Harvest Sunday 2003...

Harvest Festivals with Thanksgiving rites exist in almost every religious culture. In England there was rejoicing when they brought in the last bundle of sheaves. Folklore has it that Christians chanted the Kyrie eleison, as heard at Mass, to bring in the last grain. In some places the last sheaf was tied into a wreathe, or twisted into a cross and tied with festive ribbons & flowers.

In the Old Testament Moses established Thanksgivings for the Harvest. One was the Feast of the Spring Harvest (Had Shavu'oth- Leviticus 23:15-21 and the other of the Fall Harvest (Sukkoth- Leviticus 29-43). Read Deut. 16:9-11 and Deut. 16:13-15.

Christian celebrations were not evident until the Middle Ages. Similar to all was a presentation of what was grown to the Lord. The parish priest blessed the offering & received them as a gift for God's work. From Harvest comes our American Thanksgiving.

Today in other parts of the Anglican Communion, the Harvest makes up just about all of the parish's income for the next year. These Christians believe in the Biblical Tithe and dedicate 10% of their land to God. Here at St. Paul's we bring in our pledge cards at the Harvest Festival.