Harvest
Call to Worship
Fountain of life...
Pulse of life...
Breath of life...
All Earth is filled with the presence of God.
A planet filled with the presence of God
All quivering in the forests,
vibrating in the land,
pulsating in the wilderness,
shimmering in the rivers.
Together this day, let us sense the face of God in all creation.
Song: We plough the fields and Scatter (Bring gifts forward)
Prayers
Prayer of thanksgiving and Confession
The Lords prayer
Notices and Offering
Song: Leaves are falling (Frère Jacques)
Leaves are falling; Leaves are falling;
To the ground, To the ground;
Look at all the leaves, Look at all the leaves;
Red, Yellow and Brown, Red, yellow and brown.
Setting the Scene: Harvest Introduction: For the Children Trailer DVD : 2 mins
Song: Give thanks
Talk:
See how they learn. Jamaican Children's game: Bull Inna Pen
This is a tense, rough and super exciting game, much loved by every child (and adults) in Jamaica. (The country we support through the URC Commitment to Life Programme)
This game is basically a story of a mother hen and her chicken, a bull in the pen and a hawk.
The mother hen is protecting her brood who are tightly lined up behind her, each little chick clutching tightly onto each other and in step with every move that mother hen does.
The Bull is standing a couple feet in front of mother hen, taunting and jeering, making noise, and trying everything to reach behind Mother Hen to grab one of her precious chicks. The game has a song and little play to hit ... here goes-
BULL: Chick, chick, chick?!
Mother Hen: Mi nuh waan nuh corn!
BULL: Chick, chick, chick?!
Mi nuh waan nuh corn!
What do we learn from this game?
Agility, caution, safety in numbers, to watch other people and ourselves.
Children are learning all the time, through conversation, through watching, through listening, at home, at school, at play. Our children have much to be thankful for, and when we were children we too may have been amongst the lucky ones; but this is not the case all over the world. In many places the situation is not good:
For our Harvest Festival are focus is on three areas:
1) The needs of the children of the world.
2) The skewed values our world holds
3) The challenge to act for difference.
Hymn: In Christ alone
Robbie Keen interview.
Song: Sing of the Lord's goodness
Harvest Offering
Bible Reading
Mark 10: 11-17 - Marielle
Talk:
Children at the heart
Today's reading is so well known - Jesus and the children. I use it at every baby blessing, and I use the same kind of liturgy that my predecessor used, so you must have heard these verses loads of times.
But on this Harvest Sunday we take a closer look at what actually happened here:
On a busy day - reading set Jesus travelling around - arrived in Judea, to be met by the Pharisees with their cleaver questions to "test" him.
Something really complicated - divorce! Let's go for that one. So the Pharisees come and decide to tie Jesus in knots with the law of Moses. They had two questions ready, but Jesus was not fazed by them; but the disciples were a bit confused, so they decided to ask more questions about divorce.
In the midst of all this Jesus notices something happening at the side of his view - he notices some of his disciples keeping children away. He heard the disciples speaking sternly to them, and he didn't like it.
This word is for anyone this morning who has ever been busy about their business when a child has wanted your attention. This word is for anyone who has said those words "Just a minute", or "Can it wait, I'm busy!". "Oh, not now dear, Later!" "Go away!"
If you have ever said these words, then you know something of the pressure of life, and the impatience of children. When I was a child my father worked nights (in fact all his working life my father worked nights). His working pattern and my playing pattern did not often come together. When I was most awake, he was almost asleep (Monday to Friday anyway!) I know some of you will not be surprised by this statement, but I was quite a demonstrative child, and would often curl up on my Dads knee - but the time had to be right. If he was too tired, or if he was too busy - that that was not a good time - I had to choose my moments. Children learn to choose their moments with adults. If I were to ask the children if they know when to give their parents space - I am sure they do!
But excited children sometimes forget. And these were excited Judean children - who saw Jesus and wanted time with him. But the disciples said "NO!" He's too busy, Go away!
But Jesus saw them, he felt indigence, he spoke justice, and he acted with kindness.
Jesus saw the children
Even in the busyness of Pharisees, with their clever questions, disciples with their doubts, sick men needing healing, his own physical tiredness, Jesus saw the children, and stopped what he was doing, making time for them. Thanks, Paul for making time for the children last night here in church. As adults we sometimes neglect to do this.
Jesus saw how the disciples were treating the children, how the children were being rejected, how they were denied a blessing, how the disciples would have left them unsatisfied. And Jesus changed all this.
B. Jesus felt indignation
When Jesus saw what was happening with the children it affected him deeply. The bible says he felt indignant. Angry; up in arms; offended; annoyed; incensed.
He deeply felt the injustice of the situation. The children were not being valued and worse still, the people marginalising them were his closest friends.
Look at the characters that did get near Him. They never questioned the Pharisees in their posh robes with their intelligent questions. But the children, the weak and vulnerable, were firmly denied closeness. And Jesus felt this indignation deep within his heart.
C. Jesus spoke
He couldn't keep silent. "Let them come. Do not stop them. God help you if you do, because God will stop you coming to Him".
Strong words of warning and rebuke to His disciples. Yet words that showed acceptance, love, grace and peace to the children.
M L K: I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the colour of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today.
D. Jesus Acts
Jesus practices what he preaches.
He takes the children in His arms, puts his hand on them and blesses them.
Lifted them - acceptance. (lifting a child)
Touched them - made a diving connection
Blessed them - brought comfort and joy
Have you ever seen these monkeys before?
See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil.
Today's message goes further than to turn away from what is wrong, and see nothing, hear nothing, do nothing - our call is to see the problem, hear the cries and speak for justice.. To see where there is injustice, unfairness, discrimination - to hear the cries of the children of the world, and to speak against such evil.
The big question is, how do we do the Christ-like thing and grant blessing to the children of the world today?
Is in giving of our money?
Is it in being informed of their plight?
Is it by fervent prayer and intercession?
We can't all go to Africa and make a difference there.
Yet we are called to be agents of God's blessing. We are all called to be like Jesus.
Let today lesson peak to us so that we: Stop what you are doing. Become aware of the needs around you. Feel the pain. Speak out for the marginalised and practice what you preach. At home, at work, at play we are agents of God's blessing.
Prayer of Intercessions: BMS -DVD
Hymn: Now thank we all our God
Benediction