Year of Rest (Harvest Service)

Prayer with Worship Leaders (10:45)

Light Reflective Music

Bible Enters (Organ)

Welcome / Intimation (Rev. Bosch)

I greet you in the Name of God the Father, who loves you and keeps you safe - in the care of Christ Jesus.May it be that we receive mercy, peace and love.

Intimations, Funerals, Baptisms (remember to share this before Sunday Worship)

October Stewardship Month - Seek God | Assess our own response to God’s goodness | Testamonies Central To The Month

Testomony (Try to identify someone.)

Call to Worship: (Psalm 19)

Minister: The heavens declare!

All: The wonders of God.

Minister: The heavens declare!

All: The glory of God.

Let us worship God!

Hymn: CH 512 - To God be the Glory

Declaration:

Blessed be the name of the Lord now and evermore.From the rising of the sun to its setting, the Lord’s name be praised. Let us pray:

Prayer of Approach and Confession (Rev. Bosch)

God our Father, we gather on this Harvest Day.

You provide for Your creation and for us.

You instruck us to work and to rest. We are here today rest at your feet considering all you do for us.

We thank You for Your faithful provision.

Your care sustains us through every season.

Teach us to trust in your guidance.

We celebrate this harvest Sunday with grateful hearts.

Help us to be stewards with the gifts you have given us.

We confess our greed and lack of trust.

Forgive us for neglecting Your ways.

Cleanse us with Your mercy and grace.

Renew our spirits to honor Your creation.

Guide us to live with thankfulness daily.

Fill us with Your Spirit to worship You.

Let our praise reflect our dedication to you.

In Jesus’ name, we pray.

Amen.

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 debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, for ever. Amen.

Hymn: SoF 379 - Majesty, worship his majesty

(Children enter.)

Children’s Address: Rest !

Hymn: Wide, wide as the ocean

(Children exit.)

Reading: Leviticus 25: 1-7

The Sabbath Year 25 The LORD spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai, saying, 2 “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When you come into the land that I give you, the land shall keep a Sabbath to the LORD. 3 For six years you shall sow your field, and for six years you shall prune your vineyard and gather in its fruits, 4 but in the seventh year there shall be a Sabbath of solemn rest for the land, a Sabbath to the LORD. You shall not sow your field or prune your vineyard. 5 You shall not reap what grows of itself in your harvest, or gather the grapes of your undressed vine. It shall be a year of solemn rest for the land. 6 The Sabbath of the land shall provide food for you, for yourself and for your male and female slaves and for your hired worker and the sojourner who lives with you, 7 and for your cattle and for the wild animals that are in your land: all its yield shall be for food.

Sermon:

We went on a mission camp to Lesotho during my time as a student. The aim was to connect with God whilst helping the local missionary. The mission station was an outpost for our local church in Stellenbosch. 

It was a wonderful experience to work with the missionary. He and his family lived there for many years and gained plenty of knowledge about the culture. 

A big issue that the local community had was ground erosion. Every year valueble and furtail soil washed away causing ditches making farming impossible. 

The missionary worked with the locals to solve the issue of the erosion in the most effective way possible. 

They came to a very simple solution and that was not to burn the fields after the harvest. By not burning the fields they gave the opportunity for the leaves and sticks to settle in the ground. The direct consequens was that the ground was more stabel preventing the soul washing away during the rainy season. 

The princle was "let the ground be", in other words do not unnesessarily desturb the soil.

The farming principle we read this morning is about resting the land. In other words, give the land time to recover after it was worked. The rest is a holy rest that is dedicated to the Lord. It is not just a normal reset of the land but it is a season dedicated to the Lord. Theologically speaking we can say that resting is godly and holy. A closer study of the reading also indicates that the reading is not just about resting, but also of preperation. The idea is to work dillengently so that we may have the previleage and ability to rest. It is very hard to have a Sabath day or year if one’s home is not in order. It is far easier to rest if you know all your vital administration is done.

The reading instrucks to work the land for six years there after rest for one year. Work and prepare for six years so that there is freedom to take one year off (not worring where the next meal will come from). The planing and management of the land need to be aligned so that there is freedom to rest on the seventh year. 

I recently listened to a cardiohologist who spoke to a farm community about health and well being. He mentioned that his over all impression was that farmers are well organised. There is a plan for eveything on the farm from the animals, the general infrastructure and finanses. Yet, he still finds that farmers does not have a plan for their own personal health. Generally the farms are so well organised, but the same principle does not apply to the farmers own health. He made this point to emphasis the importance for the audiance to look after their own health. This emplies considering what you eat, exercise and to rest. 

How many of us make a point to rest after work? Do we consider rest to be holy and godly? Have we squeduled rest into our planing and preperation? 

The reading today makes us considers resting espessially when cultivating the land. The rest is important because it rejuvenate the land. Spiritually rest is important because the act of resting is godly. To have a sabath year or day is for the Lord.

Yet, I have found many times people not considering rest. For example, I work for a business leader back in ZA. It was astonishing how hard he worked. He was constintly going about working without considering his own health. He did not have the ability to say "no" or enough-is-enough. The consequence was that he developed serious health problems. 

I have also ment people in Scotland, working and pushing themselves to the determint of their own personal health and family ties.   

Do not misunderstand me, work is important but not if your own health is at stake and your familie ties are destroyed. 

Spiritually speaking extreme driveness to work hard and consistantly is a problem because it directly communicates that we do not trust God. We need to perform and do so that we can control every outcome of life. This behaviour is unhealthy physically and spiritually. Our performance does not determine how and when God will move and act.

Rather, we should consider God's action and get involved in His performance. To rest then is also a way to communicate to God that you trust in Him.

Work in such a way so that we are able to rest knowing that we can trust in God. He will give the space and time to relax.  

As it is Harvest Sunday, we thank the Lord for His provision. We are greatful towards Him for our food and shelter. Part of our gratefulness is the ability to work and to rest. We do so to fufill God’s calling to work and set asside time to houner Him.

In essense I think the sabath year is a time to honour God. 

The locals in Lesotho had a erosion problem. Valueble and vurtail soil washed away every year. It took one adjustment to solve the problem making the soil firm and stable for the rainy season. To consider rest is a small adjustment in a life, with huge advantages in spiritual and physical health.

Work dillingently and plan well so that we may be prefiledge of resting. We rest to plug back into God and to give him honour and glory. Amen. 

Hymn: SoF 419 - O let the son of God enfold you

Prayer for Others (Get someone to lead):

Heavenly Father,

On this Harvest Day, we lift up those hungry and exposed.

We ask that you will reveal your abundanse to them.

Bless farmers in Scotland.

You know Lord that they work very hard to cultivate the Land.

Grant them strength for their labor.

Remind them to rest personally and give rest to there Land.

Sustain them through rains, drought and hardship.

Protect their crops from pests and storms.

Ease their worries about the day of tomorrow.

Teach them trust in your faithful care.

Fill their hearts with gratitude.

Guide them to steward the earth wisely.

Then, comfort those who are anxious about where they will receive food.

Therefore, bring the Foodbank to you, feeding the desperate and lonly.

Fill our communities with gratitude for all you do and give.

Stir hearts to give thanks always.

Your generosity sustains us always.

Amen.

Offering (The person at door duty brings the plate to the table.)

Prayer of Thanks

Hymn: SoF 607 - Who is on the Lord's side?

Rethink and Blessing (Rev. Bosch

Go and work dulingently so that we may be able to rest for our Lord. 

In the presence of the Holy Spirit, may the peace of God, 

which is beyond all understanding, 

guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus. Amen

Sing/Play Amen (Organ)

Bible Exits (Organ)