We’ve just had a wonderful series of Harvest celebrations, a joyful Wakes and a hearty and happy Harvest Supper. I am reminded without
doubt that there is a mystery, a wonder and a miraculous blessing in earth and rain’s transformation into the rich harvest of fields and flocks. Witnessing this awesome miracle of growth is one of the blessings of running our Alpha/confirmation course. Those of us who lead the different age groups (children, youth and ‘wrinklies’) have the great privilege of seeing transformation. We obviously do our best as group leaders, but if we are honest, the change and growth we see amongst the candidates always seems disproportionate to the quality of our input. Somehow, emerging from our faltering discussions on Christ and Christianity we have stories of encounters with God and growing faith.

I remember back to my own confirmation course; for some reason the Curate seemed to spend a disproportionate amount of time telling us about the theology of the Swiss Anabaptist movement of Ulrich Zwingli, to this day I cannot tell you why. But I also remember the excitement of that early dramatic growth in my knowledge of God. When the course was complete and I was confirmed I remember someone turning to me and saying ‘you look radiant’. I felt a little like Moses, I had met God on the mountain and my face shone! Somewhere along the way, a seed had been planted; it had taken root and grown in the care of a healthy local Church; now it had grown to bear fruit.