Bible readings for Harvest

The following are proposed in the Order of Service, but there are, of course, many other options. See, for example, the list in the Farming Community Network resource.

Joel 2:21-28. Joel pictures the fullness of harvest with thanksgiving to God for sweet rains. Joel was familiar to the first Christians and quoted by Peter in his Pentecost sermon (Acts. 2:17). Humans are now interfering with the climate and changing rainfall patterns.

Isaiah 35:1-10. Isaiah pictures the flowering of the desert. Fertility is awaited in God’s earth-inclusive kingdom.

Luke 12:13-21. Even though not the point of this parable, and written for a different world and culture, does it say anything to us today about supporting local small scale food growing?

Matthew 13:1-9. Jesus used the imagery of seeds in his parables. Until recently people saved their own seed to sow the following season. How as Christians can we help preserve local seed diversity in a world of large multinational companies?