| † St Andrews Proclaiming Christ in Clewer 01 October 2023 Harvest Thanksgiving |
    WELCOME Today, we will be thinking about the harvest in general, but also, more especially, about the harvest of the sea. A harvest festival is a time to say “Thank you” to God, for the food he provides and for all his goodness to us. Of course we should always be thanking God for our life and the gifts of the earth and sea, but sometimes we forget. So, every autumn, we make a special effort to remember. Thank you to everyone who came to our first ever harvest market in the churchyard last week. Certainly in our household we have since enjoyed apple crumble, apple cake and beetroot chutney and the most glorious honey comb from hives on the river bank. Harvest thanksgiving reminds us of the generosity of God through creation, sharing that generosity with those in most need in our community is an important part of our ministry here in Clewer. And… don’t forget to put a shiny conker in your pocket! Harvest blessings Revd Rosie COLLECT Eternal God, you crown the year with your goodness and you give us the fruits of the earth in their season: grant that we may use them to your glory, for the relief of those in need and for our own well-being; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen READINGS Deuteronomy 8.7-18 For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land, a land with flowing streams, with springs and underground waters welling up in valleys and hills, a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive trees and honey, a land where you may eat bread without scarcity, where you will lack nothing, a land whose stones are iron and from whose hills you may mine copper. You shall eat your fill and bless the Lord your God for the good land that he has given you. Take care that you do not forget the Lord your God, by failing to keep his commandments, his ordinances, and his statutes, which I am commanding you today. When you have eaten your fill and have built fine houses and live in them, and when your herds and flocks have multiplied, and your silver and gold is multiplied, and all that you have is multiplied, then do not exalt yourself, forgetting the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, who led you through the great and terrible wilderness, an arid waste-land with poisonous snakes and scorpions. He made water flow for you from flint rock, and fed you in the wilderness with manna that your ancestors did not know, to humble you and to test you, and in the end to do you good. Do not say to yourself, ‘My power and the might of my own hand have gained me this wealth.’ But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, so that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your ancestors, as he is doing today. This is the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. 2 Corinthians 9.6-end The point is this: the one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that by always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work. As it is written, ‘He scatters abroad, he gives to the poor; his righteousness endures for ever.’ He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way for your great generosity, which will produce thanksgiving to God through us; for the rendering of this ministry not only supplies the needs of the saints but also overflows with many thanksgivings to God. Through the testing of this ministry you glorify God by your obedience to the confession of the gospel of Christ and by the generosity of your sharing with them and with all others, while they long for you and pray for you because of the surpassing grace of God that he has given you. Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift! This is the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. THE GOSPEL READING Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke. Glory to you, O Lord. Luke 12.16-30 Then he told them a parable: ‘The land of a rich man produced abundantly. And he thought to himself, “What should I do, for I have no place to store my crops?” Then he said, “I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.” But God said to him, “You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?” So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich towards God.’ He said to his disciples, ‘Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat, or about your body, what you will wear. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds! And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? If then you are not able to do so small a thing as that, why do you worry about the rest? Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you – you of little faith! And do not keep striving for what you are to eat and what you are to drink, and do not keep worrying. For it is the nations of the world that strive after all these things, and your Father knows that you need them. This is the Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, O Christ. INTERCESSIONS Lord of the harvest we pray: For farmers, their families and communities and all who depend on them, For all who are worried about tomorrow and facing difficulties today, For those who farm here in countries facing problems due to climate change. Lord in your mercy: hear our prayer. Lord of the harvest we pray: For farming and fishing families and communities and all who depend on them. For farmers who struggle to make a living, especially those who are tenants, and those who have large amounts of debt to service. For fishing communities adapting to massive change, for an end to rivalry within Europe, for wisdom in implementing policies that will sustain and renew fish stocks while ensuring the viability of fishing businesses. Lord in your mercy: hear our prayer. Lord of the harvest we pray: For agricultural chaplains, support groups and rural churches For the communities in which they work and the people to whom they minister For support groups throughout the farming world. Lord in your mercy: hear our prayer. Lord of the harvest we pray: For retailers and suppliers For all involved in the processing and transporting of food. For livestock hauliers and auctioneers, for vets and agricultural advisers. For urban communities far removed from food production For children and young people with little knowledge of where their food comes from For all involved in promoting locally produced food and opportunities for diversification and Fairtrade Lord in your mercy: hear our