Harvest Festival

The Gathering

Our worship begins at the sound of the bell, please stand as the sacred ministers enter, during which the introit hymn is sung.

Come, ye thankful people, come,
raise the song of harvest-home!
All is safely gathered in,
ere the winter storms begin;
God, our maker, doth provide
for our wants to be supplied;
come to God’s own temple, come;
raise the song of harvest-home!

All the world is God’s own field,
fruit unto his praise to yield;
wheat and tares together sown,
unto joy or sorrow grown;
first the blade and then the ear,
then the full corn shall appear:
grant, O harvest Lord, that we
wholesome grain and pure may be. 

For the Lord our God shall come,
and shall take his harvest home,
from his field shall purge away
all that doth offend, that day;
give his angels charge at last
in the fire the tares to cast,
but the fruitful ears to store
in his garner evermore.

Then, thou Church triumphant, come,
raise the song of harvest-home;
all be safely gathered in,
free from sorrow, free from sin,
there for ever purified
in God’s garner to abide:
come, ten thousand angels, come,
raise the glorious harvest-home!

Words: Henry Alford (1810-1871)
Music: George Job Elvey (1816-1893)
Hymn Tune: SAINT GEORGE’S WINDSOR

In the name of the Father,
and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

God is able to provide us with every blessing in abundance,
so that by always having enough of everything,
we may share abundantly in every good work.

cf. 2 Corinthians 9.8

Let everything be said and done in the name of the Lord Jesus

giving thanks to God through Jesus Christ.

Let us bring our gifts to the Lord

that they may be used for his glory.

May the Spirit of God fill our hearts

as we come to meet him in this place.

Words of Welcome

Invitation to Confession

As those who know the generosity of God,
let us confess our sins,
especially the ways in which we take his good gifts for granted.

Father, in creation you are generous towards us,
yet we have sown sparingly;

Lord, have mercy.

Lord, have mercy.

Jesus, you show us the way of humility,
yet we have given reluctantly;

Christ, have mercy.

Christ, have mercy.

Holy Spirit, you show us the gift of grace,
yet we have loved grudgingly;

Lord, have mercy.

Lord, have mercy.

Almighty God,
who in Jesus Christ has given us
a kingdom that cannot be destroyed,
forgive us our sins,
open our eyes to God’s truth,
strengthen us to do God’s will
and give us the joy of his kingdom,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Gloria in Excelsis

Glory to God in the highest,
and peace to his people on earth.

Lord God, heavenly King,
almighty God and Father,
we worship you, we give you thanks,
we praise you for your glory.

Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father,
Lord God, Lamb of God,
you take away the sin of the world:
have mercy on us;
you are seated at the right hand of the Father:
receive our prayer.

For you alone are the Holy One,
you alone are the Lord,
you alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ,
with the Holy Spirit,
in the glory of God the Father.
Amen.

The Collect

The president introduces a period of silent prayer with the words ‘Let us pray’.

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.

The Liturgy of the Word

Please sit.

A reading from the prophecy of Isaiah.

Seek the Lord while he may be found,
    call upon him while he is near;
let the wicked forsake their way,
    and the unrighteous their thoughts;
let them return to the Lord
    that he may have mercy on them,
    and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
    nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
    so are my ways higher than your ways
    and my thoughts than your thoughts.

For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven,
    and do not return there until they have
    watered the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout,
    giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
    it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
    and succeed in the thing for which I sent it.

Isaiah 55.6-11

This is the word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Please stand as the gradual hymn is sung. During the hymn a procession will make its way to the centre of the nave from where the Gospel for the day is read. To symbolise our desire to turn to Christ in our daily lives, at the end of the hymn we remain standing and turn to face the place where the Gospel is proclaimed.

Fill your hearts with joy and gladness,
sing and praise your God and mine!
Great the Lord in love and wisdom,
might and majesty divine!
He who framed the starry heavens
knows and names them as they shine.
Fill your hearts with joy and gladness,
sing and praise your God and mine!

