VERSION: 29 April 2002

HARVEST THANKSGIVING, YEAR A

Note: The Harvest Thanksgiving festival may be celebrated on any day of the church year, as is appropriate in the local context. It is customary in many places to commemorate the festival on one of the Sundays after Epiphany, normally before the beginning of Lent.

LITURGY

SENTENCES
See the document 'General notes and resources', under 'Sentence', in the 'General and seasonal' folder for suggestions on using a Sentence.

God gives the grass for the cattle, 
and plants for people to use; 
he brings forth food from the earth, 
and gives wine to gladden the human heart, 
oil to make the face shine, 
and bread to strengthen us.  (Ps 104:14,15 NRSV)

OR
The eyes of all look to you, Lord, 
and you give them their food at the proper time.  
(Psalm 145:15 NRSV)

PRAYER OF THE DAY (COLLECT)
EITHER, traditional
Lord God, heavenly Father, 
as you have graciously permitted us once more 
to gather in the fruits of the earth: 
Let your blessing continue to rest upon us, 
so that we may at all times 
gratefully receive whatever we need; 
through your Son, 
Jesus Christ our Lord, 
who lives and reigns 
with you and the Holy Spirit, 
one God, now and forever. 
Amen.

OR, modernised traditional
Lord God, heavenly Father, 
we thank you that you have again 
shown your kindness 
by giving us the fruits of the earth 
in their seasons. 
Help us to use them rightly, 
to your glory, 
for our own wellbeing, 
and for the relief of those in need. 
We ask this through your Son, 
Jesus Christ our Lord, 
who lives and reigns 
with you and the Holy Spirit, 
one God, now and forever.
Amen.

Additional collects may be found under 'Prayer of the church' below.

FIRST READING
Deuteronomy 8:7-18 Do not forget the Lord who gave you the land

PSALM
Psalm 65
Antiphon: 
Praise is due to you, O God, in Zion. (Psalm 165:1 NRSV
OR
You crown the year with your goodness. (Psalm 65:11)

SECOND READING
2 Corinthians 9:6-15 Sowing generously

ALLELUIA VERSE (based on Isa 55:10,11))
Alleluia, alleluia.
My word is as the rain and snow that come down from heaven;
it shall not return to me empty.  
Alleluia.

GOSPEL
Luke 17:11-19 The thankful leper The food that lasts

PRAYER AFTER THE GOSPEL
This is the gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, O Christ.
Thank you, Lord Jesus,
for all your blessings.
Help us to be thankful at all times.
Amen.

OFFERING PRAYER
Heavenly Father, thank you for all the good things 
you continue to provide for us. 
Don't let us take your gifts for granted 
or abuse them. 
Instead, help us always to rely on you in faith. 
Use us and what you have given us 
for your good purposes.
Amen.

OFFERING
Consider enhancing the offering at Harvest Thanksgiving in one or all of the following ways.

*	Instead of pre-arranging all the harvest produce at the front of the church, have the people bring items forward during the offering hymn. Gifts of packaged and tinned food for the needy may also be presented. Alternatively, children could carry large baskets around the congregation to collect such food while the gifts of money are being collected.

*	Have a member of the congregation bake a loaf of bread for use in holy communion. This could be brought forward with the offering during the offertory. Also, local wine could be brought forward with the bread  still in its familiar bottle  to show that God takes and uses everyday things as his means of grace.

*	Have members of the congregation bring forward symbols of their work and vocation, as offerings of their daily lives to God. In connection with this, consider using the order for 'Blessing of a place/object', included in Rites and Resources for Pastoral Care, produced by the Commission on Worship. The following prayer and blessing (which may be adapted) are taken from that order.

The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Let us pray for God's blessing on ____.
We praise you, Lord our God, creator and king of the universe.
You have created the world and made everything that is good in it.
You make the sun shine on the earth and water it with showers of rain.
You have produced plants and animals from the earth
and have given it to us as our home.
You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living creature.
You have provided us with everything for our enjoyment
and give us times for work and rest.
Bless this/these ___, 
so that by it/them life may be nourished and sustained here on earth.
Give us health and strength for our work, 
so that we may rejoice in your goodness
and use your good gifts for the benefit of all your creatures;
through Jesus Christ our Lord, 
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, 
one God, now and forever.
Amen.

I bless this/these ____ 
in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.

