Written by Eliza Getman, School Chaplain

We all know that it’s the season of abundance when the straw bales arrive from Tetton Farm (thank you again, House family!) and the heather plants show up on the altar. This year our receptionist Caroline Wiscombe and her husband put out a call for produce from their allotment. The result was a gorgeous autumnal display set up by our TPS chapel leaders team. 

The main message that I gave at our Harvest Festival chapel services is that “Everyone Deserves to Eat”. In the Gospel of John 6:1-14, Jesus fed the multitudes simply because they were hungry. And part of the miracle was that there was a boy who volunteered to share his lunch. 

Likewise, every year, a miracle occurs in our chapel when we bring an explosion of contributions for our local Food Bank. We raised more than £600 this year and a minibus full of food. This was all delivered by a committed team of TPS student leaders who did the heavy lifting and had a tour of the Food Bank warehouse in town. 

The generosity of our pupils means that others can eat. None of us are immune to poverty and hunger. Crisis can rock any of our lives at anytime. And so often, it is less a case of people making bad choices – and more a case of people HAVING bad options. The Trussell Trust videos we watched during our services highlighted this reality and reminded us that we can work to End Hunger Together. https://www.trussell.org.uk/

We are enormously privileged within our community – and I am so proud of the generosity and compassion that I witness here on a regular basis. Your generosity and compassion are always magnified by the outpouring of food and money during the week of Harvest celebrations. 

Thank you again for loving your neighbours as you love yourselves. 

John 6:1-14

Feeding the Five Thousand

After this Jesus went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, also called the Sea of Tiberias.  A large crowd kept following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing for the sick. Jesus went up the mountain and sat down there with his disciples. Now the Passover, the festival of the Jews, was near. When he looked up and saw a large crowd coming towards him, Jesus said to Philip, ‘Where are we to buy bread for these people to eat?’ He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he was going to do. Philip answered him, ‘Six months’ wages would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little.’ One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, ‘There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish. But what are they among so many people?’ Jesus said, ‘Make the people sit down.’ Now there was a great deal of grass in the place; so they sat down, about five thousand in all. Then Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated; so also the fish, as much as they wanted. When they were satisfied, he told his disciples, ‘Gather up the fragments left over, so that nothing may be lost.’ So they gathered them up, and from the fragments of the five barley loaves, left by those who had eaten, they filled twelve baskets. When the people saw the sign that he had done, they began to say, ‘This is indeed the prophet who is to come into the world.’