Oh yes - a life without worry - how wonderful that would be.  How many people here worry? 

As we heard from Caroline when she read the Gospel, God is telling us not to worry about our life.  Don't worry about clothes, food and drink, put God's work first and then everything else we need will be ours too.  (That is easier said than done, especially if you are a natural worrier like me - but trust God)  This year, more than ever, with the credit crunch, there are more people worrying how they will feed their families, whether they can stay in their house ... It is not easy to trust God when life gets really tough and jobs are lost.

Autumn has arrived this week and today we celebrate Harvest - giving to others what God has provided, sharing with those who are in need.  Later on we will ask you to bring up your gifts and they will be received on behalf of the Manna Centre in East London.  This is a centre of the homeless and with our gifts they can get a hot meal, baths and support.

I have a harvest gift here.  It's a heavy sack.  It represents the grain gathered from the harvest.  First the ground was ploughed, then the seeds were carefully sown, watered, the ground kept free from weeds and after growing all through the summer it has been gathered in.

Who has grown vegetables or fruit this year? [answers from children at the front]

Just as the farmer has had help growing the crops, I need someone to help me move this sack to the harvest display.  Can I have a helper?

[A group of children come up and work together to move the sack - one can't alone]

It is just as God wanted.  He asked his disciples to work together as a team to spread the word of God and we at St John's have a very beautiful church - look at the beautiful stained glass, the carving, the altar, frontal.  But, it is no more than a building, it is us that make special.  Everyone is important to God and has a part to play, whether we are in the orchestra, bell ringing, flower arranging, teaching or part of the PCC.  It is our actions that make it what it is.

Now it is time to look in the sack ...  we know that it is quite heavy ... what could be in the sack?

[Leo climbs out of the sack]  Oh, look! It is Leo.  You may wonder why he is part of our harvest.

Today is a very special day for Leo.  He was once a small seed that grew and through the love of his family, extended family here, friends' care, teaching in Sunday School and the Go Generation, Faith Camp and school; through prayer and reading the Bible, he has decided he wants to live as a disciple of Christ.  This is a big decision that he is taking and we all feel very, very proud of him.  He is going to make some promises later in the service as Geoffrey baptises him and we will be asked to support him. 

So just as seeds grow, we celebrate Harvest here today, we thank God for the boy who has grown spiritually to become close to God.  We pray that as he matures he will live as a disciple of Jesus just like those first disciples.