Inspired by Faith, Encouraged by Community
Whilst most of Lincoln was preparing to welcome the Tour of Britain cyclists on Wednesday, I was making an early start to the Bridge Church and Conference Centre in Lincoln as an invited speaker at the interdenominational Prayer Breakfast at 7.00 am, where I received a very warm welcome.
I had an hour to share the journey of Agricultural and Rural Chaplaincy, the facts, the current challenges, the realities facing both arable and livestock farmers, and a glimpse of the impact these concerns may have on the future of farming. The gathered group were attentive, interested, and concerned to hear about the challenges currently facing farming families, including the potential impact on wider rural communities. They were keen to ask questions and gain a fuller understanding of the issues.
The group were true to their purpose as a prayer gathering, and so we took each section of my presentation: Farming Today; the pressures, the people, and how they are affected as individuals, families, and communities; the impact and value of chaplaincy in rural Lincolnshire; and how this work can develop further. After a short discussion on each topic, we prayed together for the challenges highlighted and for the groups of people represented across all areas of rural life.
It is always important to give thanks, and so in our final section we also celebrated the many positive contributions that farming provides: the resilience that remains despite a poor harvest and a difficult year; the innovation helping to develop and sustain food production; and the encouraging work of young farmers' groups looking positively towards the future of sustainable farming and agriculture.
I would like to thank the group for their enthusiasm throughout the session, particularly for their appreciation of the value of chaplaincy. Through their support and promise of ongoing prayer, and with around ten church communities represented, we were able to spread the word more widely about the ongoing work of LRAC and LRSN.
There were many questions and further discussions about our work over the generously provided breakfast, and I was inspired by those attending. Despite their city location, they had already considered ways to show support for struggling farming communities. There were stories of regular prayer walks through rural locations, stopping at farm gates to pray for the residents.
I have often spoken of chaplains as being "visibly invisible" and, whilst many may seek visible practical help, it was encouraging to know that there are already many people doing what they can to offer support in a seemingly invisible, yet spiritually uplifting and caring, way.
Revd Catherine