Holiday snaps (8): Harvest prayer

From the very beginning, Lord

men and women have tilled the soil

and cultivated plants and trees for food

And today, in our society

in which fruit and vegetables are easily available in supermarkets

people still choose to grow their own

in gardens and allotments,

window boxes and pots

We give you thanks, Lord

for the pleasure to be had

from eating our own crop

and we give you thanks, Lord

that our lives do not solely depend

on a good harvest of our own potatoes

or apples

We pray for farmers and their families

here at home and in other lands

who grow and rear food to nourish us

who must go out in the early morning

and late in the evening

because there is work to do

and your creation to be cared for

We pray for those whose harvest

has been poor this year

especially where disruption has been caused by war

We ask for your wisdom

to be a guiding principle

for those who make the rules

which govern world trade

for those working to improve animal welfare

for those involved in research

into the growing of crops

We make our prayers

in the name of Jesus Christ

the Sower of the seeds of faith

in the hearts of his people

Amen