Above:  Buckingham’s General Store, Circa 1898

Image Source = Library of Congress

Litany Source = A Book of Worship for Free Churches (1948), the General Council of the Congregational and Christian Churches in the United States

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O Lord, who didst create the earth for our habitation, and the increase thereof for our enrichment,

Have mercy upon us.

On the earth and all that is therein; on the harvest of the soil; on the trade and industry of our people; on the soil by which the sons of men obtain thy abundant gifts,

We pray for thy blessing, O Lord.

On those who search for thy treasures hidden in the earth; on those who labor to make them fir for the use of man,

We pray for thy blessing, O Lord.

On those who work in the building and adoring of the churches in which we worship, of the homes in which we live, of the goodly palaces of fart, and government, and commerce,

We pray for thy blessing, O Lord.

On manufacturers and craftsmen; on those who devise cunning machines and are skilled in all manner of workmanship,

We pray for thy blessing, O Lord.

On merchants who bring thy gifts from foreign lands; on the men who go down to the sea in ships, and occupy their business in great waters,

We pray for thy blessing, O Lord.

On all who trade with us in the shop, or in the market; on all who serve at the counter, or in the office; on those who bring what we need for life, or comfort, or enjoyment, within reach of our homes,

We pray for thy blessing, O Lord.

O Lord, how manifold are thy works;

In wisdom thou hast made them all.

O Lord, how manifold are thy works;

The earth is full of thy riches.

O God, who orderest all things both in heaven and earth; grant that every man, according to the business which he hath undertaken among the sons of men, may know that he is thy servant therein; that whatsoever his hand findeth to do, he may do it as in thy service and to thy glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

–Pages 317-319

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This is post #1750 of GATHERED PRAYERS.

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Above:  Harvest Time (1791), by Jacob Cats (1741-1799)

Image Source = Library of Congress

Reproduction Number = LC-USZ62-71415

Prayer Source = Book of Worship (1942), Evangelical and Reformed Church

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Almighty and everlasting God, we yield thee hearty thanks for all thy goodness, and especially for this thy bounty again bestowed upon us, who, through thy providence and tender mercy, have now reaped the fruits of the earth in due season, and gathered them into our garners.  Give us power to use the same to thy glory, to the relief of those that are needy, and to our own comfort.  Continue, we beseech thee, thy lovingkindness toward us, that year by year our land may yield her increase, filling our hearts with joy and gladness; and so dispose us by thy special grace that we, thy servants, may never sow only to the flesh, lest of the flesh we reap corruption, but may sow spiritually to live everlasting, and reap the same in thy heavenly kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Above:  Cranberry Harvest in New Jersey

Image in the Public Domain

Hymn Source = American Lutheran Hymnal (1930) American Lutheran Church (1930-1960) and its immediate predecessors

Text (1838) by John Hampden Gurney (1802-1862)

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Lord of the harvest, Thee we hail!

Thine ancient promise doth not fail;

The varying seasons haste their round,

With goodness all our years are crowned;

Our thanks we pay

This festal day;

O let our hearts in tune be found.

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Lord of the harvest!  All is Thine:

The rains that fall, the suns that shine,

The seed once hidden in the ground,

The skill that makes our fruits abound;

New ev’ry year

Thy gifts appear;

New praises from our lips shall sound.

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Immortal honor, endless fame,

Attend th’Almighty Father’s name;

Like honor to th’Incarnate Son,

Who for lost man makes redemption won;

And equal praise

We thankful raise

To Thee, blest Spirit, with them One.

Above:  Corn Field in Colorado

Image in the Public Domain

Hymn Source = The English Hymnal (1906), The Church of England

Text (1851) by John Hampden Gurney (1802-1862)

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Fair waved the golden corn

In Canaan’s pleasant land,

When full of joy, some shining morn,

Went forth the reaper-band.

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To God so good and great

Their cheerful thanks they pour;

Then carry to his temple-gate

The choicest of their store.

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Like Israel, Lord, we give

Our earliest fruits to thee,

And pray that, long as we shall live,

We may thy children be.

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Thine is our youthful prime,

And life and all its powers;

Be with us in our morning time,

And bless our evening hours.

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In wisdom let us grow,

As years and strength are given,

That we may serve thy Church below,

And join thy Saints in heaven.

Above:  Autumn Trees

Image in the Public Domain

Text (1863) by Greville Phillimore (1821-1884)

Hymn Source = The Presbyterian Hymnal (1874), Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A.

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Summer ended, harvest o’er,

Lord! to thee our song we pour,

For the valley’s golden yield,

For the fruits of tree and field;

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For the promise ever sure

That while heaven and earth endure

Seed-time, harvest, cold and heat

Shall their yearly round complete;

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For the care which, while we slept,

Watch o’er field and furrow kept,

Watch o’er all the buried grain,

Soon to burst to life again.

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When the reaping angels bring

Tares and wheat before the King,

Jesus! may we gathered be

In the heavenly barn to thee.

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Then the angel-cry shall sound,

Praise the Lamb; the lost are found;

And the answering song shall be,

Alleluia, praise to thee–

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Praise to thee, the toil is o’er;

Blight and curse shall be no more;

Lo! the mighty work is done:

Glory to the three in one.

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Above:  Farmers Harvesting Crops, by Pietro de Crescenzi (circa 1233-circa 1320)

Image Source = Library of Congress

Reproduction Number = LC-USZ62-110296

Hymn Source = Hymnal and Liturgies of the Moravian Church (Unitas Fratrum) (1923)

Words (1811) by Alice Flowerdew (1759-1830)

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1.  Fountain of mercy, God of love,

How rich Thy bounties are!

The rolling seasons, as they move,

Proclaim Thy constant care.

2.  When in the bosom of the earth

The sower hid the grain,

Thy goodness marked its secret birth,

And sent the early rain.

3.  The spring’s sweet influence was Thine;

The plants in beauty grew;

Thou gavest summer suns to shine,

And mild refreshing dew.

4.  These various mercies from above

Matured the swelling grain;

A yellow harvest crowns Thy love,

And plenty fills the plain.

5.  Fountain of love, our praise is Thine;

To Thee our songs we’ll raise,

And all created nature join

In sweet harmonious praise.

Above:  Part of the Hymn

Image Source = Kenneth Randolph Taylor

Hymn Source = The Hymnbook (1955), prepared by the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church, the Reformed Church in America, the Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A., the United Presbyterian Church of North America, and the Presbyterian Church in the United States

Original words by Claudius Matthias (1740-1815), a German Lutheran poet

English translation by Jane Montgomery Campbell (1817-1878), a member of the Church of England and a teacher of singing

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1.  We plow the fields, and scatter

The good seed on the land,

But it is fed and watered

By God’s almighty hand;

He sends the snow in winter,

The warmth to swell the grain,

The breezes and the sunshine,

And soft refreshing rain.

All good gifts around us

Are sent from heaven above;

Then thank the Lord,

O thank the Lord

For all His love.

2.  He only is the Maker

Of all things near and far;

He paints the wayside flower,

He lights the evening star;

The winds and waves obey Him,

By Him the birds are fed;

Much more to us, His children,

He gives our daily bread.

All good gifts around us

Are sent from heaven above;

Then thank the Lord,

O thank the Lord

For all His love.

3.  We thank thee, then, O Father,

For all things bright and good;

The seed-time and the harvest,

Our life, our health, our food;

Accept the gifts we offer,

For all Thy love imparts,

And what Thou most desirest,

Our humble, thankful hearts.

All good gifts around us

Are sent from heaven above;

Then thank the Lord,

O thank the Lord

For all His love.