Let the peoples praise you Lord,
 Let all the peoples praise you.
 The Earth has yielded its harvest
 May God, our God bless us

Prayer Adoration & Confession
Gracious God, who provides for us abundantly, 
we praise you for the abundance of your creation, 
and we thank you that day by day you give us the things we need; food, water, air, shelter, clothing, the love of our families and friends.

Thank you that you have put in our hearts a hunger for you, and that when we reach out for you, you eagerly meet our searching. Thank you that you draw us into your own life and that you walk with us as we grow into the things of the Spirit. Thank you for what you have achieved in us of love and truth, courage and peace, joy and tolerance.

Yet, Lord God, so often we are slow to respond to you, and we ask forgiveness for the ways we refuse what you want to give us, for our greed of material comfort; for our unwillingness to trust you, for our deafness to truth, for our lack of love for each other, for our carelessness about your world, for our longing for vindication for ourselves.

In the certainty that you forgive us completely, those confessed shortcomings, the things that shut you out of our lives, we turn gratefully to the future you wish for us, trusting you to satisfy our hunger to live more deeply and richly as we walk beside you day by day and year by year. In Jesus’ name we prayer, Amen.

 Sermon - Growing Gratitude and Generosity - Revd John Rowe
I think I have previously mentioned that I was in my early forties when I first went to university. Liz and I were married with 3 young children when the company I’d helped set up went into liquidation. It was then we believed God was directing me in the direction of university to study theology. Not only was that a huge change of direction to our lives it was also a monumental decision as our finances at the time were nonexistent.  But after much prayer we committed ourselves to what and where we believed, was God’ leading us. 

Not many weeks after starting university however our car was declared to be unrepairable.  The car was essential for my four times a week, 80 mile round trip journey to and from university given that we lived in in a small rural Staffordshire village with virtual no public transport. Just when it looked like I would have to withdraw from the degree course and a major rethink as to where God was in all of this through the letter box came a cheque, sufficient to buy another second hand car.  There is of course a lot more background to this story and I will at some point in the future tell you our Christian testimony but today it is enough to say that Liz and I received that cheque as an amazingly generous act by the Christian giver; a gift in which we believed had God’s provision and generosity stamped all over it. 

Having told you that story I just want to pause a minute to ask you if you can call to mind an occasion when you have been provided for by other people or when God has provided for your need? (Pause) 

Harvest, I think, is a good time to stop and remember that everything we have is ultimately a gift from God. We might talk about “my food”, or “my money” or “my house”. But all the things we have received are reliant on a long chain of people, and when you trace that chain back it always begins with the gifts of God. Farmers know this - they put work in by sowing and reaping, but there are other processes which they have no control over. As Christians we believe these to be the provision of God. 

Paul uses this image of the farmer being provided for in our passage from 2 Corinthians 9. He writes: Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. (2 Cor. 9:10)

1) God of all of life
The first thing we can notice in this passage is how Paul is constantly mixing things we think of as “spiritual” with very ordinary, everyday things. In fact, at times, it is difficult to know if Paul is talking about physical seed and bread, or if he is using seeds and bread as metaphors for the work of God in us. That is probably because Paul didn’t think with the same attitude that we have towards so-called “secular” and “sacred” things. For Paul, every aspect of life was sacred, made by God. All of life speaks to us about God, all of life is an opportunity to be blessed by God, and is a chance for us to serve God.

We see this in our passage from Deuteronomy. Moses tells the people that when they obey God they will be blessed in every aspect of life:
You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country….
The calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks
your basket and your kneading trough will be blessed.
You will be blessed when you come in and blessed when you go out.
The Lord will send a blessing on your barns and on everything you put your hand to. The Lord will establish you as his holy people, as he promised you on oath, if you keep the commands of the Lord your God and walk in obedience to him. (Deut. 28:3-9)

“Blessing” is not just a feeling of inner peace, nor is it merely about financial gain. God is interested in the Israelites’ baskets and their kneading troughs. He is interested in your computer, your filing cabinet, your hammer, your whisk, and your paintbrush. He blesses us in rural and urban places, in our homes and our workplaces. He is involved in our conflicts and our struggles. He wants us to be holy and obedient to him in every aspect of our lives. So, Harvest is a good time to be reminded that our God is the God of the whole of our lives which means we have the daily opportunity to grow in the ways of God.

