The end of another growing season is coming to an end and Harvest is underway. When we speak of harvest we think of Farmers who collect the mature crops that they have planted and toiled over for months. Well just like farmers we all have planted something, like a job, a relationship, or a hobby and toiled over it in hopes that it would mature and bring about good things. The same is so in our spiritual lives, that we would plant good things like the fruits of the spirit: self-control, love, faithfulness, kindness, peace, joy, patience, gentleness, goodness, and forgiveness, and that in our toiling over them they would grow in us bringing about those good things for a great harvest. We will not all harvest the same thing nor the same amount. But for whatever you harvest, give thanks. Give thanks if it is less than what you expected or more than what you expected. Give thanks if it is nothing of what you expected or not quite ready to harvest. Give thanks if you have just planted seed or forgotten what you planted some time ago, just give thanks. When I look at the church and all the seeds that had been planted and harvested from which we eat of its fruit, I am thankful. When I see the people of God looking like—acting like Christ in in this world, sowing seeds of loving one another and forgiving one another, doing good and no harm to one another, and trying to stay in love with God. I am thankful for those fruits. After I have given of my time, talents, and tithes, I am thankful for what God shall bring about…whatever it is, no matter how large or small, seen or unseen, I am thankful that it is for God’s harvest. In giving thank unto God for the harvest, I am called to give unto God a tenth (a tithe) of the harvest: a tenth of my time, a tenth of my talents, a tenth of my income. This tithe should be gathered from the best that I have, off the top if you will and not the bottom or the leftovers. I desire to give to God first as it was God who supplied it in the first place. In giving the tenth, God has promised to pour out blessings that I will not have room enough to receive. I believe these blessings are primarily spiritual blessings but do not exclude material blessings. But let me be clear, I am not giving the tithes so that I will get blessings from God, I am giving the tithe because of what God has already done for me thru Jesus Christ and I love God so much for who God is. So, as I make my way through this harvest season, giving thanks unto God for supplying the harvest, I invite you to have renewed faith that in sowing you will reap and that through God’s faithfulness and promise if we give back first unto God, God will bless us abundantly. We have already provided a wonderful offering through our Ingathering kits and UMCOR bucket that we have collected for Ingathering the first Sunday of November. I now invite you to join me in “First Fruits Sunday,” Sunday, November 18th. Join me in bringing your financial tithe thanking God for the harvest of your income. Loving God heart, mind, soul, and strength, Pastor LaTonya