Taste and See

This script cannot exactly reflect the transmission, as it was prepared before the service was broadcast. It may include editorial notes prepared by the producer, and minor spelling and other errors that were corrected before the radio broadcast.

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It may contain gaps to be filled in at the time so that prayers may reflect the needs of the world, and changes may also be made at the last minute for timing reasons, or to reflect current events.

BBC Radio 4. Time now for Sunday Worship which is a harvest thanksgiving from County Antrim. The service is introduced by Deaconess Phyllis Linton but begins with “A Jubilant Thanksgiving.”

CHOIR A Jubilant Thanksgiving- Come ye thankful people come

Welcome by Phyllis Linton (Deaconess)

“Those who go out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with them.”

Good morning!

And welcome to West Church in Ballymena set in the middle of Co Antrim, We are delighted that you are joining us for our Harvest Thanksgiving Service this morning. We’re at the very heart of a rural community where farming and agriculture form the backbone of our economy so giving thanks for the harvest is very close to our hearts.

This congregation was formed as a direct result of the 1859 spiritual revival– in Ulster and to-day we serve a large congregation with a busy programme of outreach to the local community..

So as we respond to the invitation of the Choir’s Introit “Come, you thankful people, come” we do so in a Church building which has been decorated with the fruits of the field and we come rejoicing as we bring our sheaves of gratitude to God for all his faithfulness to us.

PRAISE: “Bringing in the Sheaves.”

Prayer – Phyllis Linton

Lord God we come today as thankful people, with hearts overflowing with praise, because you are God, you are sovereign, and you are almighty and powerful beyond our understanding.

The beauty, the majesty and the fruitfulness of your creative power are displayed in all their glory at this harvest season. where the fruits are indeed plentiful, where the harvest has been safely gathered in, and it is adequate for all to eat and be satisfied.

Yet we confess Lord that the harvest in all its immensity is unfairly distributed across different parts of your world, and that millions go hungry, far too many die of malnutrition, and the poorest and most vulnerable are left pleading for the basic necessities of life.

Lord help us to see that too easily we contribute to this process, for out of fear of diminishing our own resources we fail to share fairly with others. When we are faced with such never ending need we become anaesthetized to pain and suffering, and we have lost the wonder of how changing one person’s life is enough, because one person matters to God.

Forgive us Lord, melt our hearts to give sacrificially, and to model the sacrifice of Jesus displayed at the cross as he suffered and died for our sins.

Thank you Lord for the truth of your Word, “that if we confess our sins, you are faithful and just and will forgive us our sins, and purify us from all unrighteousness”. So today we come as thankful people, as your forgiven children and we ask your Holy Spirit to enable us to worship you in Spirit and in truth.

In Jesus name, Amen

Our first reading is from the Gospel of Luke Chapter 11 beginning at Verse 5

Scripture Reading: Luke 11:5 – 13 read by the Rev Jared Stephens (Assistant Minister)

Then Jesus said to them, “Suppose you have a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; 6 a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have no food to offer him.’ 7 And suppose the one inside answers, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.’ 8 I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your shameless audacity he will surely get up and give you as much as you need. 9 “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. 11 “Which of you fathers, if your son asks fora fish, will give him a snake instead? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

Phyllis Linton

I love to sing big hymns about God’s amazing and beautiful creation and our next hymn written by Keith & Kristyn Getty and Stuart Townend helps us to say “Thank you God for your marvellous creation, help us to keep our eyes open and appreciate it at all times.”

PRAISE: “Creation sings the Father’s Song.”

Prayers of Intercession along with the hymn “For the Beauty of the Earth.”

Sarah Gregg

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

We thank you Lord for the Beauty of your Creation. Teach us to value it and use its resources wisely. And in a conflicted world where inhumanity seems to knows no bounds. We pray especially for the thousands of refugees who have fled the war zones of the Middle East and are seeking asylum and a new life and hope that they may be treated with kindness and respect. We pray for all those who are seeking to bring the grace and power of Jesus through hope, healing and reconciliation.

