Merredin Uniting Church

Great Eastern Gathering W/end 21-22 May 2011

The lecturing staff from the Perth Theological Hall will be sharing

Goals:

-   To share the excitement of theological scholarship

with motivated lay leaders of our church.

-   To learn more about the interests and concerns,

the questions and passions of people in our church.

-  To open a channel for dialogue and sharing

between the Perth Theological Hall and the congregations.

Saturday

9:00-9:15 Gathering and Registration

9:15-9:30 Morning Devotion (Rev David de Kock)

9:30-10:00 Regional Sharing Regional leaders

10:15-11:15 – Job, and the Problem of Innocent Suffering .  Dr Sue Boorer

11:15-11:30 Morning Tea

11:30-12:30 Job (continuation ) Dr Sue Boorer

12:30-1:30 Lunch

1:30-3:00 Congregational Spirituality.  Dr Nancy Ault

3:00-3:30 Afternoon Tea

3:30-5:00 Images of Salvation.  Rev Dr Alex Jensen

5:00-5:15 Debrief – Feedback

5:15-5:30 Evening Devotion Steve Higgins

5:30-6:00 Free time

6:00-7:00 Barbeque at Church

7.00 Midsummer Night’s Dream Cummins Theatre

Sunday

9:00-10:15 Sunday Worship

Preacher: Rev Dr Geof Lilburne

10:15-10:30 Cuppa

10:30-11:30 Open Discussion with the Faculty

11:30-12:00 Final Debrief – Evaluation

12:00-1:00 Lunch

The Great Eastern Gathering happens next weekend. There is so much to look forward to in the program and in the fellowship which we can share. A copy of the program is available elsewhere on this website. A change to the program is that on the Saturday evening, after the meeting, we will have a barbeque and then, for those who want, we will go on to the Cummings Theatre for the live videocast of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” from the State Theatre. We have made a block booking for twenty people, so if you don’t have tickets, you can get one from me.

When I went over to the Cummins Theatre to enquire about a block booking, I popped in to the Tivoli Room to listen to Brian Goddard on the piano. What a delightful hour was spent there. I would encourage you to go along sometime – its on the second Wednesday of each month. There were only three of us there, and Brian tells me that only the other two had been there the month before. After a cuppa we settled down to listen to the piano with Brian giving us a bit of insight into about each piece before he played it. I learned so much and found a great sense of peace in the withdrawal from my usual busy-ness for that hour.

Our focus this morning is on the so-called Shepherd texts of the Scriptures. Of course there are many more but the 23rd Psalm and Jesus’ description of Himself as the Good Shepherd in John 10 are the ones we remember so well. As a boy I had a picture of Jesus with a lamb over His shoulders on my bedroom wall – it was always a comfort for me before I went to sleep. We have only the first part of the John 10 text this morning in which He describes Himself as the “gate for the sheep” – and He goes on to say that we must enter through Him. Any other way is the way of “thieves and robbers”. The great promise for us though, is that when we enter through Jesus, we enter into the fullness of life – life as it is intended to be.

Psalm 23:1-6

John 10:10

It was our first trip to Israel and it had been a really hot day. We had travelled through the Judean desert, been to Qumran, gone up Masada and swum in the Dead Sea.

Now we came to Arad – the site of an ancient town, dating back to the end of the Exodus. Its whole existence had been marked by war – from the days of Moses right up to the present time.

We stopped outside our hotel and warily checked out the bullet holes in the plaster on the walls.

But we were tired and glad to have this oasis in the Negev.

Some folk went into the beautiful garden and others went to their rooms for a refreshing shower.

I decided to walk out to the monument which the guide had showed us as we came into town. It was deceptively further than I thought. The path went along the crest of the hill and the monument to the Israeli soldiers had been erected right at the end.

