brother Jesus God's compassion, and Sofia Wisdom blessing us with gratitude
for our lives. Amen
Opening Prayer:
Men: O sacred season of autumn be my teacher, for I wish to learn the
virtue of contentment. As I gaze upon your full-colored beauty, I sense all
about you an at-homeness with your amber riches.
Women: You are the season of retirement, of full barns and harvested fields.
The cycle of growth has ceased, and the busy work of giving life is now
completed.
I sense in you no regrets: you've lived a full life.
Men: I live in a society that is ever-restless, always eager for more
mountains to climb, seeking happiness through more and more possessions. As
a child of my culture, I am seldom truly at peace with what I have. Teach
me to take stock of what I have
given and received, may I know that it's enough, that my striving can cease
in the abundance of God's grace.
Women: May I know the contentment that allows the totality of my energies to
come to full flower. May I know that like you I am rich beyond measure.
All: As you, O Autumn, take pleasure in your great beauty, let me also take
delight in the abundance of the simple things in life which are the true
source of joy.
With the golden glow of peaceful contentment may I truly appreciate this
season of autumn. Amen.
First Reading: from Paul's letter to the Corinthians. 2 Cor 9: 6
Keep this in mind, if you plant sparingly, you will reap sparingly, and if
you plant bountifully, you will reap bountifully. There are no limits to the
grace of God, who will make sure you will always have enough of everything
and even a surplus for good works, as scripture says: "God scattered abroad
and gave to poor people; God's justice endures forever." The One who
provides seed for the planter and bread for food will also supply and
enlarge your store of seed and increase your harvest of justice. You will
be made rich in every way for your generosity, for which we give thanks to
God.
This is the word of God All: Thanks be to God
Psalm Response:
Walk in kindness and justice, and place unswerving trust in your God. (Hosea
12:6-7)
We give thanks, O God, with all your creatures, especially Sir Brother Sun
who brings us each new day. Be praised through Sister Moon; white beauty
bright and fair, with wandering stars she moves through night.
Walk in kindness and justice, and place unswerving trust in your God. (Hosea
12:6-7)
We give thanks, O God, with Brother Wind, for air and clouds and the skies
in every season, We give thanks with Sister Water: humble, helpful,
precious, pure; She cleanses us in rivers and renews us in rain.
Walk in kindness and justice, and place unswerving trust in your God. (Hosea
12:6-7)
We give thanks, O God, with Brother Fire: he purifies and enlightens us. We
give thanks with Mother Earth: abundant source, all life sustaining; she
feeds us bread and fruit and gives us flowers.
Walk in kindness and justice, and place unswerving trust in your God. (Hosea
12:6-7)
We give thanks, O God, with your gift of life; through changing dusk and
dawn; through touch and scent and song. Be praised O God, Through Sister
Death who welcomes us in loving embrace. Be praised, O God, through all your
creation, serving you joyfully.
(Adapted from St Francis "Canticle of the Sun")
Walk in kindness and justice, and place unswerving trust in your God. (Hosea
12:6-7)
Second Reading Galatians 6: 6-8
Let the person who is taught the word share all good things with the one who
teaches. Do not be deceived; God is not mocked, for whatever a person sows,
that they will also reap. For the one who sows to their own flesh will from
the flesh reap corruption; bet the one who sows to the Spirit will from the
Spirit will reap eternal life. And let us not grow weary in well-doing, for
in due season we shall reap, if we do not lose heart. This is the word of
God All: Thanks be to God
Gospel Reading: A Reading from the Gospel our Brother Jesus according to
Matthew 6:26-34
Look at the birds in the sky, they don't sow or reap, they gather nothing
into barns, yet our God in heaven feeds them. Aren't you more important
than they? Which of you by worrying can add a moment to your lifespan? And
why be anxious about clothing? Learn a lesson from the way the wildflowers
grow. They don't work; they don't spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon
in full splendor was arrayed like one of these. If God can clothe in such
splendor the grasses of the field, which bloom today and are thrown on the
fire tomorrow, won't God do so much more for you---you who have so little
faith?
