An amazing array of tractors, both large and small, were parked up outside St John’s Church in Farley Chamberlayne last Sunday to be blessed as part of the Plough Sunday morning worship.
Plough Sunday marks the start of the agricultural year and dates to medieval times when blessings were given on the land, farm equipment and farmers.
Farley Chamberlayne is part of the Braishfield Benefice and is surrounded by farms. Many in the congregation were people who have farmed and ploughed the fields for years. The church held its first Plough Sunday service two years ago.
A horse drawn plough (minus the horses!) was also brought into the church which was blessed along with some soil and grain. These represented the work of the land, the machinery, the fields and the new life it is hoped will result in a plentiful harvest. Thanks were given for the land and those who work on it.
The service was led by curate Revd Anthony Cross, who commented, “I think the turning of the seasons is something that, in the rural community, is really important. Plough Sunday marks the start of the year, to prepare to go out and plough the fields for the first time. It’s also about celebrating the way the seasons change and the way we provide food for one another and how that continues over the years. It’s that rooting in things that have gone on for thousands of years and to celebrate the fact that even from tiny seeds, great things can grow.”
Paul Fielder, who has ploughed most of the fields around the church, spoke about the development of the plough from the earliest wooden tools to the huge machines used today and how they are all based on the same principles. After the service, the congregation gathered outside for the blessing of the tractors.
Churchwarden Hannah Graham grew up in the village, and her father was a rector of the church. She said, “One of the special things for me is that Farley is a little parish with less than 100 souls and it was wonderful to have so many people from the farming community who came to the service. I think it helps us to connect directly with the people who till the land and provide our food and it’s really good that we give thanks to God for creation and for the produce that we have in this country. It’s especially important in a rural area. It’s important to have these occasions where there’s an opportunity to bring people into the church who wouldn’t come every Sunday, but they come and they’re aware that we’re there and I feel it means a lot to them.”
Revd Anthony continued, “The service was about community. It’s about coming together and celebrating that this is where we’re starting from and this is our new year. It’s about celebrating God in creation, looking at God’s amazing work and using it to the best of our ability to benefit the greatest number of people and to God’s glory.”
Later, refreshments were enjoyed inside the church. A collection of £230 was donated to the Farming Community Network, a voluntary organisation and charity that supports farmers and their families.
