COME, YE THANKFUL PEOPLE, COME,
Raise the song of harvest home!
All is safely gathered in
Ere the winter storms begin.
God, our Maker, doth provide
For our needs to be supplied.
Come to God’s own temple, come,
Raise the song of harvest-home.

All the world is God’s own field,
Fruit unto His praise to yield.
Wheat and tares together sown,
Unto joy or sorrow grown.
First the blade, and then the ear,
Then the full corn shall appear:
Lord of harvest, grant that we
Wholesome grain and pure may be.

For the Lord our God shall come
And shall take His harvest home,
From His field shall in that day
All offences purge away,
Give His angels charge at last
In the fire the tares to cast,
But the fruitful ears to store
In His garner evermore.

Even so, Lord, quickly come,
Bring Thy final harvest home.
Gather Thou Thy people in,
Free from sorrow, free from sin.
There, forever purified,
In Thy garner to abide:
Come, with all Thine angels, come,
Raise the glorious harvest-home.
          Henry Alford.
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FOR THE BEAUTY OF THE EARTH,
For the beauty of the skies,
For the love which from our birth
Over and around us lies:
Father, unto Thee we raise
This our sacrifice of praise.

For the beauty of each hour
Of the day and of the night,
Hill and vale, and tree and flower,
Sun and moon, and stars of light:
Father, unto Thee we raise
This our sacrifice of praise.

For the joy of human love,
Brother, sister, parent, child,
Friends on earth, and friends above.
For all gentle thoughts and mild:
Father, unto Thee we raise
This our sacrifice of praise.

For each perfect gift of Thine
To our race so freely given,
Graces, human and divine,
Flowers of earth, and buds of heaven:
Father, unto Thee we raise
This our sacrifice of praise.
           Folliot S. Pierpoint.
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ALL CREATURES OF OUR GOD AND KING,
Lift up your voice and with us sing:
Hallelujah, hallelujah!
Thou burning sun with golden beam,
Thou silver moon with softer gleam:

O praise Him, O praise Him,
Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah!

Thou rushing wind that art so strong,
Ye clouds that sail in heaven along,
O praise Him, hallelujah!
Thou rising morn, in praise rejoice,
Ye lights of evening, find a voice:

Thou flowing water, pure and clear,
Make music for thy Lord to hear,
Hallelujah, hallelujah!
Thou fire so masterful and bright,
That givest man both warmth and light:

And all ye men of tender heart,
Forgiving others, take your part,
O sing ye, hallelujah!
Ye who long pain and sorrow bear,
Praise God and on Him cast your care:

Let all things their Creator bless,
And worship Him in humbleness,
O praise Him, hallelujah!
Praise, praise the Father, praise the Son,
And praise the Spirit, Three-in-One:
          St Francis of Assisi.
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WE PLOUGH 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.

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.

We thank Thee, then, O Father,
For all things bright and good.
The seedtime and the harvest,
Our life, our health, our food.
No gifts have we to offer
For all Thy love imparts,
But that which Thou desirest,
Our humble, thankful hearts.
        Matthias Claudius.
Contributors:   David Carter, Deborah Yeates, Jean Stables, Roger and Christine Edwards, Peter and Eve Nelson
Production:   David Carter