Stop worrying, then, over questions such as, "What are we to eat,' or "what
are we to drink" or "what are we to wear?" Those without faith are always
running after these things. God knows everything you need. Seek first
God's reign, and God's justice, and all these things will be given to you
besides. Enough of worrying about tomorrow! Let tomorrow take care of
itself. This is the Good News of our Brother Jesus.
All: Praise to you our Evolutionary God who harvests spiritually, physically
and socially through us.
Prayers of the community
This is the time of harvest in our lives. We may be planting for a spring
harvest after a winter of laying fallow. We ask your blessings on the time
of harvest and the time of planting.
Response: All: God of the harvest; hear our prayer.
Offertory:
Presider: Blessed are you, God of evolving creation and humanity. Through
your goodness we have this bread to offer which earth has given and human
hands have made. This bread is our faith community seeking to harvest what
you have planted with and in our lives. This will become for us the bread
of life.
All: Blessed be God forever.
Presider: Blessed are you, God of evolving creation and humanity. Through
your goodness we have this wine to offer, fruit of the vine and work of
human hands. . We seek to give thanks for each day and all the experience
of our lives. We seek to give thanks for good times and difficult times, for
our joys and challenges. This wine and juice will become our spiritual
drink. All: Blessed be God forever.
Presider: My sisters and brothers let us pray together that our gifts may be
acceptable to God Loving Evolutionary Creator of all that is and will be.
All: May God accept these gifts from our hands, for the praise and glory of
God's name, and our desire to give thanks with all the People of God.
Presider: Ever gentle God; we give you thanks for the blessing of
worshiping you as a community. Accept our gifts and our worship. By
offering your harvest of ourselves may we be filled with your Spirit of
gratitude for the gift of our lives and all we experience. We ask this
through Jesus the Christ, our brother. All: Amen.
Eucharistic Prayer: Canon of the Spirit of Justice (from sheet)
Our father/mother: sung
Sign of Peace: Let us share a hug of peace and for the world.
(Presiders lifting up the bread and wine)
All: This is our Brother Jesus who prepared a banquet for his friends and
Who calls us to share our harvest of spiritual, emotional, social riches,
may we be your mercy for others.
Loving God, You call us to live the Good News of peace and justice,
may we be your compassion for others.
How blessed are we who are called to the supper of Jesus.
May we be who we are--the Body of Christ for the world.
May we be what we eat--the Body and blood of Christ for the world. Amen
Passing the bread "We are the Body of Christ."
Passing the wine "We are the Blood of Christ"
Prayers of thanksgiving and final thoughts
Closing Prayer
All: We are grateful not only for the gifts of life itself, but for all the
gifts of friendship, love, devotion and forgiveness that we have shared. We
thank you for showing us how to return thanks by lives of service, by deeds
of hospitality, by kindness to a stranger and concern for each other. We
are most grateful for the way you, our hidden God have become visible to us
in one another, in countless daily gifts and in the marvels of your
creation. Amen.
(Adapted from Prayers for the Domestic Church by Edward Hays)
Blessing. Raise hands in mutual blessing
All: I ask God's gift of gratitude and thanksgiving for you in the name of
our Creator, in the name of our Brother Jesus, and in the name of God's
Spirit Sofia as we minister to one another as the people of God. May you
bring thanksgiving to all whom you meet. Amen
Co-Presiders: Let us go in the gratitude of our Cosmic Christ. Let us
rejoice and give thanks to our God of joy and thanksgiving and God's
presence in our lives.
All: Thanks be to God. Amen. Alleluia.
Dialog homily:
When have I planted in my spiritual life and it brought forth a harvest?
In my home life, financial life, social life, community life?
When was the harvest lost?
What are you most thankful for in this time of your life-which some call
harvest or autumn or "golden years"?
When have I reaped what others sowed?
What is different today than it was a year ago that I am thankful for?
What is there about the challenges/difficulties I have experienced (or am
currently experiencing) that I can be thankful for? (What have I learned?
How have I grown?)
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