Harvest Festival - a sermon

This can be heard here


25th June 2017, Year A - 12th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Readings:
Psalm:                                                 Psalm: 86:1-10, 16-17                                                              
First Reading:                         Genesis 21:8-21                            
Second Reading:                    Rom 6:1b-11                                  
Gospel:                                    Matt 10:24-39                               

What I want to say:
Te explore what harvest festival is about linking it with climate change and land and water degradation, and to link all that with Jesus sense of honesty and urgency

What I want to happen:
People to reflect on what it is the are giving thanks for, and to be inspired to generously offer more of themselves

The Sermon

       1.      Introduction:

So here we are again having a harvest festival
            in winter
            seems like there is not much harvest around
            where weather is not very encouraging of being in garden
è many don’t garden so don’t have a harvest
buy food supermarkets and shops
actually – looked at picknz.co.nz  tells me that April to August are the peak months for workers in the Bay of Plenty.
-      picking mostly finished
-      pack house work continues
-      turns out this is a good time for a harvest festival
what does harvest festival mean to you?
(ask?)
plenary

       2.      What is harvest festival about

a. Tradition – a lot people grew up with harvest festivals
            important event life their communities
            allow us to reconnect with our past
            keep some those traditions that we found life giving alive

b. harvest festival provides opportunity to give thanks
            joy gardening
            harvest that our labours have reaped
            simple joy in growing things in own land
            being able eat what we have grown
            today we give thanks for that

c. gives us a chance to think about all those who work the land
            land owners, famers, orchardists
            many people work for them
            people work companies support them – research, sales and export, banks

d. in doing so also acknowledge that all this is God’s gift to us
            all that is, belongs to God
            who shares with us.
all we have, is a gift – not ours by right
            not just fruit of our labour
            but gift of generous and compassionate God
so on this harvest festival we give thanks to God who is the giver of all this harvest

        3.      Foodbank and poverty

Part of that thankfulness is to give thanks that we live in Aotearoa
            in Bay of Plenty
            that we live in a land of plenty
where most people have more than enough to survive, more than survive,
            most have enough to live reasonably well
easy access to food, medical care – all things too often take granted
but – and it is a big but
in this land of plenty
I think harvest festivals also invite us to be aware of those who do not celebrate the harvest
an increasing number of people who work fulltime
no longer have access to things many of us take for granted
they cannot afford food and accommodation
for far too many
            even when they can afford it they still can’t find it
so we have people living in cars and garages
            and crammed into houses designed to hold a fraction of the number living there
So today as we give thanks for God’s goodness and generosity
            we are invited to be mindful of all these
             look for God’s generous and compassionate work among them
            and find ways to join that work
today we do that in very small way by giving this food to the foodbank
And we continue to talk to those who are offering bigger band aids
while looking and praying for some solutions.     

       4.      Matariki

Our harvest festival comes during Matariki – Maori new year
            number of traditional aspects Matariki that were important for Maori
one of these was that appearance of cluster of 9 stars in dawn sky
            sign that time prepare land for kumara planting
                        so that there might be a harvest
            good harvest doesn’t just happen
relies on good soil and well tended land, and water
this land we live in, and this planet we live on, earth
            – are central to idea of harvest
Matariki and Harvest Festival give us opportunity to remember
            this land, this planet are God’s greatest gifts to us
and absolutely central to our ongoing ability to live here
            is the need for us to care for land
                        not just Matariki
                        all year around
And on that score we are not doing very well.

       5.      Animal Welfare

over recent years organisations like SAFE have brought to our attention the result of the push for more efficient ways of harvesting food from animals
è come cost to our fellow creatures
-      are at time treated appalling badly
it is in our hands to stop it.

        6.      People Welfare

issues about how some farm labourers are treated here in this country
overseas drive for greater profit is driving small landholders off their land
by large corporation
-      to then work poor wages
-      or forced accept low prices for produce even we here pay much more for it.
Groups like Fairtrade organisation, and Trade Aid working help us buy ethically
Too often those who bring that harvest to our shores are poorly treated as well.
Harvest festivals can be dangerous and uncomfortable things if we let them.

       7.      Global Degradation

as we celebrate harvest festival
invited to be aware of cost of harvest on our planet
            water ways
            supply clean water here and around world
and in this era of Trump
reminded that some of our farming practices are also one of our significant contributors to global warming
dire ramifications now for people around world
including brothers and sisters in the Pacific

         8.      Conclusion

Today we celebrate our harvest
            because harvest festivals are important traditions
offer opportunity to give thanks harvest
reminded God’s generosity in harvest
and reminded God’s provision of this land, this planet
hear again our responsibility to care planet, and this land
more than that
reminded to care for all who live in this land and in this world with the same
            compassion and generosity we experience in the harvest
            we meet in Jesus
            reminded that there is urgent need to not be satisfied with things as they are
join in work finding new ways of living that honour this world
            and all who live on it.



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