Holy Trinity Church, Westward Ho!

Reflection from Nigel Price

Matthew 9:35-38

The Workers Are Few 35 Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 38 Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” (NIV)

Reflection

We had around 2,000 Mothers' Union members at the service in St Paul's and around 650 attending the conference. In total there are some 4 million members in 80 countries around the world. Our world wide president, Kathleen Snow, had flown in from Canada to be present and the main conference will be taking place later in the year in South Africa. It is a truly global organisation and we heard many inspiring stories of the work that is being done and the partnerships that are being formed, including the Clewer Initiative and the Girls Brigade. A while ago there was talk of changing the name; that perhaps it was too old fashioned. But that call was rejected because 'mother' is central to what we do. It is not to do with biological mothers, but everyone, no matter who they are, can act as a mother and 'union' denotes unity. It is who we are and what we stand for. But like the church there is concern about falling numbers. 'The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few'. It is a cry we hear so often. But it is easy to stop there and not hear the next sentence. 'Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field'. Sometimes we are too reticent to ask.

As I have said there were 2,000 in St Paul's, 650 at the conference. There were no empty seats and many will have been disappointed not to get a place. When the conference ended, we walked five minutes up to Westminster Abbey to attend a traditional Evensong. I would guess there were some 200 in attendance - of all ages, mostly younger than us. Some may have been there just in order to have sight of the magnificence inside the Abbey, but they were there! The workers are around, we just need to invite them to join us in the harvest! If you do not ask, then in general you do not get, so let us get asking the Lord of the harvest to send out those workers into our fields!

Let us pray the collect:

O God, the strength of all those who put their trust in you, mercifully accept our prayers and, because through the weakness of our mortal nature we can do no good thing without you, grant us the help of your grace, that in the keeping of your commandments we may please you both in will and deed; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Common Worship: Services and Prayers for the Church of England (2000) (including the Psalter as published with Common Worship), material from which is included here, is copyright ©The Archbishops' Council 2000

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