The Church of England's national rural office has published an informal service celebrating the importance of the dairy herd to the rural economy.The service is the result of a request from a dairy farmer for a blessing at the farm's new milking parlour.
The farmer, who is a church member in the parish of Pontesbury, in the Diocese of Hereford, approached the Rev Shirley Small about the possibility of the informal blessing service.
In response to the farmer's request, Rev Small put together a dedicated prayer and reflection, along with a poem.
The service includes special words of thanksgiving for the "working cows, the dry cows and for the bulls and calves", as well as for the machines and expertise that went into producing the new equipment.
The prayer also allows space for the names of farm workers to be mentioned.
Rev Small said: "I did some research when I was asked and discovered that there was nothing like this officially so thought I'd put one together, using liturgy from Seasonal Worship in the Countryside (SPCK 2003) via the Arthur Rank centre website."
"Ministering to the rural community here in Shropshire has always made me aware of the importance of the land - I find many people of faith in the course of my work, even if they are not regular churchgoers. The service was very special as there is concern in our community about the livelihood of farmers in the current dairy crisis. I hope the service will be of help to others and it can be used to bless any parlour, not just a new one.”
Dr Jill Hopkinson the CofE’s National Rural Officer said: “This lovely simple service shows God’s presence in the heart of farming and food production. It is also a testament to the dedication of Shirley and so many rural parish priests who develop deep relationships with rural people and the communities.”