Dear Friends,
The months of September and October mark a beautiful shift in the seasons, bringing with them our annual Harvest Festivals across the benefice. For those working in agriculture, this is a traditional time to give thanks for the crops safely gathered in—a task that feels increasingly poignant as we navigate the realities of a changing climate. For the rest of us, harvest provides a valuable opportunity to pause and reflect on the food we so easily take for granted. This year, the gifts from our harvest services will go once again to the Penzance Foodbank. While they are grateful for all donations, they are currently in particular need of pasta sauce and tinned vegetables if you are looking for inspiration as to what to donate.
Our harvest season locally began on the 4th of September, when the Old Cornwall Society held the annual “Crying the Neck” ceremony in a field near St Maddern’s Baptistry, followed by a short service and refreshments in Madron Church.
In the days before massive combine harvesters filled our fields, the harvest was a collective, gruelling human effort. It was done entirely by hand, swing by swing of the scythe, under unpredictable Cornish skies. As the reapers worked, tradition held that the spirit of the harvest—the very life-force of the crop—retreated further and further into the standing corn until only one small patch remained.
When that final handful of corn—the "neck"—was cut, the work was finished. Seeing this ancient custom enacted reminded us of a time when completing the harvest lifted an immense pressure, ensuring the community was safe for another winter. When the leader raised that final sheaf aloft and presented it to the four compass points, shouting, "Yma genef!" ("I have it!"), and the crowd roared back, "Pen Yar!" ("A head of corn!"), it was a shout of profound relief. It was a declaration that the earth had provided once again.
Our modern world likes to convince us that we are entirely self-sufficient. We walk into supermarkets to find shelves overflowing with food from every corner of the globe, completely detached from the soil, the seasons, and the rain. It is easy to forget how fragile we really are. "Crying the Neck" pulls us back to reality, reminding us of our shared dependence on the land and, ultimately, on God’s providence. It echoes the exact sentiment felt by Parson Robert Stephen Hawker of Morwenstow back in 1843 when he established the modern church harvest festival. We look forward to continuing this tradition at our upcoming services: at Heamoor and Gulval on Sunday the 27th of September, and at Madron on Sunday the 4th of October.
The Cornish neck of corn will take centre stage at Madron's service. As we look at it, let it remind us to celebrate the "first fruits" of our own lives—not just the food on our tables, but the fruits of kindness, hard work, and neighbourly love. Just as traditional harvesters intentionally left the edges of their fields for those in need, may our own gratitude inspire us to look out for one another in our communities today.
Every Blessing
Chris