Week commencing Sunday 2nd October

Week Commencing Sunday 2nd October 2022

Today is Harvest Sunday. We thank God for all His provision

Call to worship

‘The land has yielded its harvest: ‘God our own God has blessed us’ Psalm 67:6

‘Give and it will be given to you-a good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over.’ Luke 6:38

On the 23^rd and 24^th September Elizabeth and I attended a 2 day conference in London. It was the Annual European Creation Conference hosted by Creation Ministries. The speakers were well qualified in their fields. We heard some fascinating and faith inspiring talks. We always are staggered at the complexity/awe inspiring intelligence within Creation and with that the greatness of God when we hear such addresses. And these speakers give God the glory due to His name for His Creation.

I thought I would begin this Harvest Sunday service by reading you part of a relevant article written by a Creation Ministries speaker pertaining to Harvest:

Extract from ‘’Sensational Seeds—compact packages attest to God’s handiwork’’ David Catchpoole (Agricultural Scientist, ‘Creation Ministries’)

He begins by citing a poet, “Of all the wonderful things in the wonderful universe of God, nothing seems to me more surprising that the planting of a seed in the blank earth and the result thereof. Take that Poppy seed, for instance: it lies in your palm, the merest atom of matter, hardly visible, a speck, a pin’s point in bulk, but within it is imprisoned a spirit of beauty ineffable, which will break its bonds and emerge from the dark ground and blossom in a splendour so dazzling as to baffle all powers of description.”—Celia Thaxter (American poet, 1835–1894).

Catchpoole then goes on to quote from the Gospels:

“A man scattered seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how.”

“Though he does not know how.’ Those words of Jesus (Mark 4:26b–27) are still true today” Catchpoole says “As a trained PhD plant scientist myself, I can vouch that, despite the many thousands of man-hours of ongoing research devoted to studying seeds, seed germination and seedling growth, we still don’t really know in detail how it is possible—certainly no-one has been able to build anything that can do what a seed does! The scientific journals are full of research papers with detailed descriptions of some of the many intricate processes going on in and around the seed as it sprouts and grows, but just how it happens all by itself remains a marvel. As Jesus went on to say: “All by itself the soil produces grain—first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head.” (Mark 4:28).

And each of those grains is another seed like its parent, which the farmer can sow when it’s “plantin’ time” or “seedtime” (Genesis 8:22) once more, repeating the sowing-growing-harvesting cycle all over again.

It’s amazing to think how the information and miniature machinery needed to produce an entire plant is compressed into such a small package. There’s a little energy store, too (known as the endosperm), to enable the germinating seed to firstly send down roots that both anchor the seedling into the ground and act as foraging conduits for water and nutrients. And then secondly to erect solar energy panels (the leaves, of course) to power the growing plant once the seed’s store of energy has been depleted. Imagine—the instructions and equipment needed to build and operate a self-maintaining and environmentally-friendly solar energy capturing system (photosynthesis), inside every seed!

For decades now, top solar energy engineers have been striving to mimic the way plants convert sunlight into fuel—but they’ve got a long way to go yet. In fact, scientists have not yet fully described all that happens in photosynthesis, let alone been able to duplicate it. So, if such highly intelligent minds are thus challenged, what does it say about the One Who not only designed the incredibly complex chemistry behind photosynthesis, but somehow equipped tiny seeds with their own ready-to-build DIY solar energy kit, complete with instructions for sourcing component parts and ongoing maintenance?

Yet there are those who would deny the hand of the Creator in this, instead proclaiming that “evolution did it”. Really, they have “no excuse” (Romans 1:20) for ignoring the incredible design inherent in every seed. And, as every home gardener with a vegetable patch knows, when you plant peas, you get peas—right in line with God having pre-programmed them that way on Day 3 of Creation Week when He commanded the earth to bring forth vegetation, i.e. “plants yielding seed each according to its own kind” (Genesis 1:11–12). When the wheat seeds sown by farmers today at planting time subsequently sprout and grow they give rise to wheat—not lilies or thistles or poison ivy. If wheat didn’t reproduce “according to its kind” the wheat farmers would soon be out of business! Thankfully our God is a God of order, not of confusion or disorder (1 Corinthians 14:33a), as we can witness for ourselves every seedtime and harvest.”

Glory to God!

(For the complete article follow this link https://creation.com/sensational-seeds )

This year I am using Operation Agri’s resource materials as I usually do at Harvest. Please visit www.operationagri/current-appeal for further resources and videos. Their website states:

“Operation Agri is a Christian charity run mainly by volunteers. We currently support projects in ten countries, run by Christian led partners, including Oasis Mozambique. We help bring lasting change to struggling communities, showing Christian love in action.”

Hymn (Piano)

Matthias Claudius, Jane Campbell

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=du-5yPKfSRc

Background

Mozambique is a beautiful country with spectacular beaches, but it is very poor: ninth from bottom in the UN Human Development index. 80% work in agriculture, but malnutrition affects many, with 50% below the poverty line.

Mozambique was part of a Shona African empire from the 11th century. Then Arab slave traders spread along the coast, and the country is named after Sultan Mussa al Bik. In the 16th century, Portugal began colonising the country, trading in commodities and slaves. Slave trading was abolished in 1878 after missionary David Livingstone published a report on conditions in Mozambique. Now about 60% of the population are Christian, many Catholic, 20% Muslim and 20% atheist or traditional beliefs.

