Sunday: “We Plow the Fields and Scatter” ELW #681
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.
Refrain
All good gifts around us
Are sent from heav'n above.
Then thank the Lord, oh, 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.
Refrain
3 We thank you, our creator,
For all things bright and good,
The seed-time and the harvest,
Our life, our health, our food.
No gifts have we to offer
For all your love imparts,
But what you most would treasure
Our humble, thankful hearts.
Refrain
We are teaching our daughters the Lord’s Prayer and Luther’s explanations from the Small Catechism. Not by rote memorization yet, but through conceptual means. We are particularly fond of the 4th petition, “Give us this day our daily bread,” and we’ve developed a game where we try to identify the many different ways God has given us all we need to tend to our bodies and lives in the course of the day. There’s nothing quite like telling a giggling 4 year-old that God provided the broccoli she didn’t want to eat at supper as well as the ice cream we promised if she would just eat her vegetables. This is the holy work to which we are called, parents and all of us: to teach the world about our good Creator who gives all good gifts and to whom we offer praise and thanksgiving.
We thank you, O God, for the many ways you provide all we need and more. Your goodness is everlasting and your mercy stretches beyond sunrise and sunset. Instill in us your grace and care for all of creation, that we might offer ourselves and all you have given us to you in thanksgiving. Amen.
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