It was late afternoon and the sun was already casting long shadows in the valleys below. As I was enjoying the view I realised that the valleys beneath were alive. All over the place there were shepherds leading their flocks to caves and shelters for the night. The flocks were mixed – sheep and goats. The shepherd walked ahead with a staff in his right hand and a stick in his left. The flocks walked behind in single file. Even the young ones kept their order. It was a stunning sight.

I went back to the hotel and when we met for devotions that evening I told the group about what I had seen and we read some of the Shepherd stories in the Bible.

Early the next morning, most of the group were up early and waiting in the hotel foyer for the long walk out to promontory. When we got there, some of the shepherds were already out in the valleys with their flocks walking in single file behind them. And we heard the calls from the other shepherds as they called their flocks out into the daylight to take them to food and water.

It made the Shepherd stories in the Bible come alive for us. We could see why there are so many allusions to God as our shepherd.

In Israel, the shepherd is a person of significance. He knows the area, the way to the sweetest grass and the purest water. He manages the land as much as the sheep and goats. Sometimes shepherds are employed to look after someone else’s flock – a hireling, but most often the shepherd is concerned only with his own flock. He knows each sheep by name, he knows its history, he was there at its birth and he healed it when it was hurt or sick. When a lamb was born far from the evening resting place, the shepherd would hoist the newborn lamb on his shoulders and carry it home.

And each night, one, or several shepherds would bring their flocks into a cave or shelter for the night because it can be pretty cold in the desert and there are many predators – or at least there were in the old days: lions, bears, wolves and so on.

Once the flocks were inside, the shepherd, or shepherds would sit at the entrance to the cave where they had a fire burning to keep them warm and to cook their food. When it was time to sleep they lay across the entrance to the cave to protect their flocks.

In the morning, as each shepherd is ready, he would call out his flock by name – and only his flock came out. He would walk ahead of them, leading the way to food and water.

The cave was the sheep pen to which Jesus refers. The gate is the shepherd who sleeps across the entrance to the cave, making sure that no thieves or robbers get in. The watchman is the shepherd who takes turns to keep awake through the night to protect the flocks within.

Jesus says to us – I am the gate of the sheep. I am the one who lays down across the entrance to ensure that the sheep do not stray out and that no marauder comes in.

And, He says, “whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture.’

It is only in Jesus that we have the security of protection against the thieves and robbers who would threaten our life. Jesus says that He came so that we might have life, and have it to the full.

The Lord’s intention is that we, formed in His image, would live the life which He has gifted to us in all its fullness. He does not want us to live in anxiety. He does not want us to be worry about anything – not least about what clothes we will wear or what food we will eat.

The full live which Jesus promises is one which is content – content in oneself, in one’s situation, in one’s family, in one’s community, and in one’s nation. But probably, we are not content … we concern ourselves over what other people think, we feel threatened by uncertainty and we try to create our own protective mechanisms; usually to protect the things which are not really relevant. We have walls, security and alarms systems to protect our possessions, but we leave our children unprotected from much of what threatens our society.

We take our spouses for granted instead of affording them all the love and care which brought us together in the first place. We get tired of friends, we avoid people who displease us …. and all the while we are diminishing the fullness of the life which Jesus promises us.

Jesus knew that life was about people and He took time to care for them – feeding the multitudes, healing the sick, casting out the demons. He mixed with sinners and tax collectors; with doubters and with deniers. Even with a betrayer.

No-one was more important than the other – in fact, the only people he couldn’t stand were those who thought that they were so important that they didn’t care for others.

Jesus is the Good Shepherd who lays down his life for his sheep.

He is also the One who ensures that we are never in need.

He takes us to the quiet place where there is food and water.

He restores us when we are broken and He leads us in the right path.

Even though we constantly face danger and threats to our life, and will all eventually die – He walks with us to keep us safe. He has a rod and a staff in his hands to direct us and to protect us.

In the midst of our enemies – our daily confrontation with temptation and the consequence of sin – He has set up the Communion Table where we find strength in His atoning sacrifice and the certainty of our salvation.

