A church service with a difference took place in Bedford on Sunday March 20, with a special blessing of the River Great Ouse that flows through the town.
As part of the service, a wooden cross carved from a riverside tree that was brought down in the recent storms was dropped into the river.
The service, the first of its kind in the town, was based on an ancient ceremony dating back to at least the 8th century.
It featured prayers for the river, the preservation of the local ecosystem and for all those who use or area and who are affected by the river.
The blessing took place on the footbridge which crosses the river where Merchant Place meets Charter Walk to St Mary’s Gardens on the other side.
Scores of local people gathered by the footbridge in Spring sunshine for the service.
Canon Kevin Goss, Vicar of St Paul’s, who lead a procession to the bridge from the church for the service, said the event was an opportunity for people to come together and give thanks for the river.
Neil McLeery, Chaplain of Bedford school, and members of local rowing clubs and other water-sports were also present.
He said: “The river is the life source for the town. People use it for work for recreation – for all sorts. “
The cross had been specially made by Fr. Luke Larner out of wood from a riverside tree damaged during storm Eunice.
He lead the service and at the end dropped the wooden “windfall cross” into the river.
Fr. Luke Larner, a former builder and Assistant Curate at St Paul’s, described the cross as a symbol of the destructive power of nature and the promise of new life which comes with Spring and Easter, the high point of the Christian calendar.
He is an amateur kayaker himself.
Teenager Daniel,16, who was present for the service said he was a keen rower and said the river was a central part of his and his friends sporting lives.
“We are so fortunate to have such a beautiful location,” he said.
Although this was the first time such a service had been held in Bedford, a similar service is held annually by Southwark Cathedral to bless the River Thames.
