Harvest Festival 2024 St Andrew’s Milngavie 19th Sunday after Trinity 2024
Today we celebrated our Harvest festival. Accompanied by Alison we sang the traditional harvest hymns. This was followed by a delicious soup lunch in the hall. Thank you to all who supported and provided such great food. The alter offerings were taken to the food bank after the service.
Our thoughts continue to be with Clare and Steve and the family this week following the funeral of Pamela on Wednesday. Many thanks to all who supported and helped with the service. There was a terrific turn out, a most fitting tribute to our much loved friend.
The AGM will be held after the service on Sunday 20th October. Please do support, any outstanding reports, please send to Helen.
This Week
Tuesday 10am – Prayer Group in the Garden Room.
Thursday 10am – Said Holy Communion followed by coffee in Friendship House
Readings for next Sunday – 20th Sunday after Trinity – Amos 5:6-7,10-15 Hebrews 4:12-16 Mark 10:17-31
Today’s readings – Psalm 67, Philippians 4:1-9, Matthew 6:25-34
It’s impossible these days to receive an invitation anywhere without being asked about one’s dietary requirements. Of course, there are medical conditions which do preclude certain foods but with different fads and fancies being the norm eating habits have become an entire culture. A tremendous amount of interest is now given to food and its consumption.
What probably hasn’t changed over the years is the fact that there are those of us wholive to eat and those who eat to live. I certainly know which category I’m in for food not only is essential for our physical wellbeing, but it also plays a large part in our sense of emotional wellbeing bringing us enormous comfort joy and pleasure and today we give thanks for it.
Harvest festival is traditionally a time of thanksgiving as we do give thanks for our food and for all who work hard to bring it to our shelves. We also give thanks for God for his creation, our world. The beautiful country we live in and our part in maintaining and sustaining it.
It is a time to be thankful to our farmers, both those who produce crops and those who care for livestock. As we know farming is a way of life and not just a job. It involves hard work and commitment with almost no days off or a proper holiday. Constantly at the mercy of the weather, government policy and regulation many have felt forced to give up over the years. So, we do give particular thanks to all our farmers in this country who continue to work the land for the benefit of us all.
Harvest is also about remembering to share the fruits of the earth. In the gospels Jesus encouraged us to share. The feeding of the five thousand for example shows us that the more food is shared the more there is to go round.
But harvest is also a time to reflect on our spiritual wellbeing. God sows spiritual seeds in our hearts and wants them to bear an abundant harvest. The parable of the mustard seed, often read at harvest, reminds us that this harvest can have very small beginning but has the potential to become much bigger and significant if we are prepared to feed and nurture it. And its important that we do as our Christian faith which is underpinned by the Holy Spirit can bring us strength courage, guidance and comfort.
In the bible Jesus sought to bring comfort to his people, he understood the trials and tribulations of the human condition.
“Come to me all who are heavy laden” he tells us “and I will bring you rest”
In this morning’s gospel he tells us “Do not worry” A fitting text for the world today……
This passage in Matthew’s gospel is part of Jesus’ sermon on the mount. A sermon Jesus delivered to the crowds, including the poor and sick to bring them hope, love and comfort.
Jesus delivers this sermon not out of any sense of reprimand and caution but out of love and concern for his people. In his humanity he knows how harmful and unproductive worrying is for us. And so, he addressed this very issue by saying in verse 27 “Can any of you add one moment to your life span by worrying?”
We all know worrying for worrying sake cannot help any of us. But we do it anyway because its part of our humanity despite the fat that it can steal the joy from our souls.
In the reading today Jesus tells us not to worry. So, Jesus tells us in verse 34, “Therefore don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
“Consider the birds of the sky: They don’t sow or reap or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you worth more than they?” Matthew 6:26
God does provide for his creation but how much more does God provide for us, the pinnacle of his creation, so he tells us
” But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.” Matthew 6:33
In the epistle Paul takes up a similar theme in his letter to the Philippians “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7
We are invited to expel our anxieties and bring everything before God to receive his comfort through the act of prayer.
In a moment we will receive the Eucharist – the word itself meaning thanksgiving – and we will in the presence of Christ gives thanks for each other, for our harvest and for this great holy mystery which transcends all our earthly needs and anxieties.
May this harvest truly be a time of thanksgiving, a time of evaluating what we have and time to pray for ourselves and the needs of the world and to trust God for the future.