We sometimes wonder why others do not become Christians, indeed, why there would be any opposition whatsoever to Christianity, but the truth is that sometimes we are not ourselves so sure that goodness and mercy follows us every day of our life.

The shepherd stories in the Bible remind us that we are loved and cared for by God. Not just in an abstract kind of way but where the shepherd lays down His body as our protection – where He calls on the angels to guard not Himself, but those He cares for.

This life is for everyone. It is God’s gift for all.

But there is a requirement – you have to come through the gate.

Jesus alone is the way, the truth and the life – there is no other way to the Father except through Him.

You cannot have this life which Jesus promises without also acknowledging His Lordship. The sheep are obedient to the shepherd – they follow him and he provides. They yield to his ways and he gives them food, water, peace and protection.

No-one else offers this – in fact, Jesus calls them thieves and robbers.

Acknowledging Jesus as our shepherd means that we must also acknowledge Him as our Lord.

Not only does this mean that we are obedient to Him, but it also means that we can relax about our life – it is and will be well-cared for.

Happy Mothers Day to all the mums in the congregation. May you be blessed by your families.

Today the churches in Merredin (and the Uniting Church in Mukinbudin and Southern Cross) are all focussed seeking God’s blessing on the season which lies ahead. All things are in the hand of God and it is appropriate that we turn to Him as we face the uncertainty of the days which lie ahead for the farming community. Farmers are the most hopeful people I know, their hope is and must be positive. They prepare the soil and they plant the crop but then they must depend on the uncertainty of the season. They could not do that without having hope in their hearts. For many, that hope is in God, though for some its just a hope in hope. Today we enter the throne room of the Almighty to ask that our hope would become real; we will ask the Lord to bless the season.

Our Bible reading on Wednesday from Daniel 2 shows us how we can trust the Lord. Nebuchadnezzar, the King of Babylon (where Israel was in exile) had a dream and he asked all the wise men of the land to interpret that dream but he wouldn’t tell them what his dream was all about. They said that it was impossible to draw an interpretation out of nothing. Nebuchadnezzar’s response was to treat them all as impostors and he undertook to kill them all unless they came up with an interpretation. Daniel, one of the Jewish exiles, who had been trained as a “wise man” and royal adviser prayed and was then given the interpretation of the mystery. This is how he praised God for the revelation  …

“Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever;

wisdom and power are his.

He changes times and seasons;

he sets up kings and deposes them.

He gives wisdom to the wise

and knowledge to the discerning.

He reveals deep and hidden things;

he knows what lies in darkness,

and light dwells with him.

I thank and praise you, O God of my fathers:

You have given me wisdom and power,

you have made known to me what we asked of you,

you have made known to us the dream of the king.”

As God fearers and Christ followers, we do not operate in the vacuum between hope and reality. God reveals His hand and His ways to us; He answers prayers and He seeks to bless His faithful people. We can trust Him, we can put our hope in Him and we can depend on Him.

As you participate in the service today, do it in faith, trusting the God who changes times and seasons, who reveals the deep and hidden things and who gives wisdom and power to those who seek Him.

At SNAC last Sunday evening we watched a video with Brian Oldreive on a 5 point strategy for rebuilding a nation based on Isaiah 58. I see a great relevance also for building up the church.?Here are the five points:?1. Let God be first. (Do not be rebellious. Is 58:1-3a)?2. Do not be selfish. (Is 58:3a-6)?3. Serve the poor. (Is 58:6-11)?4. Prepare for the harvest. (Is 58:11)?5. Let the people build on the old-age foundations (of God) (Is 58:12)

