On Sunday 4th August, we will be celebrating Lammastide with a service of Holy Communion at Longworth. Whilst this is possibly the first time that the festival has been held in our Benefice, it is one of the oldest of the traditional agricultural festivals, dating from the Anglo-Saxon period. The origins of Lammastide actually stretch back even further to Old Testament times, and to the offering of the first fruits of the harvest by the people of Israel, in obedience to the Old Testament law (see Leviticus chapter 23 for more details).
Lammas comes from the Anglo-Saxon word meaning ‘loaf mass’, and reminds us that bread plays a central role in this festival. Traditionally, the Lammas Loaf was baked from the first fruits of the new harvest. We will be presenting our own Lammas Loaf as part of our Lammastide service, as a symbol of all of the fatherly care of God. It gives us the opportunity to thank God for every blessing towards us, and acknowledge our dependence on Him for everything. Bread reminds us of God’s miraculous provision of manna to the people of Israel during their desert wanderings. The bread also reminds us of Jesus, the Bread of Life, the focus of our Gospel reading. Jesus is God’s loving provision to us, the ‘true bread from heaven’ who satisfies our hungers and our thirsts. We remember His death and resurrection as we take Holy Communion and ‘break bread’ together.
At this point in the year in past centuries, people would have been eeking out their stores of grain, while fresh crops were still growing. Lammas therefore ushered in the beginning of a period of plenty, knowing that the harvest was now happening, and that the hard labour on the land was being rewarded. For people dependant on the land for their food, this would have been a time of relief and celebration. Even for us living in the 21st century, the recent Covid pandemic and the scarcity of many necessary household goods reminded us that we can still face challenges of enough provision today. It can be a challenge not to become complacent about the things we so often take for granted.
Whilst most of us no longer work solely on the land, festivals such as Lammastide – together with the other festivals of Plough Sunday (January), Rogationtide (May) and Harvest (Autumn) – remind us of the ongoing seasonal rhythms of our year, both of the land and of our lives. They give us the opportunity to thank God for all of His loving provision, reminding us that God meets all our needs and is the giver of every blessing.
Lammastide, together with other festivals, provide us with many rich reminders and symbols of God’s care throughout the year. Building such times of remembrance into our lives can be a life-giving rhythm for us, helping us not to forget God’s loving actions in our lives, and encouraging us when times are more challenging. God frequently told the Israelites to remember and be thankful for what He had done, and not to forget (and sadly the people of Israel frequently did forget and got seriously off track of God’s purposes for them). In the midst of our own life pressures, we can also so easily forget God as the giver of life and growth, who blesses us with all that we have.This summer period and the change in pace that it offers, can prompt us to reflect on God’s goodness to us, and I would encourage us all to put aside some time for reflection and thanksgiving in the coming weeks.
Lammastide gives us the opportunity to thank God for all his blessings and to offer to God the best of ourselves and our lives. We look forward to welcoming you to our special Lammastide service. May you know the sustenance of Jesus, our Bread of Life, now and always.
Avril
Photo by Kate Remmer on Unsplash