For the beauty of the earth – 1st Verse

Harry Lamont

And God said, “Let there be an expanse between the waters to separate water from water,” and God called the expanse sky. And there was evening and there was morning – the second day.”

Lord God, we pray for all those whose lives have been torn apart by war or terror or want. We continue to pray for the people of Syria and especially in Aleppo gripped by hunger and fear in their city surrounded and cut off from outside aid. We ask that you will turn the hearts of national and international leaders and give them the will to bring an end to this brutal civil war that seeds of peace and justice will take root..

For the beauty of the earth – 2nd Verse

Laura McKane

And God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place and let dry ground appear.” And there was evening and there was morning – the third day.

We pray for farmers busy providing food for us to eat. Keep them safe from accidents especially at this harvest time when they are working hard, to gather their crops in time. We remember those farmers who are feeling a real sense of loneliness,.. and other pressures. May they, and we, know that God is our refuge and strength in all times and seasons.

For the beauty of the earth – 3rd Verse

Josh Wharry

And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark the seasons and days and years,” and it was so. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening, and there was morning – the fourth day.

Dear God, we pray for all children and young people as they seek to find your place for them in the world. Protect the innocent from those who desire to exploit and abuse them. And we pray for those whose lives have been ravaged by war and terrorism. Bless all young people who struggle with their self-identity that they may come to understand theyare made in the image of a loving and caring heavenly Father with purpose and destiny and dignity in mind.

For the beauty of the earth – 4th Verse

Kathy Burnett

And God said, “Let the waters teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the sky.” And God saw that it was good. God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth. And there was evening and there was morning – the fifth day.

Dear God, we pray for all who are going through a tough time in their lives:. for those coming to terms with the death of a loved one – May they know your courage comfort and peace . We pray for your healing for all who are struggling with health issues,for those with terminal illness that you would grant to them and their families the reassurance of your presence for this journeythat they may know the reality of Christ’s eternal victory over death.

For the beauty of the earth – 5th Verse.

Charlie Lynn

``And God said, “Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds; livestock, creatures that move along the ground, and wild animals, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. Then God said, “Let us make man in our own image, in our likeness, so God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female He created them. And God saw all that He had made, and it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.`

Lord we remember all situations where the value of a person’s life is reduced to very little through extortion and greed of unscrupulous people Restore the dignity of all victims of trafficking and heal their traumatised minds.

We ask all our prayers in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen, who taught us to pray:.

Our Father who art in heaven,

hallow'd 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 trespasses as we forgive

those who trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil

for Thine is the kingdom the power and the glory for ever and ever.

AMEN

Phyllis In our prayers we are dependent on God’s faithfulness. Our anthem rejoices in it:

He’s Always Been Faithful to me

Choir Anthem: “He’s Always Been Faithful to me!”

Sermon –Rev Daniel Kane (see attached)

I know it’s a bit early in the morning for a food tasting session!!

But I’d like you to join me at my local supermarket where the shelves are packed full of all kinds of tastes and flavours from all over the world.

Spices all the way from India, grapes from Italy, spices from South Africa And long, red, sausage shaped chillies!

Wow – I bet you they’re a bit hot for my liking!

And what about a good North Antrim spud from the farm up at Whitepark Bay – that’ll be really tasty with a big nub of butter.

And over here - luscious red strawberries – those will go down well for the fruit salad!

On this harvest Sunday morning we’re giving thanks to God for all his amazing provision in every aspect of daily lives.

I’m the son of a local farmer whose brothers still work hard on the family farm, and as I stand in the supermarket aisle I have to remind myself that behind every one of these delicious things to eat and taste there stands a farmer and a farmer’s family!

And that’s something we forget far too easily!

It’s true to say that farmers have probably been through one of the deepest crises ever in the farming industry! It might surprise you to hear that bearing in mind recent publicity about the extent of grants and subsidies for some, that economic recovery for many is still very fragile and delicate.