Fairly obvious, you say. You’re right, it is always pretty obvious actually.?But think about it .. How often do we head for the fourth point (evangelism) without doing the first three things.?1. We have to start with God, we must seek His face, we must not be rebellious (seek our own way).?2. We must do away with selfishness. Brian said that selfishness is the cause of every sin – thinking about that sweeping statement, I guess it’s true. We do seem to be driven by a self before others syndrome. Thinking about others before ourselves and having a generous spirit in forgiveness as well as ‘things’ will be a radical change for many Christians.?3. Jesus’ concern was always first for the poor. We build churches for the middle class and hope that we’ll get some rich people too. We don’t know how to minister to the poor except by giving handouts. How about being a friend??4. With these points in place we can begin to grow the crop. We will have a mission and a purpose which concurs with that of God. We are ready be be a well watered garden.?5. And encourage the people build on the age-old foundations. Teach Godly principles from the Word of God.

WELCOME TO THIS SERVICE OF WORSHIP
AS WE SEEK THE LORD’S BLESSING ON THE SEASON

Leader : Praise the Lord, O my soul: O Lord my God, you are exceeding glorious; you are clothed with majesty and honour.

ALL : You deck yourself with light, as it were with a garment:
and spread out the heavens like a curtain.

Leader : He waters the hills from above: the earth is filled with the fruit of your works. He brings forth grass for the livestock: and green herbs for the service of man; that he may bring food out of the earth, and wine that makes glad the heart of man: and oil to make him a cheerful countenance, and bread to strengthen man’s heart.

ALL : Lord, how manifold are your works; in wisdom have you made them all; the earth is full of your riches.

Leader : Isaiah 40:21-23 and 57:15
21 Do you not know? Have you not heard?
Has it not been told you from the beginning?
Have you not understood since the earth was founded?
22 He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth,
and its people are like grasshoppers.
He stretches out the heavens like a canopy,
and spreads them out like a tent to live in.
23 He brings princes to naught
and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing.

15 For this is what the high and lofty One says—
he who lives forever, whose name is holy:
“I live in a high and holy place,
but also with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit,
to revive the spirit of the lowly
and to revive the heart of the contrite.

HYMN AHB 28 Praise to the Lord, the Almighty

Praise to the Lord, the Almighty,
the King of creation!
O my soul, praise Him, for He is thy
health and salvation!
All ye who hear,
Now to His temple draw near;
Sing now in glad adoration!

Praise to the Lord, who o’er all
things so wondrously reigneth,
Who, as on wings of an eagle,
uplifteth, sustaineth.
Hast thou not seen
How thy desires all have been
Granted in what He ordaineth?

Praise to the Lord, who hath fearfully,
wondrously, made thee!
Health hath vouchsafed and, when
heedlessly falling, hath stayed thee.
What need or grief
Ever hath failed of relief?
Wings of His mercy did shade thee.

Praise to the Lord, who doth prosper
thy work and defend thee,
Who from the heavens the streams of
His mercy doth send thee.
Ponder anew
What the Almighty can do,
Who with His love doth befriend thee.

Praise to the Lord! Oh, let all that
is in me adore Him!
All that hath life and breath, come
now with praises before Him!
Let the Amen
Sound from His people again;
Gladly for aye we adore Him.

READING OF THE SCRIPTURES

Genesis 1:26-2:2
26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”
27 So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them.
28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”
29 Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. 30 And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food.” And it was so.
31 God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.

2:1 Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array.
2 By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work.

Matthew 13:3-9 and 18-23
3 Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. 9 He who has ears, let him hear.”

18 “Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: 19 When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path. 20 The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. 21 But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away. 22 The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful. 23 But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”

SERMON
To seek God’s blessing on a season yet to begin is a step of faith – we are saying that whatever we do, the outcome belongs to the Lord: we are trusting in Him.

Every farmer knows that we can plant the seed, fertilise the soil, kill the weeds, and if possible, even irrigate the land; but the final outcome is not in our hands. And so we turn to God ..