prayer. Lord of the harvest we pray: For those that go hungry and those who endeavour to feed them, For relief agencies and aid workers giving help and healing to those in need, For justice in world trade, Lord in your mercy: hear our prayer. Lord of the harvest we pray: For ourselves that we may eat with joy and with care; For land and livestock and love for those who care for them, For a love of creation and a high view of human stewardship For the ability to appreciate your generosity And a readiness to recognise our dependency on each other, and on you. Merciful Father: accept these prayers for the sake of your Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen. From the Chaplaincy of the Holy Spirit Costa Blanca POST COMMUNION Lord of the harvest, with joy we have offered thanksgiving for your love in creation and have shared in the bread and the wine of the kingdom: by your grace plant within us a reverence for all that you give us and make us generous and wise stewards of the good things we enjoy; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen Listen to Canon Brian’s Sermon last Sunday morning LISTEN NOTICES SERVICES FOR THE NEXT FOUR WEEKS Tuesday and Thursday 5.00pm Evening Prayer on Zoom Church Open every day 10.00am – 6.00pm Sun 01 Oct 10.30am All Age Family Eucharist – Harvest Festival 5.00pm Parish Eucharist Sun 08 Oct 10.30am Parish Eucharist No Evening Prayer Sun 15 Oct 10.30am Parish Eucharist 5.00pm Evening Prayer Sun 22 Oct 10.30am Parish Eucharist 5.00pm Evening Prayer SUNDAY EVENING SERVICE This Sunday there will an Evening Eucharist service at 5.00pm in Church. Readings for Trinity 17 Ezekiel 18.1-4, 25-end Philippians 2.1-13 Matthew 21.23-32 PLEASE PRAY FOR The Suffering: Blake, Sam, Hugo, Don, Karl, Sarah, Joanna, Holly, Frank and Barbara, Bill, Suzanne, Christopher, Jackie, Diane, Sylvia, Mary, Gracie, Carmel, Christine, and Vivienne. Refugees, Prisoners, the Homeless and those who mourn. The Departed: Elizabetta, all those recently departed this life, and those whose anniversaries fall at this time. Those baptised: Weddings: David & Jennifer. Community Prayers: Clewer Green School, the head teacher Martin Tinsley and all the pupils, staff and governors. For all our Care Homes, for the safety of residents and staff. We pray also for Windsor Christian Action, and the work of the Homeless Project, Street Angels, FoodShare, and The Night Shelter. Parish Cycle of Prayer: Please pray for all who live or work in Nelson Road, Bridgeman Drive, St Johns Drive, Clewer Green School, St Edwards First School, St Edwards Middle School, and Windsor Girls School. Anglican Cycle of Prayer: please pray for the Nippon Sei Ko Kai (the Church in Japan). Please pray also for the Churches in these Dioceses: Akoko Edo (Nigeria),Akot (South Sudan), Akure (Nigeria), Alabama (USA), Alaska (USA), and Saint Albans (England). Please continue to pray for and support your neighbours and families in any way you can whilst keeping yourself safe. HARVEST MARKET Last Saturday’s Harvest Market was a huge success, and raised £557.44 for Windsor FoodShare. Many thanks to all who helped, and visited. HARVEST FESTIVAL Our Harvest Festival is Sunday, 01 October. Please bring any food items for Windsor FoodShare. If you could help with decorating the Church, please see Revd Rosie.  COMMUNITY FRIDGE Windsor’s Community Fridge is a simple way of enabling people to share good food that would otherwise have gone to waste. Opened during Covid, it is now an essential part of community life in Windsor. 61% of the food wasted in the UK (4.1 million tonnes) is avoidable! Food is rescued 7 days a week from local retailers by a team of 20 + volunteers. Windsor’s Community Fridge is at 181 Oxford Road, Windsor. SL4 5DX in what used to be Duffy’s bakery shop. We’re open 11am – 12:30pm, Tuesday to Friday. https://www.facebook.com/groups/320778092672886 driven.forward@outlook.com  HARVEST EVENSONG – DATE FOR THE DIARY There will be a Harvest Evensong with All Saints Frances Rd, 8th October 5pm. Singers welcome. There are two Choir practices before the event: Friday 22nd September 7.35pm Friday 6th October 7.35pm WINDSOR FOODSHARE From their Facebook and Twittter Pages: https://www.facebook.com/windsorfoodshare https://twitter.com/WindsrFoodshare CAN YOU HELP? We are currently very short ofCooking SaucesUHT MilkBiscuitsTinned FruitTea bagsWe get less food donations in the spring and summer, even though we are still feeding the same amount of people. We have a permanent donation box at Tesco Superstore and also at Waitrose & Partners. So if you are shopping it is easy to pop a carton or 2 in. Or why not try our Wishlist on Common Good and Amazon. https://www.forcommongood.co.uk/…/giftr…/registry/215636 https://www.amazon.co.uk/hz/wishlist/ls/23EUESGGRMAVZ… You can drop off to us on Wednesdays 9.30-1.30 or Thursdays 9.30-3.00 at Dedworth Green Baptist Church. We do not like to ask as we know times are tough for lots of people right now. Imagine if your whole street donated one tin each to us how this would help our stocks. WINDSOR FOODSHARE ASSISTANT Windsor Foodshare are looking for a FoodShare Assistant. Up to 10 hours/week at £15 per hour, subject to review after 6 months. To download the job description, please click here. CHURCH FINANCES – MESSAGE FROM ANDREW Thank you to everyone for all you have been able to give in this difficult time. We prefer the Parish Giving Scheme, which we promoted in previous years. Details are on our page on their web site: https://bit.ly/2XCLuCr [https://www.parishgiving.org.uk/donors/find-your-parish/clewer-st-andrew-windsor/] We also have the printed application forms available in Church, or contact the Parish Office by email office@clewerparish.org Alternatively, by paying directly to our bank account, the details of which are: HSBC Bank, High Street, Windsor Sort Code: 40-47-37 Account number: 11373366 Account name: PCC St Andrews Church or if your bank doesn’t like this Parochial Church Council St Andrews Clewer Parish CONTACTS The Parish Office is now closed. email: office@clewerparish.org Revd Rosie 01753 852334 email rector@clewerparish.org Parish Website: www.standrewsclewer.org Facebook: www.facebook.com/standrewsclewer Rector: Revd Rosie Webb 01753 852334 rector@clewerparish.org Churchwarden: Stuart Cockman Contact via email: office@clewerparish.org Safeguarding Policy: www.standrewsclewer.org/safeguarding-policy Safeguarding Officer: clewerparishsafeguarding@gmail.com |