St Margaret's Church Prestwich

This article was first published in the October 2019 issue of our parish magazine.

One of my favourite songs in the Sunday School Repertoire is Thank You Lord, by Mark & Helen Johnson of Out of the Ark Music. I tend to drop it into our weekly singing practices whenever I feel there is something to be grateful for – the sunshine, the rain, plentiful hot clean running water, my family, my friends, the food in the cupboards, for waking up reasonably healthy, for being born into a first-world country.

Harvest is a good time to take stock and count our blessings. These are the Harvest that God heaps on us on a daily basis, often taken for granted. Traditionally, we give thanks for the harvest of crops gathered in and shared (albeit via supermarkets!), and this happens with astonishing generosity at both of our churches. For me personally, it is a privilege to ‘harvest’ my gifts (music, pedagogy and digital communications) and share them with the church family. I particularly enjoy the energy with which our Sunday School sing this song and play percussion instruments in the choruses:

• Thank you Lord, (thank you Lord)
• For this day, (for this day)
• For your love, (for your love)
• In all we do!
• Thank you now, (thank you now)
• For Sunday School, (for Sunday School)
• For our friends, (for our friends)
• All we can do.
• CHORUS We want to say thank you for this day,
• We want to say thank you Lord always.
• We want to say thank you God, in everything,
• ’Cause all you give is good!
•  
• 2 Thank you Lord, (thank you Lord)
• For our homes, (for our homes)
• For our food, (for our food)
• All that you give!
• Thank you now, (thank you now)
• We can laugh, (we can laugh)
• We can sing, (we can sing)
• Learn as we live.
• CHORUS
•  
• 3 Thank you Lord, (thank you Lord)
• For this world, (for this world)
• All you’ve made, (all you’ve made)
• All that you do!
• Thank you now, (thank you now)
• For my life, (for my life)
• For your care, (for your care)
• All that is You!
• CHORUS x 2
• ’Cause all you give is good!
• ’Cause all you give is good!

Words and Music by Mark and Helen Johnson

© 2007 Out of the Ark Ltd, Middlesex TW12 2HD

CCLI Song No. 5079777

Carol P