Sunday 4 October 2009

Erntedankfest or Harvest Festival

While people in many devastated countries in SEA are imploring
mercy, German Christians celebrate tday Harvest Festival or
Erntedankfest for the blessings they have received.
I found one harvest prayer from another site,
www.farmingmatters.org
and would like to share with you today.

Harvest Prayers
Prayer of praise and thanks

Leader Creator and sustainer of all, at this harvest season we gather as your
people to offer you our heartfelt thanks and praise.

Voice 1 We praise you for the bounty and variety of your creation,
the succession of the seasons,
the productiveness of the soil,
the harvest of land and sea.

Creating and sustaining God ....:

Response
with wonder in our hearts, we thank you.


Voice 2 Thank you for allowing us to be co-creators with you,
developing new strains of plants and cross-breeding animals,
controlling pests and diseases,
carefully enhancing the fertility of the land,
growing flowers, fruit and vegetables in garden and allotment,
trying out new recipes in the kitchen.

Creating and sustaining God .....

Response
with wonder in our hearts, we thank you.


Voice 3 We give thanks for all who play their part
in producing, harvesting, preparing and distributing
the varied and delicious food that we eat.

Creating and sustaining God ......

Response
with wonder in our hearts, we thank you.


Leader We praise you for feeding us with spiritual as well as material food.
May we learn to live, not on bread alone, but on your every word.
May we be nurtured by Christ the Bread of Life,
and be fruitful branches of Christ the True Vine.
May we offer his lifegiving water to refresh your world.

Creating and sustaining God

Response
recreate us in the image of your Son, our Lord, in whose name we pray. Amen.

©2000 Jenny Carpenter


Prayer for farming, forestry and fishing industry

For farmers, foresters and fishers , their families and communities
and all who depend on them ......
Versicle : Lord, in your mercy,

Response : hear our prayer.

For farmers who struggle to make a living, especially those who are tenants,
and those who have large amounts of debt to service ......

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.


For those who maintain high standards of animal husbandry, but are undercut
by unfair competition and have undergone great suffering over the past months,
for livestock hauliers and auctioneers, for vets and agricultural advisers ......

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.


For those who are seeking to use agro-chemicals responsibly
and adopt eco-friendly practices .......

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.


For farming families under stress,
for farm women, for the Women's Food and Farming Union and its work
in promoting locally produced food and opportunities for diversification..

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.


For support groups - Rural Stress Information Network, Farm Crisis Network
and Rural Minds, and for agricultural chaplains ......

Lord, in your mercy,hear our prayer.


For foresters, balancing long term investment and short term economic return,
for the development of sustainable woodland and increased use of coppicing products,
for the use of trees and hedges to improve the micro climate and bio-diversity ......

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.


For fishing communities adapting to massive change,
for an end to vicious rivalry within the European Community,
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.


For restraint and fairness in the use of economic power,
for discernment and a long term view in policy and decision making,
for a love of creation and a high view of human stewardship

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer. Amen.


Arthur Rank Centre
©2000 Jenny Carpenter



Harvest Dreams

This..world..

Harvest hymns

Ideas


If you want to arrange a service to celebrate harvest there are resources to help you.

Seasonal Worship: - resource book published March 2003

voiceofbritishagriculture.com - and - British Food Fortnight

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