Liz and I have just spent a lovely ten days in our caravan (sorry!) in Herefordshire. We drove to many of the lovely little towns within 20 miles or so of Hereford itself, admiring the cathedral, churches, castles, stately homes and, of course, the countryside itself. If you have never spent any length of time in that neck of the woods—well, we both commend it to you. It is simply stunning.

Of course, the beauty of the towns, the architecture, and the countryside did not simply happen. Each of these is the result of people caring enough to do something which they and others could enjoy. Those wonderful mature trees at Berrington Hall were planted by Capability Brown who never saw them fully grown but knew that what he did then would profoundly affect other people later. Thank you to him.

Hereford Cathedral costs over £6,000 every month to maintain and run, apart from major fund raising events to stabilise the tower, or rebuild the organ. Many people contribute towards this with an annual gift of maybe as little as £10 or as much as £1,000—in God’s eyes the widow’s mite is every bit as precious as the rich man’s generous cheque. Some of these people are believers and worshippers, and just as many more are not, but recognise the benefits that such a wonderful building offers to the wider community.

Talking to members of the farming community the other day I asked what I could do for them, and they commented that I could help local people understand better where the food we eat comes from, and what some of the pressing problems for farmers are at this time. Just imagine how you might feel if a farm “went under” and was left to grow wild, become neglected, and cause problems rather than joy for local residents. Just imagine how you might feel if you learned that a local farmer was not caring properly for his animals. These men and women are truly stewards of the land they farm, of the crops they grow, and of the animals they rear. This they do for their joy, and for their income, as well as to feed you and me. To look at the results of their work, to walk across their land, costs us nothing—except hopefully respect for footpaths and stiles, for clearing up after our dogs, and leaving only footprints behind. Farmers work for today and for the future.

We are blessed to live in an area every bit as lovely as Herefordshire, and within our benefice there are six truly glorious churches, each with its own style, charm, and, of course, needs. Each one is there for the community it serves, and its doors are open for you for Baptisms, Weddings and Funerals as well as for worship each week. Are you are able to help us be good stewards of the buildings left in our care, to keep them in good repair, to make them as warm and welcoming as we are able, and to leave them for the next generation when our day is done ? Your gift of £10 or £1,000 - or any sum in between - would be put to good use by the six church councils. Stewardship is very simply looking after what we have been entrusted with so that other people might benefit both today and in the future. All that we have—life itself, gifts and skills, come from God. Giving back just some of that seems only fair.