Link to St Mary's music blog
02 October 2022
10:00 | 
Posted by
Dr Platts |
Despite dreadful cold rainy weather outside, the church was blooming inside. The flower arrangers had gone above and beyond, so much so that Fr Chris had to give a "thank you" at the start of the service.
Our Harvest Gifts
Fr Chris's talk was ably assisted by some of the children in the congregation.
Rearrange the letters and we have -
But although the world produces twice as much food as the population of the world needs, many are going hungry. They
and there are
But we can help and
Because we all have a
which also shows love.
And the adults were challenged to find another word from Harvest which joined together the gospel and Harvest?
Lamentations 1:1-6
A reading from the book of Lamentations.
How lonely sits the city that once was full of people!
How like a widow she has become,
she that was great among the nations!
She that was a princess among the provinces has become a vassal.
She weeps bitterly in the night,
with tears on her cheeks;
among all her lovers she has no one to comfort her;
all her friends have dealt treacherously with her,
they have become her enemies.
Judah has gone into exile with suffering and hard servitude;
she lives now among the nations, and finds no resting-place;
her pursuers have all overtaken her in the midst of her distress.
The roads to Zion mourn,
for no one comes to the festivals;
all her gates are desolate, her priests groan;
her young girls grieve, and her lot is bitter.
Her foes have become the masters, her enemies prosper,
because the Lord has made her suffer for the multitude of her transgressions;
her children have gone away,
captives before the foe.
From daughter Zion has departed all her majesty.
Her princes have become like stags that find no pasture;
they fled without strength before the pursuer.
2 Timothy 1:1-14
A readiing from the second letter of Paul to Timothy.
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,
for the sake of the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus,
To Timothy, my beloved child:
Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
I am grateful to God—
whom I worship with a clear conscience, as my ancestors did—
when I remember you constantly in my prayers night and day.
Recalling your tears,
I long to see you so that I may be filled with joy.
I am reminded of your sincere faith,
a faith that lived first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice
and now, I am sure, lives in you.
For this reason I remind you to rekindle
the gift of God that is within you
through the laying on of my hands;
for God did not give us a spirit of cowardice,
but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline.
Do not be ashamed, then,
of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner,
but join with me in suffering for the gospel,
relying on the power of God,
who saved us and called us with a holy calling,
not according to our works
but according to his own purpose and grace.
This grace was given to us in Christ Jesus
before the ages began,
but it has now been revealed
through the appearing of our Saviour Christ Jesus,
who abolished death
and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.
For this gospel I was appointed a herald
and an apostle and a teacher,
and for this reason I suffer as I do.
But I am not ashamed,
for I know the one in whom I have put my trust,
and I am sure that he is able to guard
until that day what I have entrusted to him.
Hold to the standard of sound teaching
that you have heard from me,
in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.
Guard the good treasure entrusted to you,
with the help of the Holy Spirit living in us.
Luke 17:5-10
Hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke.
The apostles said to the Lord,
‘Increase our faith!’
The Lord replied,
‘If you had faith the size of a mustard seed,
you could say to this mulberry tree,
“Be uprooted and planted in the sea”,
and it would obey you.
‘Who among you would say to your slave
who has just come in from ploughing or tending sheep in the field,
“Come here at once and take your place at the table”?
Would you not rather say to him,
“Prepare supper for me,
put on your apron and serve me while I eat and drink;
later you may eat and drink”?
Do you thank the slave for doing what was commanded?
So you also,
when you have done all that you were ordered to do, say,
“We are worthless slaves;
we have done only what we ought to have done!” ’
15 You are aware that all who are in Asia have turned a