PRAYER OF THE CHURCH
Call to prayer
Our heavenly Father cares for us and knows our need. In our prayer, let us cast our cares on him in the name of Jesus,.

The regular response, OR:
Lord of the harvest,
care for your people.

Suggested intercessions
*	for nourishment with word and sacrament
*	for the church, that it may be a witness to God's generosity
*	for all involved in agriculture - that they may care for the resources they steward, and receive God's blessing through their work
*	for all paid workers, for all unpaid workers, and for all unemployed
*	for all who do not have enough to eat
*	for those who do not know how to give thanks to God
*	for those who doubt God's goodness
*	for protection from drought and famine
*	for the environment.

Concluding prayer
Lord God, unless you care for us and give us what we need, all our work is in vain. Keep our hearts and minds set firmly on your word, so that we may always trust in you, and be generous with the gifts you have given us. We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. 
Amen.

Additional collects
Lord God, our heavenly Father, 
we praise you for your goodness, 
and thank you 
that you have protected  
our crops/gardens/orchards/---, 
and given us a harvest. 
May we enjoy what our labour has produced 
in health and peace, 
never forgetting to honour you 
by praising you for all your gifts to us 
and by sharing them with those in need. 
We ask this through your Son, 
Jesus Christ our Lord, 
who lives and reigns 
with you and the Holy Spirit, 
one God, now and forever.
Amen.

Merciful Father, 
you have protected the fruits of the earth 
and crowned the year with your blessing. 
Bless and protect 
the living seed of your word 
which has been sown in our hearts, 
so that we may produce 
the fruit of your word 
and always offer ourselves to you 
as a living sacrifice of thanks. 
We ask this through your Son, 
Jesus Christ our Lord, 
who lives and reigns 
with you and the Holy Spirit, 
one God, now and forever.
Amen.

For use in times of a failed harvest
Heavenly Father, 
when you brought drought upon the land 
in the time of Elijah the prophet, 
you provided for the widow and her son, 
so that the little they had 
was sufficient for them. 
Comfort us and provide for us 
in this time of drought (/failed harvest). 
Give us patience, 
so that we may not despair of your help. 
Preserve the little which we have, 
and by your blessing 
let our present need 
work for our good. 
We ask this through your Son, 
Jesus Christ our Lord, 
who lives and reigns 
with you and the Holy Spirit, 
one God, now and forever.
Amen.

PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION
Heavenly Father, 
you raised your Son 
to be the firstfruits 
of the resurrection from the dead. 
As we have received 
the body and blood of our risen Lord, 
gather us into your kingdom 
at the final harvest. 
We ask this 
through Jesus Christ our Lord, 
who lives and reigns 
with you and the Holy Spirit, 
one God, now and forever. 
Amen. 

DISMISSAL
Go in peace, with thankful hearts to serve the Lord.
Thanks be to God.  OR  In the name of Christ. Amen. 

HYMNS AND SONGS

FOR THE READINGS
Please note:	* =	Modernised version available
	G3, G4 . . . =	Guitar chords available in the Music Package 3, 4 . . . 
	GS =	Guitar chords in the Supplement to LH

First reading: Deuteronomy 8:7-18

LHS
562	Lord, Thou hast blessed us (alt tune 282)
811	Praise and thanksgiving GS
814	For the fruits of his creation G6
AT
114	Come, my brother, come, my sister
TIS
149	This is my Father’s world
168	For the fruits of all creation
627	Praise and thanksgiving
743	Praise and thanksgiving let everyone bring

Second reading: 2 Corinthinians 9:6-15

LHS
356	Lord of glory, who hast bought us* G3
374	O Lord of heaven and earth and sea G9
377	Take my life, and let it be*
568	O Lord, whose bounteous hand again G9
AT
186	Give it all
265	Take us now, we are yours
TIS
154	Great is your faithfulness
174	Morning glory, starlit sky
439	What shall we offer our good Lord?
599	Take my life, and let it be
717	Give thanks with a grateful heart

Gospel: Luke 17:11-19

LHS
560	O Lord, I sing with mouth and heart G6
568	O Lord, whose bounteous hand G9
Also from ‘Praise’ sections
431	My soul, now bless thy Maker!* G6
437	Now thank we all our God* G6
442	Praise to the Lord, the almighty, the king of creation
451	When all Thy mercies, O my God G9
880	How shall I call you? Maker of heaven GS
AT
43	How shall I call you?
189	Thank you for life
325	Sing to God, with joy and gladness
361	Here we are
429	Praise the Lord, O my soul
TIS
64	O bless the Lord, my soul
106	Now thank we all our God
111	Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation
 
PSALM 65
For musical settings of Psalm 65, see Music Packages 1 and 9. For a hymn version of Psalm 65:1-5, see TIS no. 35 Praise waits for you in Zion, Lord.

