Harvest Thanksgiving with Rev'd Helen Hoe

From all of creation we are reminded of earth's bounty. We give thanks for everyone involved in bringing food and water to our tables each day.

We thought about those in the world that don't have clean water and the many charities that help those who need it. We thought about the work of the Methodist Charity 'All We Can' working with partners in Uganda and other parts of the world to bring clean water to people.

We thought about the man who had been ill for 38 years, sitting at the side of the Pool of Bethesda, told for us in St. John's Gospel Chapter 5 verses 1 to 9. There he sat day after day hoping to get into the pool because people talked about the miracles of healing which took place in its waters. But he could never get into the pool – others went in front of him and no one would help him. One day Jesus came by and said to him "Do you want to be made well?" The sick man answered him "Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up." Jesus said to him "Stand up, take your mat and walk." At once the man was made well. He took up his mat and began to walk.

How greedy we can be sometimes – others get pushed out of the way in our rush to be first in the queue or to grab what we can for ourselves. Today our Harvest Produce has been sold to support the work of bringing clean water to those in need.

Over coffee and a Harvest Lunch our thoughts turned to the last meal that Jesus had with his disciples as Rev'd Helen Hoe shared, in remembrance of that meal, with Holy Communion around our meal table. Were it not for the life, death and resurrection of Jesus none of us would have been sharing in this Harvest Thanksgiving. What a wonderful God we have, what a precious Saviour we have in Jesus, what amazing power God has given to us in the Holy Spirit to help and guide us in our daily lives. Thanks be to God.