In a tradition started some 98 years ago, St Peter’s Church in Lluidas Vale, St. Catherine, celebrated the Gifts of the Sugar Cane Harvest at a Service held on Sunday, July 3. Celebrant and Preacher was the Rt. Rev. Robert Thompson, Suffragan Bishop of Kingston. Also in attendance was former Diocesan Bishop, The Rt. Rev. Alfred Reid. The Rev. Cheryl Phillips, Priest-in-Charge, assisted at the Service.
The congregation included Directors of the Board of Worthy Park Estate and Chairman of the all-Island Cane Farmers Association.
St. Peter’s Church and Worthy Park Estate have maintained a very close relationship over the years. The tradition of the Sugar Harvest Service was started in 1918 by Fred Clark shortly after he purchased the Estate.
In his Sermon, Bishop Thompson, who delightfully interacted with congregants during the presentation, used a text from Genesis 1:28. He spoke about the community’s dependence on the sugar harvest and he noted a Thanksgiving Service of this sort encouraged everyone to live a life of gratitude. He also highlighted the Biblical concept of stewardship, the myth of scarcity and our interconnectedness with each other. He noted that God supplies our daily needs and when we offer what we have, there is always more. Against this background, the Bishop urged members of the congregation to continue to rely on the generosity of God.
He closed with the following challenge – Are you ready to allow the God of abundance to take over your life?
Musical items were rendered by a joint group including representatives of the Sunday School and the Anglican Youth Fellowship.
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