Opening Prayer:
Come be our guide, O God,
As we seek to follow in your way.
Come light our path, O God,
As we worship and sing to you this day.
Come be our leader, O God,
as we search for what is ours to do as part of your mission here on earth.
Amen.
StF247 I danced in the morning when the world was begun
I danced in the morning when the world was begun,
And I danced in the moon and the stars and the sun;
And I came down from heaven and I danced on the earth,
At Bethlehem I had my birth.
Dance, then, wherever you may be,
I am the Lord of the Dance, said he,
And I’ll lead you all, wherever you may be,
And I’ll lead you all in the Dance, said he.
I danced for the scribe and the pharisee,
But they would not dance and they wouldn’t follow me.
I danced for the fishermen, for James and John:–
They came with me and the Dance went on.
Chorus
I danced on the Sabbath and I cured the lame;
The holy people said it was a shame.
They whipped and they stripped and they hung me on high,
And they left me there on a cross to die.
Chorus
I danced on a Friday when the sky turned black
It’s hard to dance with the devil on your back.
They buried my body and they thought I’d gone,
But I am the Dance, and I still go on.
Chorus
They cut me down and I leapt up high;
I am the life that’ll never, never die;
I’ll live in you if you’ll live in me –
I am the Lord of the Dance, said he.
Chorus
Sydney Carter (1915-2004)
Bible Readings
Exodus 17: 1-7
Water from the Rock
From the wilderness of Sin the whole congregation of the Israelites journeyed by stages, as the Lord commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. The people quarrelled with Moses, and said, ‘Give us water to drink.’ Moses said to them, ‘Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the Lord?’ But the people thirsted there for water; and the people complained against Moses and said, ‘Why did you bring us out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and livestock with thirst?’ So Moses cried out to the Lord, ‘What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me.’ The Lord said to Moses, ‘Go on ahead of the people, and take some of the elders of Israel with you; take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. I will be standing there in front of you on the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it, so that the people may drink.’ Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel. He called the place Massah and Meribah, because the Israelites quarrelled and tested the Lord, saying, ‘Is the Lord among us or not?’
Philippians 2: 1-13
Imitating Christ’s Humility
If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus,
who, though he was in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God
as something to be exploited,
but emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave,
being born in human likeness.
And being found in human form,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to the point of death—
even death on a cross.
Therefore God also highly exalted him
and gave him the name
that is above every name,
so that at the name of Jesus
every knee should bend,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue should confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
Shining as Lights in the World
Therefore, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed me, not only in my presence, but much more now in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
Time to reflect:
What is God growing among us?
There is something extraordinary about an ordinary breakfast. Before we have left the kitchen, our lives have been touched by people we will probably never meet. Someone planted, someone harvested, someone transported. Rain fell. Something grew. We might have paid for our breakfast, but we could never have produced everything behind it on our own.
Harvest invites us to notice those gifts. Our readings also ask what receiving them does to us. Alongside “What has the land produced?” comes another question: “What is God growing among us?”
- Receive with gratitude
Exodus takes us somewhere that hardly looks suitable for Harvest: a wilderness with no water. The people are frightened, and understandably so. They have children and livestock to keep alive. Their need is real.
But fear turns into accusation, and underneath their arguments lies a painful question: “Is the Lord among us or not?” Yesterday’s experience of God’s faithfulness feels distant from today’s uncertainty. Perhaps we recognise that feeling when we look at our finances, our health, or the future of a church we love.
Notice that they have travelled as God commanded. A difficult place does not necessarily mean we have taken a wrong turning. And God meets them there. Water flows from the rock. Grace reaches them in the place of their questioning.
Harvest makes room for thanksgiving and uncertainty together. We can pray, “Thank you for sustaining me,” while also saying, “Lord, I am frightened about tomorrow.”
- Live with humility
Paul begins Philippians 2 by reminding the church of what they have received: encouragement, love, fellowship and compassion. Then he asks them to let those gifts shape their relationships.
That becomes challenging when someone disagrees with us, a decision goes against us, or something we value begins to change. Paul invites us to pay attention to other people’s needs. Sometimes that begins with a simple question: “What matters most to you about this?”
Then Paul points to Jesus, who takes the servant’s place and gives himself in love, even to death on a cross. The one whom God exalts is the one who serves.
At Harvest, that love becomes practical. Gratitude becomes generosity. We share food, value those who produce it, and care for the earth that sustains us. Whose needs might we notice if we loosened our grip on our own preferences?
- Grow through grace
We might think, “I want to live like that, but I find it difficult.” Paul offers encouragement: God is already at work in us, shaping our willingness and our actions.
John Wesley put it simply: “God worketh in you; therefore, you can work.”
A gardener cannot manufacture life within a seed, but there is still planting and tending to do. We participate in the growth God makes possible. Through prayer, generosity, listening and forgiveness, grace takes visible shape among us.
So, what is God growing here? Are newcomers finding friendship? Are quieter voices being heard? Are we becoming more generous towards our neighbours?
This week, name one gift for which to give thanks, one person who needs your attention, and one action you can take.
The God who brought water into the wilderness is still at work among us: growing gratitude, growing humility, and growing love. Amen.
Prayers of intercession
You are invited to pray silently for:
The needs of the world…
The Church and its calling…
Loved ones going through difficult times…
For peace, justice, and reconciliation…
In Jesus name.
Amen.
The Lord's Prayer
Please use the version that you prefer
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy Name,
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen.
Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be your name,
Your kingdom come,
Your will be done,
On earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
As we forgive those who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial
And deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power
and the glory are yours
Now and for ever.
Amen.
459 STF – Captain of Israel’s host
Captain of Israel’s host, and Guide of all who seek the land above, beneath the shadow we abide. The cloud of thy protecting love; Our strength, thy grace; our rule, thy word; Our end, the glory of the Lord!
By thy unerring Spirit led, we shall not in the desert stray. We shall no other guidance need. Nor miss our providential way; As far from danger as from fear, while love, almighty love, is near.
Charles Wesley (1707–1788)
Final Prayer
Oh gift-giver,
Bringer of hope,
Lord of light,
Prince of peace,
We have received so much from your blessings. Help us to show your love in our gifts, our actions and our worship this week, we pray
Amen.
