Trinity 17 2020

Welcome!

This page contains our Sunday act of worship on 4th October.

Widford Church is hosting its Harvest Festival Service this week, and Hunsdon Church is continuing with Morning Prayer and our next study in 1 Peter. A Harvest Festival Liturgy with pre-recorded elements including the sermon is available below.

You may like to click here to make a donation to support the work of your parish church or here to support the Bishop’s Harvest Appeal (on behalf of Widford Church).

If you wish to review the sermon on 1 Peter 3:13-22 separately, this will be uploaded in time for next Sunday.

Don’t forget you can visit our Sermons page for the audio recording of today’s sermon and a link to the Rector’s YouTube channel for all the videos.


Harvest Service

Please work through this liturgy step by step, taking your time over each section.

Opening Hymn

Collect

Creator God,
you made the goodness of the land,
the riches of the sea
and the rhythm of the seasons;
as we thank you for the harvest,
may we cherish and respect
this planet and its peoples,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen

Bible Reading

Linked directly from the “Bible Gateway” website. Scroll to read.

Sermon

Thanksgiving

Let us give thanks to God,
the God of all peoples of the earth.

For the colour and forms of your creation
and our place within it,
we bring our thanks, good Lord:
your mercy endures for ever.

For our daily food,
and for those whose work and skill
bring your good gifts to us,
we bring our thanks, good Lord:
your mercy endures for ever.

For the gifts and graces
inspired in human minds and hearts;
for insight and imagination,
for the skills of research
which bring healing and fulfilment to the lives of many;
we bring our thanks, good Lord:
your mercy endures for ever.

For the light and shades of the changing seasons,
and their variety and dependability;
for new life and growth out of barrenness and decay;
we bring our thanks, good Lord:
your mercy endures for ever.

For new hope and strength in our communities,
especially in your Church
and among all you call to serve you,
we bring our thanks, good Lord;
your mercy endures for ever.

For all in whose lives we see
goodness, kindness, gentleness, patience and humility,
and all the fruit of the Spirit,
we bring our thanks, good Lord:
your mercy endures for ever.

For the life we have been given,
and for all those whom you have given us to share it,
we bring our thanks, good Lord:
your mercy endures for ever.

Creating a Buzz in Nepal

Prayers

Let us offer our prayers to God for the life of the world and for all God’s people in their daily life and work.

God, you are the beginning and the end of all things. In your providence and care you watch unceasingly over all creation; we offer our prayers that in us and in all your people your will may be done, according to your wise and loving purpose in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Lord of all life: Hear our prayer.

Mighty Creator, loving heavenly Father, thank you for the wonder and beauty of your world and for your extraordinary love, poured out for all people. We ask you to equip and strengthen the Nepalese communities that were impacted by the brutal earthquakes of 2015, and enable them to re-build their lives with hope and purpose. We pray that they would know your generous provision and your guiding presence with them.

Bless the beekeeping initiatives, we pray: may they flourish, that through them, lives would be enriched and communities transformed.
Lord of all life: Hear our prayer.

We pray for all through whom we receive substance and life; for all farming families who work so hard, often in adverse conditions, to provide our food and look after our countryside; for packers, processors, distributors and retailers.
Lord of all life: Hear our prayer.

We pray for young people in farming, for Young Farmers Clubs, for those studying at agricultural colleges and for the next generation of farmers as they bring new skills, energy and vision to the care of the countryside and the production of food in sustainable ways.
Lord of all life: Hear our prayer.

We pray for farmers and their families who are under stress as they face uncertainty and unpredictability in global food markets, and who struggle with increasing or otherwise changing regulation and requirements; for those who want to leave farming or retire, especially those who are tenants, but do not have the wherewithal to do so; for all who find it hard to see a way forward.
Lord of all life: Hear our prayer.

We pray for the Farming Help charities, especially for the work of Farm Crisis Network, as they work together to alleviate stress and support farming families; for FCN volunteers who walk with farming families as friends and companions, that they may do so with integrity, insight and understanding. We pray for their safety and well-being as they work with distressing and challenging situations; may their Christian faith sustain them.
Lord of all life: Hear our prayer.

We pray for a just and fair relationship between the farmer and the retailer; for researchers and academics, for food writers and political commentators, for government officials and all those involved in shaping public policies and attitudes to food production and consumption; for the reduction in food waste and a new valuing and honouring of the fruits of the earth.
Lord of all life: Hear our prayer.

We pray for governments and aid agencies and those areas of the world where there is disaster, drought and starvation; for all involved in agricultural research who face the challenge to produce more food for a growing world, without harming the environment. Please grant us all generous hearts in the face of immediate crises.
Lord of all life: Hear our prayer.

God of grace as you are always at work in your creation, so fulfil your wise and loving purpose in us and in all for who we pray, that with them and in all that you have made, your glory may be revealed and the whole earth give praise to you, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Lord of all life: Hear our prayer.

The Lord’s Prayer

As our Saviour taught us, so we pray:

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,
and 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 forever.
Amen.

Blessing

God the Father, who created the world,
give you grace to be wise stewards of his creation.
Amen

God the Son, who redeemed the world,
inspire you to go out as labourers into his harvest.
Amen

God the Holy Spirit, whose breath fills the whole of creation, help you bear his fruit of love, joy and peace.
Amen

And the blessing of God Almighty,
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
be among you and remain with you always.
Amen


Going Deeper

At present, there is no Go Deeper content this week.
Please visit our Go Deeper index page for more.


Some material in this service is from Common Worship: Services and Prayers for the Church of England (2000) and is copyright © The Archbishops’ Council. cf. www.churchofengland.org/prayer-and-worship/worship-texts-and-resources/common-worship

If you have found anything in our service helpful today, please share it with your friends and family, in discussion or via social media.

If you have further questions, or would value prayer or support for a particular matter, please get in touch via our contact page, here.