Welcome to our online service - 3 October
Harvest Sunday
This service sheet can be used individually or with households.
We would encourage you to say (or even sing) hymns and songs out loud.
Prayers, other liturgy or readings can be said out loud or silently, corporately or individually.
If you are able, we would also like invite you to join us for our main Sunday service, 10am, live on Zoom and in the church. Even if you have never been to St Gabriel’s before we would love you to join us. Please get in touch with the vicar Alistair (vicar@saintgs.co.uk) and he will send you the Zoom details.
Please join us for public worship in the church building this Sunday at 11:30am.
As we gather today,
we gather around Jesus, the Word become flesh,
who made his dwelling in our physical world.
As we gather, we bring our physical selves too, not just thoughts, hopes and dreams, but also our hands, our feet, our bodies - bringing our whole beings;
symbols of our whole lives.
As we pause to be thankful for all that God has provided,
may we respond in worship, offering the whole of ourselves as a sacrifice of praise, and may our gratitude grow our generosity today. Amen.
SING: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ha628Pj_Rns
We plough the fields, and scatter
the good seed on the land,
but it is fed and watered
by God's almighty hand:
He sends the snow in winter,
the warmth to swell the grain,
the breezes, and the sunshine,
and soft, refreshing rain.
All good gifts around us
are sent from heaven above;
then thank the Lord,
O thank the Lord,
for all His love.
2. He only is the maker
of all things near and far;
He paints the wayside flower,
He lights the evening star;
the winds and waves obey him,
by Him the birds are fed;
much more to us, his children,
He gives our daily bread.
All good gifts...
3. We thank You then, O Father,
for all things bright and good,
the seed-time and the harvest,
our life, our health, our food.
Accept the gifts we offer
for all Your love imparts,
we come now, Lord, to give You
our humble thankful hearts.
All good gifts...
M. Claudius. Tr Jane M. Campbel
PRAYER OF PREPARATION
Almighty God,
to whom all hearts are open,
all desires known,
and from whom no secrets are hidden:
cleanse the thoughts of our hearts
by the inspiration of your holy Spirit,
that we may perfectly love you,
and worthily magnify your holy name;
through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
CONFESSION
As those who know the generosity of God, let us confess our sins, especially the ways in which we take his good gifts for granted.
Creative God, you have gifted us with your creation, yet we take your good gifts for granted;
Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Gracious God, you bless us each day,
yet we forget to be thankful;
Christ, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Generous God, you offer new life through your Son,
yet we turn away from you;
Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
ABSOLUTION
May God who loved the world so much
that he sent his Son to be our Saviour
forgive us our sins and make us holy to serve him in the world,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
COLLECT
Creator God,
you made the goodness of the land,
the riches of the sea
and the rhythm of the seasons;
as we think you for the harvest,
may we cherish and respect
this planet and its peoples,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
SING: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImFVg-Taoq0
All heaven declares
the glory of the risen Lord.
Who can compare
with the beauty of the Lord?
Forever He will be
the Lamb upon the throne.
I gladly bow the knee
and worship Him alone.
2. I will proclaim
the glory of the risen Lord,
who once was slain
to reconcile man to God.
Forever You will be
the Lamb upon the throne.
I gladly bow the knee
and worship You alone.
Tricia Richards, (c) 1987 Thankyou Music
READINGS
Joel 2:21-27 New International Version - UK
Do not be afraid, land of Judah;
be glad and rejoice.
Surely the Lord has done great things!
Do not be afraid, you wild animals,
for the pastures in the wilderness are becoming green.
The trees are bearing their fruit;
the fig-tree and the vine yield their riches.
Be glad, people of Zion,
rejoice in the Lord your God,
for he has given you the autumn rains
because he is faithful.
He sends you abundant showers,
both autumn and spring rains, as before.
The threshing-floors will be filled with grain;
the vats will overflow with new wine and oil.
‘I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten –
the great locust and the young locust,
the other locusts and the locust swarm –
my great army that I sent among you.
You will have plenty to eat, until you are full,
and you will praise the name of the Lord your God,
who has worked wonders for you;
never again will my people be shamed.
Then you will know that I am in Israel,
that I am the Lord your God,
and that there is no other;
never again will my people be shamed.
Matthew 6:25-33 New International Version – UK
‘Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?
