A Kirklees farm and its community received a 'big blessing' during a special service attended by members from the Almondbury Deanery and two local Green Party Councillors.
The environment focused service was led by The Revd Canon Debby Plummer and held at Stirley Community Farm. It included prayers for God’s blessing on the farm, its community and machinery, the beef shorthorn cattle who live there, training allotments worked by community volunteers, the bees and the orchard.
“I am very fortunate - richly blessed - to have retired with my husband to Newsome Ward in Huddersfield - part of the borough of Kirklees and remarkably a visionary ward with 3 Green Party councillors,” said Debby.
“Wherever I have been in ministry, I have loved leading outdoor Rogation Services, drawing on traditional and contemporary prayers and hymns and readings from scripture as well as poetry and prose.”
“We have had a particular theme since 2017 - tree-planting one year, the River Holme last year and Climate Emergency this year - our speaker was Cllr. Andrew Cooper, who helped Kirklees Council to publicly declare a climate emergency.”
“Along with the prayers we also committed ourselves to ‘touch the earth lightly’, to care for soil, soul and society.”