So this harvest Sunday morning I want to reassure all farmers and their families of our on-going pastoral and prayerful support.

Now - all this talk about tasting will remind many of a well-known verse from the Bible.

A verse which holds out a very lovely invitation to each and every one of us.

Psalm 34 v8 which invites us to:-

“Taste and see that the Lord is good!”

If listening to the Archers is an insufficiently robust source of information, the Ulster Farmer’s Union claims the average farm income in 2015/16 will drop by 46% to £13,451. Maybe if you’re a farmer who has had to sell up or is facing the possibility of doing so, then this must put a terrible strain on you and your family and your relationships.

God is good?

You don’t think so!

Maybe you have just been to see the Consultant at the hospital and the scan results are very bad, worse than you expected, so now you are on a different kind of journey that will involve invasive surgery and vicious chemotherapy.

How can you know that the Lord is good!

And look at the state of the world we live in – especially the blood bath that is Syria!

How can we say that God is good when and aid convoy taking food and supplies to beleaguered people in a bombed out city is blown to smithereens with the loss of innocent lives?

Taste and see that the Lord is good – really??

And what difference is it going to make to my life anyway?

What hope does it offer me with the struggles I face every day?

For me, personally it’s a huge deal that the Lord is good!

It matters to us that the Lord is good otherwise where would we be in terms of knowing we can trust our lives to Him?

We need to know that when the chips are down and life is costing us dearly we can run to a good God who is kind and caring and loving and gracious!

A good God who is able to meet all our needs, physically, psychologically, and emotionally – whatever!!

That’s what our Bible Reading from Luke’s Gospel is all about!

Imagine you’re all tucked up in bed - cosy and comfortable, the door is locked and the lights have been turned off!

Then in the middle of the night there’s a loud banging on the front door!

Wouldn’t you tell the person to go away?

You’re not getting up to answer the door at this time of the night!

They can wait to the morning!

Unfortunately people often have to hound us to get what they need!

And this is exactly what Jesus is talking about in Luke 11.

In these verses Luke is not telling us what God is like!

He’s telling us what we are like!

And by contrast he’s saying that God is not like us!

God is good!

So the reasoning goes something like this!

If we, who are evil and who need to be hounded into doing even basic good things for those around us, would never dream of giving our children snakes instead of fish, or scorpions instead of eggs, how much better a gift giver is God?

That’s the basis of this very strong argument for the goodness of God!

If we, who often can’t even find the time or be bothered to do a favour for a friend, know how to give good gifts to our children, imagine the surpassing splendour of the gifts that God wants to give to us!

God is a fabulous gift-giver in two superb ways:-

first He is always there and we don’t have to rouse Him in the middle of the night and drag him reluctantly out of his bed!

Secondly, His greatest gift is amazing he it’s the gift of His only begotten Son, the Lord Jesus!

And the promise that there is forgiveness of our sins and life spent with God in heaven for all who put their trust in him

So taste and experience for yourself that the Lord is indeed good!

We give reluctantly – God gives over-flowingly!

We give after being hounded – God gives before even being asked!

We give after we have worked out whether or not we can afford it – God gives at great personal cost!

We give to people we feel deserve it – God gives to the undeserving!

So whatever your situation this Harvest Sunday morning you can taste and see that the Lord is good, simply because He is!

And there are some practical ways in which we can see that God is good.

We could take time to sit down and spend part of each day with God’s word, reading and reflecting on a portion of the Bible

And then take five minutes to thank God for something in our lives that we would normally take for granted!

And of course a great way to taste and experience the goodness of God is in prayer!

Above all God is the only one who has given His only beloved Son to die in our place that we might be set free and find our true security

So Jesus stands before us this very morning wherever we are and He says

“Taste and see that the Lord is good!”

He is the God of the enough for every one of us!

Praise: “We Plough the Fields and Scatter.”

Benediction