Praise the Lord for times and seasons,
cloud and sunshine, wind and rain;
spring to melt the snows of winter
till the waters flow again;
grass upon the mountain pastures,
golden valleys thick with grain.
Praise the Lord for times and seasons,
cloud and sunshine, wind and rain.

Fill your hearts with joy and gladness,
peace and plenty crown your days!
Love his laws, declare his judgements,
walk in all his words and ways;
he the Lord and we his children,
praise the Lord, all people, praise!
Fill your hearts with joy and gladness,
peace and plenty crown your days!

Words: Timothy Dudley-Smith (1926-2024)
Music: Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)
arranged by Christopher Tambling (1964-2015)
Hymn Tune: ODE TO JOY

Gospel Reading

Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew.

Glory to you, O Lord.

‘Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life?And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, 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, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? Therefore do not worry, saying, “What will we eat?” or “What will we drink?” or “What will we wear?” For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

‘So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.

Matthew 6.25-end

This is the Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, O Christ.

Sermon

Please sit after the preacher leads us in prayer.

The Nicene Creed

Please stand with the president.

Let us declare our faith in God.

We believe in one God,
the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is,
seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
of one Being with the Father;
through him all things were made.

For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven,
was incarnate from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary
and was made man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again
in accordance with the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who with the Father and the Son
is worshipped and glorified,
who has spoken through the prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come.
Amen.

Prayers of Intercession

Following an invitation to pray from the intercessor we kneel or sit to pray.

The response to the bidding:

Lord, in your mercy.

Hear our prayer.

then at the end:

Merciful Father,

accept these prayers
for the sake of your Son,
our Saviour Jesus Christ.
Amen.

The Liturgy of the Sacrament

Please stand with the president.

The Peace

The harvest of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,
patience, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

Galatians 5.22-23

The peace of the Lord be always with you

and also with you.

This is usually a handshake shared with those near you.

Preparation of the Table

The table is prepared and bread and wine are placed upon it.

Harvest gifts for the Foodbank based at St. Richard’s in Seacroft are brought forward and placed under the altar.

A hymn is sung. During this hymn a collection, our financial offering in support of the work of the Church both at St. Mary’s and across our diocese, is taken.

You can place cash or giving envelopes in the collection plates as they are passed around. If you would prefer, or if you miss the plate, you can also give by tapping your contactless card or device on the giving kiosk by the door as you leave, or on our donations page.

All creatures of our God and King,
lift up your voice and with us sing
alleluia, alleluia!
Thou burning sun with golden beam,
thou silver moon with softer gleam:
O praise him, O praise him,
alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

Thou rushing wind that art so strong,
ye clouds that sail in heav’n along,
O praise him, alleluia!
thou rising morn, in praise rejoice,
ye lights of evening, find a voice:
O praise him, O praise him,
alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

Thou flowing water, pure and clear,
make music for thy Lord to hear,
alleluia, alleluia!
Thou fire so masterful and bright,
that givest man both warmth and light:
O praise him, O praise him,
alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

Dear mother earth, who day by day
unfoldest blessings on our way,
O praise him, alleluia!
The flow’rs and fruits that in thee grow,
let them his glory also show:
O praise him, O praise him,
alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

Let all things their Creator bless,
and worship him in humbleness,
O praise him, alleluia!
Praise, praise the Father, praise the Son,
and praise the Spirit, three in One. 
O praise him, O praise him,
alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

Words: William Draper (1855-1933)
based on the ‘Cantico di Frate Sole’ of St Francis of Assisi (1182-1226)
Music: melody from ‘Geistliche Kirchengesang’, Cologne (1623)
arranged by Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958)
Hymn Tune: LASST UNS ERFREUEN

Yours, Lord, is the greatness, the power,
the glory, the splendour, and the majesty;
for everything in heaven and on earth is yours.

