Bringing in the Sheaves

The harvest around us seems to be progressing quickly so far. We continue to pray for safety for those who are farming and driving trucks for farmers. We pray also for an abundance that will meet our needs and allow us to also be generous.

The fields going from full of cornstalks or beans to bare fields overnight is reminding me of the times that Jesus speaks of the harvest. When Jesus sent out the 72 to spread the message of God’s Kingdom, he said to them, ““The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field,” (Luke 10:2, NIV).

On another occasion, Jesus and his disciples were in Samaria. It was a place the disciples probably did not want to even have many conversations with those who lived there because of the centuries of animosity between their people and the Samaritans. Here Jesus tells them, “Don’t you have a saying, ‘It’s still four months until harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. Even now the one who reaps draws a wage and harvests a crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together,” (John 4:35-36, NIV).

My prayer is that we can have eyes opened to see the spiritual harvest around us as obviously as we can see the physical harvest. I pray that we are willing to be workers willing to work in God’s Kingdom to reap a harvest.

While it’s been in the bulletin, I want to draw attention to the fact that our potluck this month will be on October 22nd rather than October 29th. The reason for this is that on Sunday, October 22nd we will be hosting the interim Executive Director of the Mennonite Mission Network, Marisa Smucker. This will give us some additional time to spend with her.

Oh, and about “Bringing in the Sheaves.” That’s a hymn I remember from my childhood. In our church the deacons would take up the collection, and they would all take it to the front of the sanctuary where one of them would pray over it. I also imagined that’s what the song was about. However, as a child I didn’t know what a sheaf was, so I thought we were singing “Bringing in the Cheese.”

Hope to see you Sunday!

God bless, Brian

Scripture readings for next Sunday Colossians 1:9-14—What role does our mind have in our being followers of Jesus?

Deuteronomy 4:1-14—What is emphasized about teaching in this passage?

Matthew 22:23-40—Where can we see Jesus emphasizing learning in this passage?

Romans 12:1-8—What does it mean for our minds to “be renewed”?