In 1975, after 500 years of Portuguese rule, the country became independent, ruled by the Soviet-backed FRELIMO party. But resistance to socialist policies erupted into years of bitter civil war, with millions killed. Peace came only in 1992, and then the economy began to grow.

We will be looking at the help given to people in Beira. Beira is an important port city, both for Mozambique and land-locked Zimbabwe. Set at the mouth of two rivers, Beira often suffers floods. In 2019 Cyclone Idai was one of the worst disasters on record in southern Africa, with huge destruction. Then in 2021 and 2022 cyclones and storms, though less severe, again hit Beira, flooding homes and destroying crops. Covid restrictions have also hit trade and tourism, with many losing their livelihoods.

Operation Agri has initiated an appeal called ‘Vital Vegetables for Mozambique’. They have partnered with ‘Oasis Mozambique’ who work with groups of women to save money together. They wanted to know how to earn more, so Operation Agri has been helping them to have training in growing vegetables for market. This is greatly improving their income, and also provides healthy food for the family. The project also plans to help with fish farming.

Presentation ‘Vital Vegetables’. (5 mins)

We will now watch a five minute presentation that helps us see something of the help Operation Agri and Oasis Mozambique are bringing to those struggling in Mozambique.

(Show video)

Let’s celebrate together in giving thanks for all the Lord has provided:

Hymns

‘From the highest of heights’ MP 1170 (Guitar)

Laura Story

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xm93nLbeNnU

‘Give thanks with a grateful heart’ MP 170 (Keyboards)

Henry Smith

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7VqYEhimg34

‘For the beauty of the earth’ MP 152 (Keyboards)

Music “Dix” by: Conrad Kocher, 1838, traditional

Folliott Pierpoint

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zy7t2Uasqe8

Prayers

‘Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.’ 2 Corinthians 9 v 10–11, NIV.

Dear Lord and Father, We glorify you for your creative power in each seed that grows. We praise you that you provide our daily bread. We thank you for your generous provision to us, so that we can be generous to others. We pray for Operation Agri’s partners in Mozambique. We give thanks for the care and dedication of the Oasis team. We pray for the women, working hard to grow crops to provide for the family. We ask for protection for their communities from serious floods and cyclones. We remember the men striving to fish or find work. We rejoice that our help results in others far away thanking and praising you. We ask for your blessing, Lord. Amen.

Silent prayer for those facing sickness, bereavement and other trials.

The Lord’s Prayer.

Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread and
forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil,
for Thine is the Kingdom, the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen

Reading. 1 Corinthians 3:1-9

Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit but as people who are still worldly—mere infants in Christ. ² I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. ³ You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarrelling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere humans? ⁴ For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not mere human beings?

⁵ What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. ⁶ I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. ⁷ So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. ⁸ The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labour. ⁹ For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building.

Hymn (Keyboards)

‘Come, you thankful people come’ MP 106

Music St George’s Windsor, traditional

Henry Alford

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWiEMJPxoZ8

Talk by Rev Malcolm Drummond, former administrator for ‘Operation Agri.’

What do you get when you plant a lettuce seed? Answer: a lettuce!

Most people have grown something, even if it’s just mustard and cress at school. The way the little seeds open up and grow into plants you can pop in an egg sandwich is an everyday miracle that never ceases to amaze.

Paul draws on this sense of wonder in 1 Corinthians 3 v 5–9 NIV ‘What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task.  I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow.  So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labour.  For we are fellow workers in God’s service; you are God’s field.’

Paul here illustrates how God builds the church, by drawing our attention to the fields outside where many people are doing the work, but it is God who gives the growth. Paul preached the Good News, Apollos nurtured the new believers, but it was God who brought them from death to life.

It’s the same in the fields. Some plant. Some water. It is God who sends up the green shoots that grow into lettuces, or anything else. We do the work. In this year’s video we saw women working hard – planting seeds, watering them, harvesting them, and using what they’ve grown to feed their families, or sell at market to generate an income. It’s a lot of work, much of it back-breaking. But it helps them to escape the trap of poverty, one seed at a time.

But what if you can’t even afford the seeds? How can you get started? When Operation Agri first began, they used to collect seeds and send them overseas. Some older supporters might remember saving up their pocket money and buying seeds for this. Now the seeds are locally sourced, but you can still send them by giving to Operation Agri so that they can support Oasis Mozambique in putting seeds into these women’s hands. Then, when they plant, your hand rests on theirs. When they water, you help hold the watering can. When they harvest the lettuces to sell, you’re there too by your prayers. And when they give thanks to God for all the growth that he has made happen, you rejoice with them

God gives the growth. From the ground, green shoots reveal the miracle taking place under the earth. Lettuces, or other plants, are coming up. God is at work. The women are being rewarded for their labour. There will be a harvest. And there will be dancing! So, what do you get when you plant a lettuce? For women in Mozambique, thanks to your gifts and prayers, you don’t just get a lettuce. You get a healthier family, education for your children, security, and dignity.

Hymn (Keyboards)

Blessing

David Barnes 28/9/22