All things come from you
and of your own do we give you.

The Eucharistic Prayer (E)

Please kneel or sit.

The Lord is here.

His Spirit is with us.

Lift up your hearts.

We lift them to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

It is right to give thanks and praise.

It is indeed right and good
to give you thanks and praise,
almighty God and Father,
through Jesus Christ your Son.
Through him you have created us in your own image,
and made us stewards of your good creation.
Through him you teach us to exult in the birds of the air,
the lilies of the field, the precious and life-giving crops
of the earth.
Through him you free us from the slavery of sin,
giving him to die upon the cross
and to rise again for our salvation.
Through him, you begin your work of new creation,
as we look for a new heaven and a new earth
in which your righteousness dwells.
Therefore, we join with angels and archangels,
and give voice to every creature under heaven,
for ever praising you and singing:

Holy, holy, holy Lord,
God of power and might.
Heav’n and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessèd is he, O blessèd is he 
who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest, hosanna in the highest.  

We praise and bless you, loving Father,
through Jesus Christ, our Lord;
and as we obey his command,
send your Holy Spirit,
that broken bread and wine outpoured
may be for us the body and blood of your dear Son.

On the night before he died he had supper with his friends
and, taking bread, he praised you.
He broke the bread, gave it to them and said:
Take, eat; this is my body which is given for you;
do this in remembrance of me.

When supper was ended he took the cup of wine.
Again he praised you, gave it to them and said:
Drink this, all of you;
this is my blood of the new covenant,
which is shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins.
Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.

So, Father, we remember all that Jesus did,
in him we plead with confidence his sacrifice
made once for all upon the cross.
Bringing before you the bread of life and cup of salvation,
we proclaim his death and resurrection
until he comes in glory.

Christ is the bread of life:

When we eat this bread and drink this cup,
we proclaim your death, Lord Jesus,
until you come in glory, until you come in glory.

Lord of all life,
help us to work together for that day
when your kingdom comes
and justice and mercy will be seen in all the earth.
Look with favour on your people,
gather us in your loving arms
and bring us with Blessed Mary and all the saints
to feast at your table in heaven.
Through Christ, and with Christ, and in Christ,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
all honour and glory are yours, O loving Father,
for ever and ever.

Amen.

Silence is kept.

The Lord’s Prayer

Let us pray with confidence as our Saviour has taught us.

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.

Breaking of the Bread

The president breaks the consecrated bread.

O taste and see that the Lord is gracious;

blessed is the one who trusts in him.

The Agnus Dei is sung as the bread is broken for distribution.

Lamb of God,
you take away the sins of the world,
have mercy on us.

Lamb of God,
you take away the sins of the world,
have mercy on us.

Lamb of God,
you take away the sins of the world,
grant us peace.

Invitation to Communion

Jesus is the Lamb of God
who takes away the sin of the world.
Blessed are those who are called to his supper.

Lord, I am not worthy to receive you,
but only say the word, and I shall be healed.

The president and people receive communion. All baptised Christians are welcome to receive the sacrament. Please follow the guidance offered by the stewards.

If you are not baptised, or would prefer to not receive, then do still come forward for a blessing bringing this book with you so the president knows your intention.

The sacrament is available in both kinds, however if you wish to only receive the bread please do so and then return to your place. Receiving in one kind is still considered to be full communion by the Church of England. Please do not dip bread in the wine (sometimes called ‘intincting’).

For those at home it might be helpful to use this prayer during the distribution.

Lord, as you send rain and flowers
even in the wilderness,
renew us by your Holy Spirit,
help us to sow good seed in time of adversity
and to live to rejoice in your good harvest of all creation;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Anthem

Sung by the Choir.

Thou visitest the earth, and blessest it, and blessest it:
and crownest the year, the year with thy goodness.

Words: Psalm 65 verses 9 and 12
Music: Maurice Greene (1696-1755)

The following communion hymns may be sung during the distribution, as time permits.