According to the book of Genesis God made man on the sixth day. He was the last aspect of God’s creating.
Now there’s an interesting sequence in the story.
Before He made man, He established man’s purpose – “to rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”
Then He made man in His image to fulfil this purpose.
Then He blessed them by saying, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”
And then God rested.
He had handed over responsibility to those made in His image.

But we still need God. There are things in this universe and on this planet which are beyond our control – many things … not the least of which is the weather. And so we turn to God …

He has made us stewards of creation but we still need Him in order to manage this creation. Our dependence is on the Lord.

Jesus once told a story about sowing seed. Some fell on the hard ground, some in the rocky places and some amongst the weeds. But some fell in the good soil and that seed multiplied into an abundance.
In His explanation, Jesus said that the seed was the “message of the Kingdom”. Some did not understand that and the seed was taken from them.
Another group did understand it but the moment that troubles came they gave up.
Still another group found their crop strangled by the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth.
The last group did get the message and their crop multiplied.

Now parables are an interesting literary device – they can say one thing and mean any number of other things – depending primarily where you are in your situation.
This parable however, is quite specific … although we have interpreted it in many different ways.
It is specifically about what we do with the “message of the Kingdom”.
What do we do about our understanding of the Lordship of Christ in our lives and in this creation?

There are those who will this season, not understand that God is in control and that we should turn to Him and trust in Him. They may well produce a crop but it will be meaningless and will produce no fruit in their lives. They will remain hard in their hearts.
Others will trust in God at the start but when troubles come, they will seek support in other places, people and things.
Still others will worry so much that not only will God be kept out, but they will be consumed by worries and fears of bankruptcy.
And then there are those – hopefully at least all of you who are here today, but including others who also put their whole trust in the Lord. Their crop – not simply wheat and barley and lupins – will be multiplied. They will know a contentment which draws its strength from the Lord of heaven and earth.

This parable has an ancient source in the Jewish Passover meal. In the Maggid – part of the story telling which takes place during the Seder – four sons are to ask questions about the Exodus. And the father then tells a story about four sons.
The first son does not know what question to ask – he is the stupid son – equivalent to the hard path.
The second son doesn’t understand the reason to ask the question – he is the innocent son – equivalent to the rocky ground.
The third son asks why he should even ask a question – he is the wicked son – equivalent to the weeds which choke the seed.
The fourth son asks what is the meaning of all that the Lord has done – he is the wise son – equivalent to the good soil.

Jesus’ parable and the account of the four sons in the Maggid challenge our trust in the good desire of God to bless us.
God has a purpose for us – to be stewards of His creation.
And God has blessed us to be fruitful.

May our response be like the wise son, like the good soil.
May we put our trust in the Lord for this season.
May we trust for the rain to come in season, may we trust for the multiplying of the crop.
Do not falter, do not fail, do not try to help God along in something which He can do without your help – do what you need to do; do it well and honour the Lord in your trust of Him.
And He will not fail you ….

Let me close with these words from 2 Timothy 2
Here is a trustworthy saying:
If we died with him,
we will also live with him;
12 if we endure,
we will also reign with him.
If we disown him,
he will also disown us;
13 if we are faithless,
he will remain faithful,
for he cannot disown himself. Amen

PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION

ALL: Our Father, who art in heaven

Leader: Through our love of the countryside,
Through our care for animals,
Through our respect for property and tools,

ALL: Hallowed be Your Name

Leader: On our farms and in our homes,
In our training colleges and schools,
Where machinery is made, and where policy is planned,

ALL: Your Kingdom come

Leader: By our seeking your guidance,
By our keeping your commandments,
By our living true to our consciences,

ALL: Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven

Leader: For the millions who live in poverty and hunger,
For our own needs, and the requirements of our neighbours,
By co-operation, sympathy, and generosity,

ALL: Give us this day our daily bread

Leader: Because we have broken your commandments, doing what we ought not to do, and neglecting what we ought to do,ALL: Forgive us our trespasses

Leader: If any have injured us by injustice, double dealing or exploitation,

ALL: As we forgive those who trespass against us

Leader: When we consider doing to others what we would dislike done to us, when prosperity lulls us to false security, or adversity prompts us to despair, when success makes us boastful, or failure makes us bitter,

ALL: Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil

Leader; In the assurance of faith,
In the confidence of hope,
In the will to serve,
Help us to love Christ as Lord, and our neighbours as ourselves.