2) Grounded in gratitude
When we begin to realise this, the result ought to be gratitude towards God. Paul ends this section of 2 Corinthians 9 with a shout of praise: Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift! (2 Cor. 9:15)

God’s giving to us is literally “indescribable”. When we consider how God not only provides for our physical needs, but even went as far as sending the gift of his only Son to save us by his grace - this is truly a reason for heartfelt thanks!  Of gratitude toward God for all his blessings upon our lives. It is however easy to forget to be grateful. Stopping to count our blessings and to express thanks to God is one of those heart-habits which we need to return to. Studies have shown that gratitude has benefits for our emotional and physical health, for our relationships and even helps people sleep better! But more importantly, being thankful puts God back in his rightful place as the source and the centre of all life. As we have seen in recent days our late Queen, Elizabeth II believed that to be very much the case.

3) Gratitude grows generosity
This also leads us to our third point - that gratitude grows generosity. The most obvious theme of this passage from 2 Corinthians is the financial gift that Paul was encouraging these Gentile Christians to give to the struggling Jewish believers in Jerusalem. But we can misunderstand what Paul is saying if we begin with the question of giving.
We can look at the subject of giving as if it was a business transaction. If I give this much, how much will I get back? What is in it for me? If I feed my money into God’s slot machine, how much will he pay out? It is possible to take Paul’s words about sowing and reaping out of context to make us think that Christian giving works in this way. But to do that would be to dangerously miss the point.

Christian giving has to be based on our two previous points: 1) God is the God over all of life, and 2) he has been abundantly generous towards us. When these two things move from our heads to our hearts, it can inspire free, abundant and grateful giving. It becomes the overflow of thankful hearts that simply want to get involved in the lavish generosity of God.  When we give from this motive, Paul describes three results. 

Firstly, as we open our hands to give, we create space for God to continue to provide for us. Paul writes:
You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion (2 Cor. 9:11)

Notice that: enriched in every way. Not just receiving money but the abundant and enriching flow of God’s generosity, the blessings of contentment, kindness and - yes - continued provision. This passage does say that as we give we will receive; that is one result of entering into God’s generosity.  I heard a story about a woman who was standing at a bus stop. She had just received a cash bonus at work, so she was carrying more money than usual and was a little bit nervous about that.

She glanced around and noticed a shabbily dressed man standing nearby. And as she watched, she saw another man walk up to him, hand him some money and whisper something in his ear.
She was so touched by that act of kindness that she decided to do the same. In a burst of generosity, she reached into her purse, took out £10, handed it to the man, and whispered to him, "Never give up, never give up."
The next day when she came to the bus stop, there he was again. But this time he walked up to her and handed her £110. Utterly confused she asked, "What's this?" He said, "You won, lady. Never give up romped home at 10 to 1."  Now I can't promise that our every act of kindness & generosity will pay 10 to 1 - Indeed there will probably be occasions when the exercise of our love will be costly and require sacrifices on our part.  But the fruit of our giving has two other results – Paul in verse 12 says this:

This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. (2 Cor. 9:12)

The second result of giving, says Paul, is that other people’s needs are met. There is no doubt that right now, today, people across our community, country and our world have needs which may only be met when we join with our generous God in giving from what we’ve received. But thirdly, and perhaps most importantly, we discover that this giving is not just for our benefit or for meeting other’s needs: it is an act of worship to God. Giving to others is itself an expression of thanks and praise. Paul goes on to say:

Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, others will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ (2 Cor. 9:13)

Giving can communicate the very heart of the gospel. When you give motivated by gratitude for God’s generosity, other people will catch a glimpse of what the gospel means to you and it will lead them to praise God for themselves.

I began by telling you about an act of generosity toward myself and Liz. That act of generosity has enabled us collectively to offer over 40 years of ordained ministry. None of it would have happened without that act of kindness. It makes you wonder, at this Harvest time, just what our sharing of God’ provision can accomplish. Praise the Lord Amen.

Prayers of Intercession
Bidding: You give us each day our daily bread:  
Response: Make us thankful for your gifts, make us generous to share.

God, you have blessed us abundantly. We thank you for the provision of food, our daily bread. We bring to you the people across the world, and here in our community, who are hungry. May we, and all your people, share so that the gifts you give are distributed with justice and fairness.
You give us each day our daily bread:
make us thankful for your gifts,
make us generous to share.

We thank you for everyone who works in farming, food production, shops and restaurants. Bring prosperity and security to their businesses. Help us to work in partnership with your creation, in ways which benefit all you have made.
You give us each day our daily bread:
make us thankful for your gifts,
make us generous to share.

