This Sunday afternoon, after singing the wonderful hymn by Isaac Watts, “The heavens declare thy glory, Lord”, I went with my friend Martin of Sage to Saint Margaret’s Church, Lewknor, where they are hosting a “LOAF Fayre” along with an afternoon service. LOAF stands for “locally produced, organically grown, animal friendly, fairly traded”.

The church is now serving as a gateway to the Aston Rowant National Nature Reserve. This project is supported by the Diocese of Oxford and the Christian nature conservation organisation A Rocha.

Brother Samuel SSF of the Hilfield Project/Friary preached on the theme of “Living Lightly on God’s Earth”, and gave us three tips after Saint Francis: courtesy, know your place, and give thanks and praise (“sing in tune”). He mentioned the early Italian vernacular hymn by Francis, which we are familiar in the English as “All creatures of our God and King”. It came from his Canticle of Brother Sun.