HYMNS ON HARVEST THANKSGIVING AND CREATION
See the following.

LHS
560–568
808–812
814	For the fruits of his creation G6
887	We praise you, O God, our redeemer, creator
AT
123	Morning has broken (Especially appropriate as an opening hymn)
182	Christ is changing everything
243	Wander in the sun
365	Lord of all
456	Everything we got

TIS
Hymns under Harvest, Creation, Gifts of creation in the index of subjects in the harmony edition

BAPTISM
If there is a baptism on the day of Harvest Thanksgiving, the following songs from the 'All Together' books are appropriate: 

222	What a gift
316	From the air and from the light

CONFESSION OF SINS
Song 110 from All Together Again, 'Kyrie, good God', gives a sobering note on what otherwise can be a festival celebrating only our own personal good fortune. The 'Sorrowing Song', 286 in All Together Everybody (TIS 689), is also appropriate as a confession song for Harvest Thanksgiving.

GRADUAL SONG
The song 'My word is like the snow and rain' (ATN 39) may be sung before the gospel to welcome the gospel of Christ.

PRAYER OF THE CHURCH
LH 566, 'Christ by heavenly hosts adored', may suitably be used for the general prayer at a Thanksgiving day.

OFFERTORY 
The following song, written by David Schütz, is sung to tune Nun danket alle Gott (LH 437, TIS 106). It may be used either for the offertory or for the song during the offering.

Blest are you, Lord our God,
the King of all creation.
Your goodness gives to us
the gifts we now can offer,
which daily work and toil
have earned to use for you.
Take these, for they are yours,
and use them for your good.

Blest are you, Lord our God,
the King of all creation.
Your goodness gives to us
this bread and wine we offer,
which earth, and sun, and rain,
and human hands have formed.
Take it and by your word,
prepare the feast of life.

The following hymns and songs could also be used for the offering.

LHS
362	What shall I give to God, my Saviour*
367	O bring to the Lord your tribute of praise*
372	We give thee but thine own
AT
378	Given and shed for you (this is also appropriate as a pre-communion song)
265	Take us now, we are yours

If there is to be a vocational focus during the offertory, the following hymns are appropriate for the offering song.

LHS
377	Take my life and let it be*
379	Lord of creation, to thee be all praise
814	For the fruits of his creation
AT
169	All to the glory of God
230	Christ the worker
242	Son of the Father
TIS
168	For the fruits of his creation
599	Take my life and let it be
626	Lord of creation, to you be all praise

NEW HYMN: PRAISE AND THANKSGIVING
The following hymn is by Ed Koch, and sung to the tune Bunessan, LHS 811, ATA 123 or TIS 156 (Morning has broken).

Praise and thanksgiving,
Lord of creation,
for life and living
in this brown land;
Austral's wide island
rimmed by blue ocean,
clothed with gummed mountains
and malleed plains.

With forebears believing,
Lord God, you blessed us,
bearing oppression
for their belief;
forsaking homeland
uprooted fam'ly,
braved the wild oceans
rather than yield.

Here among sandhills,	OR:	Here in gummed mountains,
dry rolling bushland,		wide-wattled valleys,
drought-wrested showers,		axes rang loudly
this was their home;		claiming the land;
pioneers sweated,		sweat, toil and hardship,
rolling and clearing,		eyes lift to heaven,
sowing and reaping		trusting the Father,
just to survive.		made this their home.

Children of scrublands [ /bushlands]
honour your forebears’
vision and courage
to serve their Lord.
Shepherd of faithful,
through them you blessed us,
gave us the freedom 
to praise your name.

Praise the Creator,
our faithful Father;
praise the Redeemer,
obedient Son;
praise to the Spirit,
new life inspiring;
shout with the angels:
Alleluia!