Jesus, you are the bread of life. We share the bread around your table, and you sustain us every day as we feed on you. Help us to share both our physical resources and the truth of who you are with the world around us.
You give us each day our daily bread:
make us thankful for your gifts,
make us generous to share. Amen.
Drawing on the Harvest worship resources produced Engage Worship

The Lord's Prayer
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 forever.
Amen.

Blessing
Be faithful stewards of Creation
Be grateful servants of God.
And the blessing of Almighty God
Father, Son and Holy Spirit be with you and those for whom you pray this day and evermore. Amen

​Prayer is foundational to our faith. It's how we communicate with God, and it is the fuel that powers our evangelism, mission and discipleship. It's the sunshine that brings a smile to our face and brings light to hidden places. And yet, for many people, it is one of the hardest things about being a follower of Jesus. Just as clouds can cover the sun, all sorts of things get in the way of us and Jesus. But just as clouds bring refreshing rain that prevents the sun from drying everything up, these can also be opportunities for growth and refreshment.

Opening Prayer
Lord Jesus Christ,
Accepting your open invitation, we come into your presence and lay down our baggage.
We don’t even have to unpack, for all of it is known to you:
The pain we have felt
The pain we have caused
The difficult conversations
Our regrets
Our fears
The hopes we daren’t speak aloud
We give you thanks, for you offer to share the load,
In the peace of this moment, may we hear your words of forgiveness, feel your comforting
arms around us, and simply know you are near
Accepting us as we are
Loving us as we are
Holding us
Giving us a place of safety, just to be,
Gently challenging us to keep moving forwards, strengthened by your spirit.
Lord Jesus Christ, we love you
Amen.
Opening prayers written by Emma Dobson

Blessing
Heal me, heavenly Father, 
And show me how to be a person of healing and wholeness and peace in your world.
Here I go, fill me, by your Spirit, Lord.
Amen.
Blessing by Tim Baker

Prayers and Prayer Pointers for the Week
Monday 19th September
Pray for the Royal Family and those close to them at this time.
(You could use the list you created as part of the response to the readings to help shape these prayers).
Loving God, I pray for those close to me 
– those in my own family or friendship circle
– who I know are in pain this day. Those suffering from grief, illness, loss, mental ill health or another source of pain and difficulty. You know their challenges, and are with them in their sufferings.
- Comforting God, who walks alongside those in pain, come, by your Spirit. Amen.

Tuesday 20th September
- God of all blessings,
Thank you for the gift of food to eat,
For the flavours and the smells,
The energy and enjoyment I can get from the food I eat.
- I’m sorry for all the times I’ve taken for granted the food on my plate, the ingredients in my fridge, the ready meals in my freezer.
And for all the other blessings I have received that I often overlook or forget to be thankful for. Amen.

Wednesday 21st September
(You could use the list you created as part of the response to the readings to help shape these prayers).
- God of all grace, I pray for those who are far afield – people I don’t know and situations I can’t pretend to fully understand. I pray for those affected by war and famine and drought, for those living in pain and disease.
Come, Prince of Peace, and bring hope in a broken world.
Amen.

Thursday 22nd September
- This day, your prayers could be for our planet and the world we live in.
This day, may you say sorry for all the ways you hurt and pollute the Earth.
- This day, you could use your times of prayer to reconnect with nature and to commit again to climate action, climate campaigning and climate justice.

Friday 23rd September
- (You could use the list you created as part of the response to the readings to help shape these prayers).
- Loving God, today I pray for relationships – for the people I know and their relationship to me, and the people I know whose relationships are strained and under pressure.
In the midst of division and doubt, come, God of love, God of healing, God of hope.
Amen.

Saturday 24th September
- (You could use the list you created as part of the response to the readings to help shape these prayers).
Living God, as we head into this weekend, I pray for all the people and situations that have been on my mind this week. The stories known to me personally and the ones I’ve picked up on the news and from elsewhere.
- I pray that I may know what it is that I am called to do as part of the response, and how I can enable and equip others to respond too.
- Show me what is mine to do, Lord God. Amen.

Prayers 
Loving God,
Open my ears, so that I may hear your word anew today
Open my heart, so that I may be moved and inspired by your Spirit.
Speak your word to me
Challenge me
Strengthen me.
Hold a moment of stillness and listen, listen to all the noises happening around you,
listen for the still, small voice of the Spirit of God, breathing over all things, perhaps
speaking to you?
Walk alongside me, this day, as I strive to be one of your people of light and love
In Jesus’ name
Amen.
Opening prayers written by Emma Dobson from The Vine at Home produced by twelvebaskets.

