Lee Street Church
Notes of Meeting for 4th October 2020
Harvest Thanksgiving Service
Psalm 148: 1 – 13
|
1 |
Praise the LORD. Praise the LORD from the heavens; praise him in the heights above. |
|
2 |
Praise him, all his angels; praise him, all his heavenly hosts. |
|
3 |
Praise him, sun and moon; praise him, all you shining stars. |
|
4 |
Praise him, you highest heavens and you waters above the skies. |
|
5 |
Let them praise the name of the LORD, for at his command they were created, |
|
6 |
and he established them for ever and ever — he issued a decree that will never pass away. |
|
7 |
Praise the LORD from the earth, you great sea creatures and all ocean depths, |
|
8 |
lightning and hail, snow and clouds, stormy winds that do his bidding, |
|
9 |
you mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars, |
|
10 |
wild animals and all cattle, small creatures and flying birds, |
|
11 |
kings of the earth and all nations, you princes and all rulers on earth, |
|
12 |
young men and women, old men and children. |
|
13 |
Let them praise the name of the LORD, for his name alone is exalted; his splendor is above the earth and the heavens. |
|
14 |
And he has raised up for his people a horn, the praise of all his faithful servants, of Israel, the people close to his heart. Praise the LORD. |
This Psalm reminds us of the aspects of God’s wonderful creation which He set in place and which the Psalmist says “do His bidding” – and for which we have come together to thank Him today.
HYMN: Come ye thankful people, come (75)
A song which firstly thanks God for the harvest – his provision; and then goes on to speak about the Lord’s return to take us to be with Him for ever.
COME, YE THANKFUL PEOPLE, COME,
Raise the song of harvest home!
All is safely gathered in
Ere the winter storms begin;
God, our Maker, doth provide
For our needs to be supplied;
Come to God’s own temple, come,
Raise the song of harvest-home.
All the world is God’s own field,
Fruit unto His praise to yield;
Wheat and tares together sown,
Unto joy or sorrow grown;
First the blade, and then the ear,
Then the full corn shall appear:
Lord of harvest, grant that we
Wholesome grain and pure may be.
For the Lord our God shall come
And shall take His harvest home,
From His field shall in that day
All offences purge away,
Give His angels charge at last
In the fire the tares to cast,
But the fruitful ears to store
In His garner evermore.
Even so, Lord, quickly come,
Bring Thy final harvest home;
Gather Thou Thy people in,
Free from sorrow, free from sin;
There, forever purified,
In Thy garner to abide:
Come, with all Thine angels, come,
Raise the glorious harvest-home.
Prayer
I suggested last week that folk might like to come with something to remind them it is a Harvest Thanksgiving. Don’t worry if you haven’t brought anything – but now’s the opportunity to tell us what you’ve brought and maybe why!
A good variety of tinned / packaged food items were on display at the church – these will go to the Foodbank this week. Others displayed items such as a marrow, courgettes, a cabbage, a melon – just a few reminders of God’s provision for our needs each day.
HYMN: All things bright and beautiful (14)
ALL THINGS BRIGHT AND BEAUTIFUL,
All creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful,
The Lord God made them all.
Each little flower that opens,
Each little bird that sings,
He made their glowing colours,
He made their tiny wings.
The purple-headed mountain,
The river running by,
The sunset, and the morning
That brightens up the sky.
The cold wind in the winter,
The pleasant summer sun,
The ripe fruits in the garden,
He made them every one.
He gave us eyes to see them,
And lips that we might tell
How great is God Almighty,
Who has made all things well.
Yes, He has indeed made all things well.
Genesis tells us that amongst other things God made the seasons – we might wish it was summer all the year round, to save our heating bills, but that wouldn’t be much good for many of the crops we depend upon for our very existence. God got it right.
I wonder which of the seasons you like best? (OPEN for response!)
(Eg Colours of autumn – freshness of spring – beauty of snow / frosty mornings – long days of summer etc)
Hymn: Great is thy faithfulness (147)
GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS, O God my Father,
There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not;
As Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be.
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see;
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided,
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!
Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon and stars in their courses above,
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.
Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!
Besides reminding us of God’s provision of seasons, and the whole of nature, this hymn reminds us too of other blessings the Lord gives us – forgiveness, peace, His presence each day, strength, and a hope for tomorrow.
Our next song reminds us again that Jesus was not only involved in creation, but by His mercy He is interested in mankind – in setting them free, and cleansing their hearts
SONG: Who paints the skies (1118)
Who paints the skies into glorious day?
Only the splendour of Jesus.
Who breathes His life into fists of clay?
Only the splendour of Jesus.
Who shapes the valleys and brings the rain?
Only the splendour of Jesus.
Who makes the desert to live again?
Only the splendour of Jesus.
Teach every nation His marvellous ways;
Each generation shall sing His praise.
He is wonderful, He is glorious,
Clothed in righteousness,
Full of tenderness.
Come and worship Him,
He’s the Prince of life,
He will cleanse our hearts
In His river of fire.
Who hears the cry of the barren one?
Only the mercy of Jesus.
Who breaks the curse of the heart of stone?
Only the mercy of Jesus.
Who storms the prison and sets men free,
Only the mercy of Jesus.
Purchasing souls for eternity?
Only the mercy of Jesus.
