Harvest
AGE: Infants and Juniors |
THEME: Harvest |
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LEADER: When the summer is coming to an end and signs of autumn
begin to appear, farmers have gathered in their crops and they begin to
make preparations for the next season's planting. It's a time of year for
being grateful for all the food and drink that we can share together at
mealtimes. Christians mark this time with a special service in church
called a harvest festival. During this service they say thank you to God for
all the crops that have been safely gathered in. They also remember
those people, both close to home and far away, who do not have a rich
harvest to gather in. Either In your classes you have been thinking about all the many different gifts that come from our earth; or Harvest is a time when we remember all the many different gifts that come from the earth. READER 1: Harvest is a time when we can all say thank you for the earth's gifts. Partner 1 puts the cloth on the table to represent the earth. READER 2: We bring our favourite foods and remember the people who grow our food and prepare it for us to eat. Partner 2 puts a loaf of bread onto the table. READER 3: We bring fresh clean water, that gives life and refreshes us. Partner 3 puts a glass of water on the table. READER 4: We bring the warmth and light of the sun that gives energy and growth to our world. Partner 4 puts a plant on the table. READER 5: We bring the harvest of the sea and remember the people who fish for our food. Partner 5 puts a fish on the table. READER 6: We bring the harvest of the earth and remember the people who dig for coal, and mine for minerals, and drill for oil. Partner 6 puts a lump of coal on the table. ALL TOGETHER: We say thank you for life and for the gifts of the earth. LEADER: The earth gives us all we need but we also have to look after it. If we spoil it with pollution, and if we are greedy and take too much from the earth, then we will damage our beautiful world. Christians read in the Bible that the world was created by God and that they must help to look after God's earth. Listen to this part of Psalm 104 that talks about God's creation. |
READING: |
| Psalm 104:10-15 |
PRAYER: |
For the fruits of the earth: we thank you. |
MUSIC: |
| For the Beauty of the Earth set by John Rutter and recorded by the boys of St Paul's Cathedral Choir in their album How Can I Keep from Singing? Classics for Pleasure 5 69620 2, 1996 |