Homilies
Harvest
Holy Spirit take my words and speak to each of us according to our need.
Today is a special kind of service – a Harvest thanksgiving service. For many of us, it brings memories of colourful displays of fruit, vegetables, and flowers in churches and schools. But harvest is not just about decoration or tradition, it’s about reminding ourselves where our daily bread truly comes from.
Harvest has deep roots. It is often linked with another older and lesser known festival of Rogation. That’s a word we don’t hear often anymore, but it comes from the Latin word rogare, which means to ask. In the past, traditionally, people would ‘beat the bounds’ walking the boundaries of their village or community, praying for God’s blessing on the land, the crops, the animals, and the people who work with them. They asked for God’s provision – rain, sun, good harvests – but they also gave thanks for all that had been gathered in and that God had already given.
So today, we come to do two things:
To ask for God’s blessing on our land, our work, our food, and our community. And to give thanks, because everything we have is a gift from God.
We have probably all heard the story of the young child who, when asked “where does your breakfast come from?” answered “The shop!”
And yes, the shop may be where we buy the ingredients from but really it starts way before that.
The bread comes from grain that was grown in a field, ripened under sun and rain…
The milk from cows cared for by farmers…
The eggs laid by chickens…
The fruit from trees and bushes which have been tended and cared for throughout season after season…
Behind every loaf of bread, every pint of milk, every apple, lies a whole chain of labour and care and alongside all of that at its very root; the sunshine, the soil, the rain, the animals, even the people who harvest and prepare our food is God’s creation.
Psalm 104 says: “You make springs gush forth in the valleys; they flow between the hills… You cause the grass to grow for the cattle, and plants for people to use…”
It’s a beautiful picture of how God provides abundantly. Not just for people, but for animals, birds, fish, in fact for the whole of creation.
So the first part of our Harvest celebration service is simple:
Thank you, God, for your good gifts.
But Harvest is not just about being thankful, it’s about being responsible too.
Jesus said in John 15:
“I am the vine, you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit.”
It’s a picture of growth, but not just for crops. Jesus uses this image of a growing plant to remind us that when we stay close to Him, when we listen to His voice and live in His love, our lives will be fruitful too. That isn’t just about being “nice” or doing a few good deeds. It’s about living lives that bring hope, kindness, generosity, and justice into the world.
God has given us this beautiful world but He made us stewards, caretakers of it. We are trusted to look after what isn’t ours, but God’s. That means we need to care for the land, not waste what we have, and make sure everyone in our community has what they need especially the poor, the hungry, and those who feel forgotten. We get to gain from God’s bountiful provision, but with that gift comes a duty and responsibility not to waste or destroy it.
We can live that out in everyday ways:
Being careful not to throw away good food.
Choosing seasonal fruit and vegetables, instead of ones flown halfway round the world.
Supporting local farmers and shops, who shorten the food chain and cut down food miles.
Thinking about the packaging we buy – do we really need all that plastic that ends up floating in the oceans, harming God’s creatures?
Recycling, composting, reusing, mending, instead of simply buying and throwing away.
These might feel like small things, but they’re part of what it means to live thankfully and responsibly. They are ways of honouring the God who has given us such abundant provision.
And it matters more than ever. We know our world is changing. Whether you believe in global warming or not, there is no doubt that the climate is changing across the world, bringing more floods in some places, more droughts in others. Crops are failing, and families go hungry. As Paul says in Romans, ‘creation itself is groaning.’ Human desire for ever greater possessions and technological advances means larger areas of deforestation to create more room to build. And so harvest thanksgiving should stir us to action. It’s not just a cosy service with a loaf of bread on the table and a selection of fruit and vegetables; it’s a call to live in a way that heals and sustains rather than harms.
We might not all be farmers anymore, but every single one of us is part of the harvest. Think about it: the parent making dinner for their children is part of the harvest. The teacher who shows children how food grows is part of the harvest. The shop worker stacking shelves, the neighbour sharing apples from their tree, the community graveyard and gardening volunteers; all of them are part of the harvest. And God’s blessing flows through them too.
So today we ask for God’s blessing upon our homes, our gardens, our work, and our shared life. We ask for God’s blessing on our community, not just so we can have more, but so we can BE more; more generous, more loving, more mindful of our impact on the world around us and ultimately, more like Jesus in whom all life grows and flourishes..
So let’s really try to do what Harvest invites us to do:
Let’s ask boldly; for rain, for growth, for justice, for provision. For God’s kingdom to really come here on earth as it is in Heaven.
Let’s give thanks; not just at special times but every day. For every blessing, every meal, every encounter with others because every moment of beauty in creation is an opportunity to remember God’s goodness.
And let’s live faithfully; as good stewards, kind neighbours, and grateful children of God.
So perhaps this week, when we bite into an apple, or spread butter on our toast, or pour milk into our tea we could just pause for just a moment and whisper: Thank you, Lord. And then ask ourselves: how can I live so that others may taste this goodness too?
I always find I remember things better if I have an action to do so to make it really practical, here’s a little Harvest Challenge for us all this week:
Try to do one thing that celebrates harvest and honours God’s creation. Maybe cooking one meal entirely with local, seasonal or homegrown produce. Maybe giving something to the local food bank. Maybe going a whole week without throwing food away, or perhaps reducing packaging when shopping.
It doesn’t have to be big, just one thing. But if each of us takes a small step, then together as a community we will be living out the harvest spirit: thankful, responsible, and hopeful for the future.
That is the real heart of harvest. Let us pray
Creator God, we thank You for the gift of harvest – for the food on our tables, for the beauty of the seasons, for the hands that grow, gather, and prepare what we eat.
We thank You for Your abundance, and we confess that too often we waste it or take it for granted. Teach us to live more simply, to tread more gently, and to care more deeply for Your creation.
Bless our community – our homes, our gardens, our workplaces, our schools – and bless all who struggle to find enough. Make us generous with what we have, that none may go hungry, and that our lives may bear good fruit for others.
As we face the challenges of a changing world, give us wisdom, courage, and hope. Help us to be faithful stewards, loving neighbours, and thankful children of Your kingdom.
Through Jesus Christ, the true Vine and the Lord of the Harvest. Amen.