ALL: For Thine is the Kingdom, the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen

HYMN AHB Through all the changing scenes of life

Through all the changing scenes of life,
In trouble and in joy,
The praises of my God shall still
My heart and tongue employ.

Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
With me exalt His name;
When in distress to Him I called,
He to my rescue came.

The hosts of God encamp around
The dwellings of the just;
Deliverance He affords to all
Who on His succor trust.

Oh, make but trial of His love,
Experience will decide
How blest they are, and only they,
Who in His truth confide.Fear Him, ye saints, and you will then
Have nothing else to fear;
Make you His service your delight,
Your wants shall be His care.

OFFERING

PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING

Almighty God,
You created the heavens and the earth
and all that is on them.
You gave them to us and commanded us to be good stewards
over all Your dominion.
We cannot do this: we cannot seed, we cannot harvest -
Except by Your grace.
You have blessed us bountifully,
You have given and not taken away,
You have blessed the fruit of our labour for Your Name sake.
We are ever grateful for all that You have done,
Are doing, and will still do amongst us.
Today, we have gathered to ask Your blessing on the season
which lies before us -
We come also with with our gifts,
grateful for what You have already done.
In our prayer of thankfulness,
we ask that you would bless that which we bring,
that it might be seed in Your Kingdom
and that Your Word would bear much fruit.

We offer to You, also ourselves, our souls and bodies,
that we might be a living sacrifice to Your glory.
May our lives, our hopes and our dreams,
be a delight to Your Name.
May Your Spirit live in us,
May Your grace flow through us,
May Your Kingdom, come through us.

In the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Amen

BLESSING OF THE SEASON

Leader: Our help is in the Name of the Lord

ALL: Who has made heaven and earth

Leader: The eyes of all wait upon Thee, O Lord

ALL: And you give them their needs in due season.

Leader: You open Your hand

ALL: And fill all things living with plenteousness

Leader: O Holy Spirit, bestow upon all who till the ground wisdom to understand your laws, and to co-operate with your wise ordering of the world; and grant that the bountiful fruits of the earth may not be hoarded by the selfish or squandered by the foolish, but that all who work may share abundantly in the harvest of the soil; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

O Lord Jesus Christ, you warned your disciples, having put their hand to the plough, not to look back; Bless this season and the skill of the farmer for the service of mankind. Amen.

God bless the season, the farm and the farmer.

ALL: God bless the season.

Leader: God bless the season, the hillside and the valley; the land which is rich, and the land which is poor; in countries beyond the seas, and in our homeland.

ALL: God bless the season.

Leader: God bless the season, in fair weather and in foul, in success and disappointment, in rain and wind, in frost and sunshine;

ALL: God bless the season.
Leader: Almighty God, you fill the earth with your riches for the use of your children: remember the impoverishment of the nations: and on all who are in authority bestow your gifts of wisdom and goodwill, that, being lifted above self-regard, they may establish a new order, wherein the needs of all men shall be supplied; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

May the farmers’ hope be fulfilled in a plentiful harvest. Amen.

HYMN AHB 59 We plough the fields and scatter

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 seed time and the harvest,
Our life, our health, our food.
Accept the gifts we offer
For all thy love imparts,
And what thou most desirest,
Our humble, thankful hearts.Leader: ………………

Leader: Almighty and everlasting God, who governs all things in heaven and earth; mercifully hear the supplications of your people, and grant us your peace all the days of our life; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

ALL: Amen

Leader: May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind always be at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
and rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

ALL: Amen