Stuart Townend Copyright © 1995 Kingsway’s Thankyou Music.
TALK
There’s one aspect of harvest which I would like us to be reminded of today. God didn’t just provide the means by which his people could grow enough crops to feed themselves and their herds and flocks of animals, and of course the rains to enable those crops to grow, but he also gave his people a very important instruction. We find it in Leviticus 23: 22 .
Having given Moses a whole stream of details of various feast days which the people were to celebrate - when and how the various offerings were to be brought to the Lord, He goes on to say this:
“When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field, or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Leave them for the poor and the alien. I am the Lord your God”.
The very mention of gleaning I guess reminds us of the account of Ruth, the Moabitess, who settled down with her mother-in-law Naomi in Bethlehem in the land of Judah. Naomi was a widow, and Ruth was a foreigner in the land, so life was really hard. But Ruth didn’t shun hard work, and when harvest time came, she soon set about helping them both by gleaning. As a result of her efforts, which quite literally involved going around the fields after the crops had been already harvested by hand by others and picking up any heads of corn that were missed or trampled upon. Although it was hard work, with normally not a lot to show for a day’s work, she was rewarded by meeting land-owner Boaz and ultimately marrying him.
Boaz had been obedient to the commands which God had given to Moses, and in this instance two people – both poor and one an alien – were blessed as a result. I guess you could say also that Boaz was blessed, because through this he gained a wife.
But remember the purpose of gleaning – it was God’s provision for the poor. So God has always been concerned that provision be properly made for those unable for various reasons to provide for themselves.
It’s why we as Churches for Horley make the Food Bank such a central part of what we do for the community in Horley. God’s purpose is that those with plenty should share with those suffering hardship, particularly when food or lack of it is the issue.
So please don’t forget the Food Bank – it still needs our support, and probably more so in the coming winter months.
Hymn: We plough the fields (585)
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.
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.
We thank Thee, then, O Father,
For all things bright and good;
The seedtime and the harvest,
Our life, our health, our food.
No gifts have we to offer
For all Thy love imparts,
But that which Thou desirest,
Our humble, thankful hearts.
Our affirmation – HE ONLY is the maker…. Our response – see last lines “our humble thankful hearts”
Tearfund Video / Talk
MEET TAMAM
Tamam never imagined her world falling apart the way it did. She has a photo of her husband, her small son and her beautiful garden in Syria. All that’s left of those beloved things now is the picture. Caught in the crossfire and forced to flee their home when the conflict came, Tamam and her four remaining children sought safety in neighbouring Lebanon. But it’s not the same. It’s not the home she remembers and loved and lost. Now she and her family live in two small, cramped rooms in a slum in Beirut. Tearfund’s local partner, the Tahaddi Center, has helped bring some help, comfort and hope for Tamam and others like her in the midst of such sadness. Tamam shares her own story in the video.
Tearfund says: ”It is the will of our God that we share our harvest with those who are in need. Please will you pray with us.”
“Lord, we think of all that Tamam went through. Forced to flee her own country to live in a foreign land – her home and family life destroyed. Help us to stand with families who have lost almost everything through conflict or disaster. Help us to share your compassion with people in greatest need who feel broken and abandoned. Father God, help us not to look away. We pray that all families fleeing their homes will find a place of welcome and safety. Help us to play our part in restoring a sense of home. Amen”
Please will you help people like Tamam and her children? We are making amazing progress. According to the World Bank, over the last 20 years we have seen the rate of extreme poverty reduce by half around the world. Through the generous giving of people just like you, we’ve been a part of this result. Tearfund and our partners have been able to reach over 48 million people in the last few years alone. But there is more to be done. Just under a billion people on the planet still live on less than £1.50 per day. That’s 1 in 7 people who can’t afford to eat properly, to feed their children, to access education for them, or to pay medical bills. As the church – the body of Christ on earth, we must reach out. For people like Tamam and her family, we need to stand in the gap. We need to help provide the tools for them to move from hunger, trauma and fear, to a future with hope. Your gift will make a difference. Even £12 can provide trauma support for a child like Tamam’s for a month. And whether you can’t manage as much as £12, or, in fact, you can manage more, your gift is powerful in God’s hands whatever the amount. Please will you walk with us as we follow Jesus, bringing his love in the most practical ways where the need is greatest.
HYMN: Creation sings the Father’s song
Creation sings the Father’s song;
He calls the sun to wake the dawn
And run the course of day,
Till evening comes in crimson rays.
His fingerprints in flakes of snow,
His breath upon this spinning globe,
He charts the eagle’s flight,
Commands the newborn baby’s cry.
Hallelujah!
Let all creation stand and sing:
“Hallelujah!”
Fill the earth with songs of worship,
Tell the wonders of creation’s King.
Creation gazed upon His face;
The ageless One in time’s embrace,
Unveiled the Father’s plan
Of reconciling God and man.
A second Adam walked the earth,
Whose blameless life would break the curse,
Whose death would set us free
To live with Him eternally.
Creation longs for His return,
When Christ shall reign upon the earth;
The bitter wars that rage
Are birth pains of a coming age.
When He renews the land and sky,
All heaven will sing and earth reply
With one resplendent theme:
The glory of our God and King.
Keith & Kristyn Getty & Stuart Townend Copyright © 2008 Thankyou Music