As we gather, we recognize that we live, work, pray, and play
in the traditional, unceded lands
of the Cowichan Tribes and Coast Salish People. 
We continue to commit ourselves
to the work of reconciliation and relationship-building
with our First Nations neighbours.     

Call to Worship:

Those who sowed with tears
will reap
with songs of joy.

Psalm 126.6

O Come. Let Us Worship. 

Gathering 

The Collect for Purity

Almighty God,
To you all hearts are opened,
all desires known, 
and from you no secrets are hidden;
Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts
by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit
that we may perfectly love you and
worthily magnify your holy name. Amen.

The Collect for Today

Creator of the fruitful earth,
you made us stewards of all things.
Give us grateful hearts for all your goodness,
and steadfast wills to use your bounty well,
that the whole human family,
today and in generations to come,
may with us give thanks for the riches of your creation.
We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ the Lord. Amen.

• Our first hymn for Sunday worship, traditional in many parishes is “For the Fruit of All Creation” and we give thanks to God for the gifts bestowed on every nation in the world.

• The Gospel for today comes to us from Matthew’s gospel and is part of what we often refer to as “The Sermon on the Mount.”

The Proclamation of the Gospel:

Matthew 6. 25-33

May the words that I share with you today be words that are given to the Glory of God and in thanksgiving of God’s blessing in our lives.

"Giving Thanks"

Opening the readings for today, I pondered “how many times we can give thanks—or the variety of thanksgivings offered in Holy Scriptures.”

Matthew’s version is a short summary of the much longer version we use in worship and in our daily lives.         

The key words remain the same: “When you pray, say: Father hallowed be your name…”         

An understated part of that Gospel tells us that Jesus is concerned for us; and if we read in Luke’s Gospel, we see a very short portion of the Lord’s Prayer, where first of all, we acknowledge God and then we ask or request God to provide us with our daily bread and with forgiveness.         

Where else do we have those answers that how glorious God is as illustrated for us in the reading from Joel today?

Joel is an interesting prophet; he deals directly with the issues of life.

First, Joel acknowledges, speaking forthright and powerful about the issues in life and the respect we owe to God for all he gives in due course.

First Joel acknowledges the “plagues” of life. We need to discern by ‘plagues’ that Joel is not referring to absolute disasters. T

hen, Joel speaks of hope, stating the Creator, the omnipotent judge, is also merciful, and he wants to bless all those who trust in him.

God, Joel tells us, promises to meet the needs of all people, by loving us, forgiving us, giving us purpose in life, and giving us a sense of caring, as Christians, as loving people living in caring Christian communities.         

In Chapter 2, Joel gives us a great list of just how much God loves us.

Joel in speaking to the people says:

• Do not fear.

• Your animals will dwell in green pastures.

• Early rains for your fields in abundance and even later rain for your fields.

• You will eat with plenty. Your tables will be filled.

Each year when I reflect on Thanksgiving or Harvest Festival, celebrating all the privileges a majority of us live with, I also am reminded of those who may not have. 

At the same time, we reflect on the generosity of so many to make it possible for others to share in a community meal provided out of the generosity of others.

Most communities today provide such a meal in one form or another. Here in the Valley, we have an organization called Nourish Cowichan who insure children in our schools receive breakfast and a hot lunch.

I believe one of the accelerators of such programs, allowing/inviting God is to intervene in our life; be it subconsciously or consciously.

It is at this moment we need to understand what it means to have God intervene in our life, personally or corporately as in worship.

Timothy tells us something about this:

• First, we need to be inclusive of all people.
  Saying: “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, for kings and all who are in high positions, so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all goodness and godliness and dignity.”

Because God desires all to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth…telling us there is one God.

• This is supplemented by Jesus reminding us to always see our glass as half full, not half empty. Jesus instructs us not to worry. Or as I like to say, instructs us to be  positive in life.

 In our Gospel today we have some clear guidelines. 

First Jesus tells us not to worry about those needs God promises to supply. We might recall the list from our Joel reading today.         

We know through life experience, worry can often lead to ill health, consume our thoughts, interfere with productivity, and negatively affect the way we treat others.         

Our Gospel for today ends with these two great verses:

“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough troubles of its own.”         

The first week of June this year, we visited in Penticton.

We all know the reports we heard about the cold winter they experienced and how there would be no stone fruit this year. Even worse, there would be no grapes!

Rightfully people were worried. In particular the farmers in the Okanogan were worried.         

Over the past two weeks we re-visited the Penticton area. Yes, I will be the first to acknowledge: the damage from the cold winter. At the same time, I can tell you there will be grapes to make wine.

Not all has been lost.         

As well, I believe our Lord would want us to stop each year - at this time - to give special thanks to God for all the gifts and blessings we have received.         

Harvest festivals vary around the world.

In some parts it is about rice crops, in others, particularly in Europe, it’s about grapes, in others—the agricultural communities that grow cereal grains, it is about the cereal crops and the golden fields of wheat.

What is held in common is an opportunity to pause and take time to give thanks for what the land has produced.         

Scripture talks plenty about harvest. One of the great verses is when Jesus says, “the harvest is great, but the workers are few.” Here Jesus is challenging us to a world of evangelism.         

So today when we give thanks let us remember to not only rejoice in the abundance of food on the table but also the abundance of people sitting at the table.

Friends may grace and peace be yours in abundance in the knowledge of God and Christ Jesus, our Lord, in this time of Thanksgiving.

Thanks be to God. Amen.

Let Us Pray

Accept, O Lord, our thanks and praise for all that you have done for us. We thank you for the splendor of the whole creation, for the beauty of this world, for the wonder of life, and for the mystery of love.
Thanks be to you, O Lord.

We thank you for the blessing of family and friends, and for the loving care which surrounds us on every side. 
Thanks be to you, O Lord.

We thank you for setting us at tasks which demand our best efforts, and for leading us to accomplishments which satisfy and delight us. 
Thanks be to you, O Lord.

We thank you also for those disappointments and failures that lead us to acknowledge our dependence on you alone. 
Thanks be to you, O Lord.

Above all, we thank you for your Son Jesus Christ; for the truth of his Word and the example of his life; for his steadfast obedience, by which he overcame temptation; for his dying, through which he overcame death; and for his rising to life again, in which we are raised to the life of your kingdom. Thanks be to you, O Lord.

Grant us the gift of your Spirit, that we may know Christ and make him known; and through him, at all times and in all places, may give thanks to you in all things. 
Thanks be to you, O Lord. Amen.

As our Saviour taught us:
Our Father,
who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name,
Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as in heaven. 
Give us today our daily bread. 
Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive
those who trespass against us.
And lead us  not into temptation,
but deliver us fom evil.  
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power and the glory,
forever and ever.  Amen.

And may the God of our hope, in this time of rejoicing and thanksgiving, 
give us the source to recognize our blessings; to nourish us in the holy mysteries of the Scriptures may we may be a people rejoicing to give continual thanks each and eveyday of our lives. This we ask in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord.  AMEN.

The Blessing: 

And may the peace of God,
which passes all understanding,
keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and
love of God, and of his son, Jesus Christ, our Lord.

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