NEW HYMN: O GRACIOUS LORD GOD
The following hymn is by American Lutheran pastor, Keith M Mueller. Permission has been given for its use in the following revised form. The tune is either Foundation (LHS harmony edition A4, TIS 578), or St Denio (LHS 392, TIS 143).

O gracious Lord God, in thanksgiving we pray
for all your creation, for night and for day, 
for seedtime and harvest, for work and for food, 
for friends and for family, and everything good. 

But how can we praise your great goodness enough?
Our lives overflow with the proofs of your love:
your providence feeds us, your strength is our shield;
our prayers you have answered, our sicknesses healed.

For far greater blessings, we give thanks and sing, 
for Jesus, our Lord, who has borne all our sin, 
for mercy and grace in the baptismal flood, 
and for sins forgiv'n in his body and blood. 

For faith, hope and love, and your word shining bright 
in church and in home filling darkness with light, 
for freedom to praise you in this favoured land, 
and promise of glory where one day we'll stand.

OTHER THANKSGIVING HYMNS AND SONGS
The following hymns and songs have a general thanksgiving theme.

LHS 
564	Come, ye thankful people, come
820	We thank, Lord, for eyes to see
887	We praise you, O God, our redeemer, creator
890	Praise God the Saviour
AT 
8	Praise and thanksgiving
151	Thank you, Father
164	O give thanks to the Lord

TIS
See under the heading 'Thanksgiving' in the index of subjects (page 1082, harmony edition).

SONG FROM A POEM OF BLAKE
Here is another song, adapted from a poem by William Blake called 'On another's sorrow', which may be sung at harvest thanksgiving. The following tunes are suggested: Buckland (LH 607), Song 13 [Canterbury] (LH 131), or Vienna (LH 420, TIS 440). It also fits very well to Robin Mann's tune for 'From the air and from the light' (ATO 316) if every two verses are sung as one verse, but in order to fit properly, a final four lines are required at the end. We have suggested a possibility if you wish to use this tune.

Can I see another's woe,
and not be in sorrow too?
Can I see another's grief,
and not seek for kind relief?

And can he who smiles on all
hear the wren with sorrow small,
hear the small bird's grief and care,
hear the woes that infants bear,

and not sit beside the nest,
pouring pity in their breast;
and not sit the cradle near,
weeping tear on infant's tear;

and not sit both night and day,
wiping all our tears away?
O no, never can it be,
never, never can it be!

He does give his joy to all;
he becomes an infant small;
he becomes a man of woe;
he does feel the sorrow too.

Do not think you sigh a sigh
and your maker is not by;
do not think you weep a tear
and your maker is not near.

O he gives to us his joy
that our grief he may destroy;
till our grief is fled and gone
he does sit by us and moan.

If using the ATO 316 tune, add these final four lines. 
[He can't see another's woe,
and not be in sorrow too;
he can't see another's grief,
and not seek for kind relief.]

VISUAL

COLOUR
The colour for Harvest Thanksgiving is green or the colour of the season, so plenty of greenery can be included in the harvest display.

SYMBOLS
The following symbols are suitable for Harvest Thanksgiving.
*	sheaf of wheat
*	cornucopia (horn of plenty, with fruit etc spilling out of it).

DECORATIONS
It is customary to decorate the church on this day with harvest produce. Especially in urban settings, it may be appropriate to include grocery items in the decorations as well.

A European style floral arrangement could be set up, using greenery, flowers and fruit and/or vegetables.

Displays could feature large stands with flowers, fruit and vegetables; or baskets with fruit and vegetables; or unusual containers to display flowers, fruit and vegetables.

DRAMA

'MEGA DRAMA'
See a drama for the day in Mega Drama resources (Openbook Publishers), originally included in these worship resources when they were released on disks.

CHILDREN

DECORATIONS
Be sure to involve the children in setting up the decorations for this day.

OFFERINGS
Involve the children in the collection and presentation of offerings. Especially, they may bring the baskets of food and/or the bread and wine for holy communion to the altar.

'COME AND SEE JESUS'
The Come and See Jesus curriculum published by Openbook Publishers has a wealth of material and ideas that may be adapted for use in worship. Please note that a new edition of this material is now available for the Revised Common Lectionary.

The story for Harvest Thanksgiving is 'Harvest firstfruits' (Deut 26:1-11) (to be found in the original edition Series B, semester 1, and in the RCL edition Series C, semester 1 for Lent 1).