‘And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labour or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendour was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you – you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, “What shall we eat?” or “What shall we drink?” or “What shall we wear?” For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
This the word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
TALK written by Peter Smithers
It’s not often that the Ivory-Beaked Wood-pecker is in the news. But this week it is. It is about to declared extinct… along with twenty other species. These are all victims of changes that are now impacting on our world: deforestation, global warming, exploitation, pollution. And these species are only the tip of the iceberg. Many more are endangered and bio-diversity is threatened all over our world. Humanity - our own species - is also suffering: 10% of us are starving and we all are in the grip of a global pandemic.
Our children are worried. Greta Thunberg is worried. Newspaper headlines tell us that we should be worried. After a very slow start, our governments are now worried… and meeting in Edinburgh to try and find a way forward.
In the words of Jesus we have just read, we are urged NOT to worry.
There are two sorts of worry:
the worry that paralyses, that fills our minds with debilitating fear
the deep concern that brings caution and that can spur us into action
The four times in this passage Jesus mentions worry he is talking about this first sort of worry - the worry that grips us, that debilitates us, that can even make us ill.
So how do we deal with the dangers that threaten our planet?
OUR planet?
First we need to recognise that the earth is not our planet. It is no more our planet than Sheffield is our city, than those related to us are our family. We are close to them, they are important to us, we care for them. But we don’t own them. Three thousand years ago, David started what we now know as Psalm 24 with the words, “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it. the world and all that live in it”. The reason for this is the fact that he made it. From before the Big Bang until now he has been moulding it and caring for it, bringing it to the point where it is now.
OUR Father!
Twice in this short section, Jesus refers to God as “your heavenly Father”. We are reminded of this whenever we pray as Jesus taught us to: “Our Father in heaven” or, if you prefer, “Our Father who art in heaven”. As our father, God cares for our world. He provides for the birds of the air, for the flowers of the field, and for us. He knows exactly what we need. Jesus gently chides us for being “you of little faith”. Throughout the Bible the word faith refers not to intellectual belief, but to trust. Jesus challenges us to put our trust in our caring heavenly Father.
In control
Our world and our society appear to be spinning out of control, and a lot of it is our fault. We’ve already thought about the words “the earth is the Lord’s”. This word “Lord” means not only owner, but also the one who is in control. It may not look that way at the moment, but ultimately, and behind it all, he is the Master, he is the king. If anything bad happens, it is because he allowed it. If anything good happens, he is behind it and that is what he wants.
Our role
But God wants us to work alongside him to increase the impact of his kingship. Jesus urges us to “seek first His kingdom”. The use of the word “kingdom” in English can cause confusion. It doesn’t refer to a geographical area like the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia or the United Kingdom. It refers to king-ship, to God’s ruling over our world… and over our individual day-to-day lives. This is why Jesus told us to pray “Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth”. There are so many things that we as nations and as individuals can do. Should we concentrate on cutting our emissions, on re-greening the planet, on providing food for the 10% of our population who are starving, or what? Seeking first God’s kingdom means that this is our priority. This is the lens that brings everything else into focus for us. Because God has given each of us different experiences, different skills and different passions, seeking God’s kingdom will mean different actions for each of us. Jesus encourages us to work out what God’s rule means for us, and then to work towards that.
The barrier
One thing that can stop us and prevent us working towards God’s kingdom here on earth is our sense of failure and of guilt. A lot of this is our mess, our fault. It’s the fault of the human race as a whole and of us as individuals in our own little bits of participation or acquiescence in the selfishness that has damaged this planet and hurt our fellow man. This is why Jesus, in a rather odd turn of phrase, asks us to “seek first his kingdom and his righteousness”. Obviously this doesn’t mean to seek to make God righteous. He’s already totally righteous. It helps us if we bear in mind that in the Bible “righteousness” often refers to the transformation that happens when God forgives us. We, who are selfish, dirty, sinful, are freed from the negatives built up from our past and given this righteousness, this cleansing which allows us to make a new start. This new start happens when we first acknowledge God as our king and lord… and each time we mess up and say sorry to God thereafter. So, whatever we do, let’s first get God’s forgiveness. Let's ask for it, and keep on asking for it.
So let’s…
acknowledge that our world is not our own. We are helping look after it for its rightful owner - God
revel in the fact that God, our father, cares for us and will help us
accept his kingship over every aspect of our lives
work for the good that is God’s will for all life on this planet and for our own lives
ask God for his cleansing and forgiveness for our many messes
Amen
The Creed
We believe in one God,
the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is,
seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
of one Being with the Father;
through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven,
was incarnate from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary
and was made man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again
in accordance with the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who with the Father and the Son is worshipped and glorified,
who has spoken through the prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come.
