To the Lord of the Harvest
“Let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.”
The late John August Swanson painted this image after the inspiration of Psalm 67:6, “Our God has blessed the earth with a wonderful harvest!” He writes:
On a beautiful cool morning, as the sun rises, the sky lightens and rays of sunlight cause the ripened fruit to glow, the farmers begin to work. The fruit is a gift of their labor. Some tend to the plants and others the soil. They gather the blessings of an abundant harvest. They work together to support their families. With gratitude, they share their harvest with their community.
Bringing to his art the inheritances of his Mexican mother and his Swedish father, as well his studies in medieval and Islamic miniature and Russian iconography, Swanson was a distinctively American artist, while at the same time deeply rooted in the ancient and the perennial substance of the old world. It is “folk art” of an aspirationally universal Folk. His colorful catalogue bursts with the hopeful energy of life and spirit, testifying to a beautiful insight that bridges the material and spiritual worlds.
O come and see the works of God, how wonderful he is in his doing toward all people!
— Psalm 66:4
Fourth Sunday after Pentecost
Texts for This Week
Prayer
Grant us, O Lord, we pray, the spirit to think and do always those things that are right, that we, who can do no good thing apart from you, may by you be enabled to live according to your will; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
Scriptures
Your Labor is not in Vain
The collaborative, ecumenical worship project “The Porter’s Gate” gifts us this lovely song from their first album, an album of “Work Songs” (2017). As we are discouraged by disappointing labors — labors that fall short of our expectations, labors that seem to yield little to no fruit — we are comforted by this lovely chorus, “Your labor is not in vain!” It is a good word, but a better word still is that word spoken by our Lord in this weeks Gospel. He invites us to rejoice — not for the success of our works (even when they are successful!) — but for that are names are written in the Book of Life (Luke 10:20). All praise to him for such good news!
A little bonus this week: here is a prayer, taken from W. David O. Taylor, for those who are growing weary of doing good.
O God, you who see the hearts of all with perfect clarity, I confess my irritation with those who bully their way with words, who think no one sees what they do in the shadows, and who live in a world of denial. I’m angry and scared and tired of doing the right thing. Strengthen my heart, I pray, so that I might not lose hope. I pray this in the name of the Good Shepherd and Just Judge.