Reading Psalm 51:1-10

Reading: 1 Timothy 1:12-14 
‘I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me the strength, that he considered me trustworthy, appointing me to his service.  Even though I was a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief.  The grace of our Lord Jesus was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.’ (1 Tim 1:12-14)

Prayers 
Eternal God,
we praise you for your goodness and mercy
that followed your servant, Elizabeth, all the days of her life,
and for her faithfulness
in the tasks to which you called her.
Father of all,
we give you thanks and praise.
We thank you that for your loving servant
the tribulations of this world are over and death is past,
and we pray that you will bring us with her
to the joy of your perfect kingdom;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Eternal God we pray for your comfort and blessing on the Royal Family at this time.
We pray for our new King, Charles III, that you will guide him and bless him with your Holy Spirit that he will serve you and your people with all wisdom through Jesus Christ, his and our Lord. Amen.
​
Spend this time praying for those people who mean the most to you.

Lords Prayer
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 forever.
Amen.

Blessing
May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us all now and evermore.  Amen  

This Worship has been produced by Gary Long for you to join wherever you are . ​Today's service is about reconciliation and equality/partnership.

Prayer: Confident Approach

We come to worship our wonderful God,
through Christ Jesus, in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Abba – Father, Amma – Mother,
    • We come to find your forgiveness and your love.
    • We come to share our joy and our faith.
    • We come together to experience your power in our lives.

Fill our worship with the power and love of your Spirit 
infilling our lives and over-spilling in exuberant joy.   

Send the gifts of your Spirit today  
so that we may build each other up 
to better grow your Community of Love 
within this congregation and in this place.

In the name of our Lord, Jesus the Christ 
Amen

Call to worship
“There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Galatians 3:28

StF 20 Be still, for the presence of the Lord.  Produced by the Northern Baptist Association

Prayer:  Be still. 

Be still: Feel the Presence of God:  Filling us,  here,  in our lives
Be still:  Feel the glory of God:  His holy fire, His cleansing light
Be still: Feel the wonderful love of God:  caring, healing, renewing
Be still: Feel the awesome power of God:  shown in creation, shown in the resurrection
Be still:  Reflect on how insignificant we are:  yet how important to God 
Be still.

Praise 
Eternal and loving God,   
Mother and Father of all that is:
you are the source of all life 
the origin of all wisdom
the well- spring of all grace,

Your days are without end
your creation is infinite
your loving mercies without number,
your boundless goodness reaches to the depths of our being.

We depend on you:
we remember your gracious care of us,
your unsparing love for us,
and to those who have gone before us.

We tell your story in every generation:
God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob,
God of Sarah, Rebekah and Rachel,
God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

You are our God,
ahead of us, leading us,
guiding us and calling us,
God of a pilgrim people, your Church.

You are the Lord God,
the all-wise, 
the all-compassionate,
the all-loving.

To you we lift up our hearts.
We worship you,
one God for ever and ever.  
Amen.

Prayer: confession 
We are called ‘to welcome one another as Christ has welcomed us, for the Glory of God’ (Romans 15:7). 

We come before God to confess the times we have fallen short of this calling.         
​Short silence

For the times we have walked away from those in need
God, have mercy on us

For the times we have struggled with difference,  and rejected those who seem ‘other’
Lord, have mercy on us

For the times we have failed to challenge hatred and prejudice
God, have mercy on us

For the times we not been open to receive the hospitality of others
Lord, have mercy on us

For the times we have not welcomed one another as Christ has welcomed us
God, have mercy on us

For the times we have not welcomed the stranger, have not reached out.
Lord, have mercy on us

Merciful God, you hear all that is spoken and unspoken. 
Speak your words of forgiveness and renewal into our hearts. 

Thank you that because of your love shown to us in Jesus,  we can be forgiven and have a new start.

Renew and restore us, sustain and strengthen us 
so that we may love others as you love us. 

Announcement of Forgiveness – Worship in an Indian Context
Book of 1,000 prayers No 354 P 142  Angela Ashwin

The Saviour of the world, the refuge of the repentant,
forgives and renews all who truly seek his grace.

    ​ He accepts you as his daughters and sons.
    ​ He sets you free from the bondage of your past.

You are a new creation.

For Jesus died and was raised to new life
so that we can share his wholeness and abundant life.

Amen. 