Amen
PRAYERS - written by Liz Cannell
As we meet together to celebrate Harvest, let us be still before God and give thanks for the beauty and bounty of creation; the changing colours of the seasons, the variety of the landscape, the parks and green spaces nearby. We give thanks for all who work on the land to produce our food, with the hard work, the uncertainties of the weather, the isolation. We pray too for fishermen supplying us with harvest from the sea, and we think of their struggles and those of smaller farmers in competition with commercial enterprises. Lord, may we all learn to care for our environment, with a balance that allows for natural renewal, without destruction through overuse.
We give thanks that over the past year many have found a greater interest in the natural world, the joy and satisfaction of growing vegetables and flowers, and have found friendships, sharing and learning from each other in community gardens and allotments.
Lord in your mercy, Hear our prayer
As we see the tragedy of increasing numbers of migrants and people leaving their own countries and homes for whatever reason, the fears and dangers and hardships they face, and often the lack of welcome and support they may receive, we pray that leaders of all nations will cooperate, working together on problems that effect them all. We bring to you the many challenges facing all governments, of climate change, the pandemic, but also how to support nations in need, in a way that will bring stability and provide opportunities, to encourage their own people to remain and to build their own communities.
We pray for St. Gabriels, and give thanks for the inspiration we have gained in our Christian faith over the years. May others be inspired by the service from St. Gabriels last Sunday, and by the contribution and encouragement given by Bless Greystones to the local area.
Ps. 24 v.1 The world and all that is in it belong to the Lord; the earth and all who live on it are his. Amen
LORD’S PRAYER
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your Kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those
who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours
now and for ever. Amen
SING: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OaMPE53uP38
Beauty for brokenness,
hope for despair,
Lord in Your suff'ring world
this is our prayer.
Bread for the children,
justice, joy, peace,
sunrise to sunset
Your Kingdom increase.
2. Shelter for fragile lives,
cures for their ills,
work for the craftsmen,
trade for their skills.
Land for the dispossessed,
rights for the weak,
voices to plead the cause
of those who can't speak.
God of the poor,
friend of the weak,
give us compassion we pray.
Melt our cold hearts,
let tears fall like rain.
Come change our love
from a spark to a flame.
3. Refuge from cruel wars,
havens from fear,
cities for sanctu'ry,
freedoms to share.
Peace to the killing fields,
scorched earth to green,
Christ for the bitterness,
His cross for the pain.
4. Rest for the ravaged earth,
oceans and streams,
plundered and poisoned,
our future, our dreams.
Lord end our madness,
carelessness, greed.
Make us content with
the things that we need.
God of the poor….
5. Lighten our darkness,
breathe on this flame,
until Your justice burns
brightly again;
until the nations
learn of Your ways,
seek Your salvation
and bring You their praise.
God of the poor………
Words and Music: Graham Kendrick
(Copyright © 1993 Make Way Music)
OFFERTORY –
As we come to our offering, take a moment to consider your response to the generosity of God and what he might be asking you to give.
God of all creation,
the source of life and giver of all good things;
through your goodness you have blessed us with these gifts.
With them we offer our lives;
that we may be used to serve others,
and give you glory.
We make our prayer
in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Amen.
SING: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GKhDCsLrUg
O Lord my God!
When I in awesome wonder
consider all the works
Thy hand hath made,
I see the stars,
I hear the mighty thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed;
Then sings my soul,
my Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art!
How great Thou art!
Then sings my soul,
my Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art!
How great Thou art!
2 When through the woods
and forest glades I wander
And hear the birds
sing sweetly in the trees;
when I look down
from lofty mountain grandeur,
and hear the brook,
and feel the gentle breeze;
Then sings my soul....
3. And when I think that God
His Son not sparing,
sent Him to die - I scarce can take it in.
That on the cross
my burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin:
Then sings my soul....
4. When Christ shall come
with shout of acclamation
and take me home –
what joy shall fill my heart!
Then shall I bow in humble adoration
and there proclaim, my God, how great Thou art!
Then sings my soul....
Charles Wesley (1707-88)
BLESSING
The God of grace enrich us in every way,
with hearts overflowing with thanksgiving to God;
and the blessing of God almighty,
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
be among you and remain with you always.
Amen.
Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.
In the name of Christ. Amen.