For the beauty of the earth,
for the beauty of the skies,
for the love which from our birth
over and around us lies:
Lord of all, to thee we raise
this our sacrifice of praise.

For the beauty of each hour
of the day and of the night,
hill and vale and tree and flow’r,
sun and moon and stars of light:
Lord of all, to thee we raise
this our sacrifice of praise.

For the joy of human love,
brother, sister, parent, child,
friends on earth and friends above,
for all gentle thoughts and mild:
Lord of all, to thee we raise
this our sacrifice of praise.

For each perfect gift of thine,
to our race so freely giv’n,
graces human and divine,
flow’rs of earth and buds of heav’n:
Lord of all, to thee we raise
this our sacrifice of praise.

Words: Folliot Sandford Pierpoint (1835-1917)
Music: Geoffrey Shaw (1879-1943)
adapted from a folk song
Hymn Tune: ENGLAND’S LANE

For the fruits of his creation.
thanks be to God;
for his gifts to ev’ry nation,
thanks be to God;
for the ploughing, sowing, reaping,
silent growth while we are sleeping,
future needs in earth’s safe keeping, 
thanks be to God.

In the just reward of labour,
God’s will is done;
in the help we give our neighbour,
God’s will is done;
in our world-wide task of caring
for the hungry and despairing,
in the harvests we are sharing,
God’s will is done.

For the harvests of his Spirit,
thanks be to God;
for the good we all inherit,
thanks be to God;
for the wonders that astound us,
for the truths that still confound us,
most of all, that love has found us,
thanks be to God.

Words: Fred Pratt Green (1903-2000)
Music: Francis Alan Jackson (1917-2022)
Hymn Tune: EAST ACKLAM

The Post Communion Prayer

Please stand with the president who introduces a time of silent prayer with the words ‘Let us pray’.

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.

Almighty God,
we thank you for feeding us
with the body and blood of your Son Jesus Christ.
Through him we offer you our souls and bodies
to be a living sacrifice.
Send us out
in the power of your Spirit
to live and work
to your praise and glory.
Amen.

A hymn is sung.

We plough the fields and scatter
the good seed on the land,
but it is fed and watered
by God’s almighty hand:
he sends the snow in winter,
the warmth to swell the grain,
the breezes and the sunshine,
and soft refreshing rain:

All good gifts around us
are sent from heav’n above;
then thank the Lord, O thank the Lord,
for all his love.

He only is the maker
of all things near and far;
he paints the wayside flower,
he lights the evening star;
the winds and waves obey him,
by him the birds are fed;
much more to us, his children,
he gives our daily bread:

All good gifts around us
are sent from heav’n above;
then thank the Lord, O thank the Lord,
for all his love.

We thank thee then, O Father,
for all things bright and good;
the seed-time and the harvest,
our life, our health, our food.
Accept the gifts we offer
for all thy love imparts,
and, what thou most desirest,
our humble, thankful hearts.

All good gifts around us
are sent from heav’n above;
then thank the Lord, O thank the Lord,
for all his love.

Words: Matthias Claudius (1740-1815)
translated by Jane Montgomery Campbell (1817-1878) alt.
Music: Johann Abraham Peter Schulz (1747-1800)
harmonised by John Bacchus Dykes (1823-1876)
Hymn Tune: WIR PFLÜGEN

The Dismissal

The Blessing

May God the Father,
who clothes the lilies of the field
and feeds the birds of the air,
provide you with all we need for life in its fullness.

Amen.

May God the Son,
who fed the five thousand and turned water into wine,
feed you with his life and transform us in his love.

Amen.

May God the Holy Spirit,
who hovered over the waters of creation
and formed the world from chaos,
form you in the likeness of Christ and renew the face of the earth.

Amen.

And the blessing of God almighty,
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
be among you and remain with you always.

Amen.

The Dismissal

Freely you have received, freely give.
Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.

In the name of Christ. Amen.