​StF 103 God is love: let heaven adore him [Hyfrydol]. Sung by members of Christ Church Woodley.

Introduction to  reading & theme

Philemon is Paul's shortest letter & the only one addressed solely to an individual.

Philemon is a well off church leader in Colossae.  
    • The congregation meets in his home. 
    • He owns slaves, one of who is Onesimus.

Onesimus has wronged Philemon in some way and run away.
    • He meets Paul, becomes a follower of Jesus and Paul's beloved helper.
    • Onesimus means 'useful' in Greek.  In the letter there is a play on words about this so remember it.

Paul is in a difficult position as he writes this letter.
    • Onesimus is a run away slave and could be executed if caught.
    • Paul wants Philemon to forgive Onesimus and take him back.
    • BUT, much, much more than this he wants Philemon to embrace Onesimus as a brother.
    • An equal in God's sight.

Reading: Philemon 1:1-25
The YouTube video below has been produced by  BibleProject.com © Copyright 2022

Make time for you to consider the questions below and please, if you wish, share your thoughts in the 'Leave a reply' section at the end of this webpage below.

    • What groups are you aware of that might be excluded/not equal/disadvantaged in some way?

    • 2 Corinthians 5: 17-19 says “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, that person is a new creation: the old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.”

What guidance does the letter of Philemon offer for making appeals for reconciliation?

    • What role does the church, local and/or universal, have in bringing about reconciliation with those who are  excluded/not equal/disadvantaged?

Summary.

“There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Galatians 3:28

I understand Kingswood Church Council agreed to look further into the implications of 'Inclusive Church'.  This is something we did at Lenton and in the process we all learned a great deal – and were challenged to consider how our church appeared to those from certain groups, what unintentional barriers there might be and how we could improve our welcome to many different people.

“We believe in inclusive church – a church which celebrates and affirms every person and does not discriminate.
We will continue to challenge the church where it continues to discriminate against people on grounds of disability, economic power, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, learning disability, mental health, neurodiversity, or sexuality.
We believe in a Church which welcomes and serves all people in the name of Jesus Christ; which is scripturally faithful; which seeks to proclaim the Gospel afresh for each generation; and which, in the power of the Holy Spirit, allows all people to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Jesus Christ.”

So our call to action this week is to try to become more aware of those areas where people may feel excluded from the church and pray about what we can do about it.

​StF 409 Let us build a house [All are welcome]. Song written and performed here by Marty Haugan.

Prayers for Others 

Loving, sharing, co creator God we pray that your nation of love will grow in our hearts.
We remember the church in every part of the world:
Open our lives to your Spirit, that we may be inspired to become fully your children.
Nurture us  to grow in your love and service.


Loving, sharing, co creator God we pray that we will grow in your love, so our hearts will become as large as yours.  
    • We remember those peoples struggling for liberty and justice.  
    • We pray now, in silence, for all those who are  excluded/not equal/disadvantaged.

SILENCE

Help us to see the world as you do, to respond with your compassion and to welcome others as you do.  
Nurture us to grow in your love and service.
Loving, sharing, co creator God we pray that we will grow more and more in knowing how to share your riches with others.  

We ask that you will change us where we are dependant upon status, position, or money.  Develop in us your love and your power to restore.
Nurture us to grow in your love and service.

Out of the Father's glorious riches may he strengthen us with power through his Spirit in our inner being, so that Christ may dwell in our hearts through faith. 
And I pray that, being rooted and established in love, we may have power to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ. And to know this love that surpasses knowledge – that we may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! 
Amen.
Ephesians 3: 16-21.

Lords Prayer
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 forever.
Amen.

​StF 564 O thou who camest from above [Wilton].  By Charles Wesley. Performed by members of the Oxford Methodist Circuit with British Sign Language

Prayer of Offering, Dedication & Thanks 

Loving God, Father & Mother of all that is. 

Thank you for the many good gifts you grant us, esp. your love shown in Jesus.
Thank you for the gift of your Holy Spirit to guide and strengthen us day by day.
Thank you that we are called to be your children - to grow more like you every day.

We bring our offerings to you and ask that you bless them.
We bring our gifts and talents to you and ask that you bless them.
We bring our lives to you and ask that you bless them.
Thank you for your grace today and every day.
Amen.

Blessing
Loving and Gracious God
Father and Mother of all that is:
    • Be with us as we leave this place.
    • Be with us as we follow your Way in our lives.
    • Be with us in the very depths of our being.
Amen.