Chelmsford Cathedral on Sunday 28 September at 3.30pm. Further information on the event can be found here.
The service will celebrate the diverse nature of farming in our diocese, (including ‘all creatures great and small’!) as well as connecting us to the rich heritage of Essex agriculture. Afterwards please stay to savour the delights of the iconic Tiptree Cream Tea!
This article has been taken from the latest edition of WePray, our quarterly prayer diary which brings together our Cycle of Prayer and stories from across our Diocese.