Harvest Festival
"Let us give thanks and praise"
Shortly we will reach the point in our worship this morning, where as we approach the sacraments of bread and wine when we say together: "Let us give thanks and praise". I wonder if we, if I, ponder enough on the need to give thanks and praise to God...Yet this short sentence contains the point that Moses and Jesus make in the readings we have just heard.
Us
As a Parish, like so many in the northern hemisphere, we have been celebrating Harvest and the natural environment; it is a time to be grateful and remember what we have - and to celebrate - which we do, and well!
We dance, like we did last week, and eat and drink - and at the same time try to do something for those whose need is greater than ours - so we collect produce and share it; in our case this year with the Trussell trust.
This time of Harvest, like a few other key times in our Church year is a Big Thank You time to God - like Christmas and Easter - and in many cases these are the times when people come to church to express thanks!! But, do we remember to Thank God at the other times too...the duller...the difficult...the forgetful times...the good times??
Scriptural context
The readings for today are those set for this year's Harvest-tide, a time when the church hopes to encourage people to give thanks for what God gives to sustain us. The focus at harvest time is certainly on thanking God for the Harvest - whenever it may be these days, or wherever it is produced. And for those near and far whose livelihoods depend on the chain of production and selling. Food to keep us active and as healthy as possible; and also to hold before God those communities who do not have enough, if any food - and we see so many of these examples, too many.
But as Christians we also know that to sustain the body is just not enough - for we are more than physical beings. We often use the phrase: body, mind and soul. All these need to be sustained; these make us fully human - so God provides for us in countless ways, seen and unseen, expected and unexpected...perhaps not that winning lottery ticket...
Theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote: "Only they who give thanks for little things receive the big things. We prevent God from giving us the great spiritual gifts he has in store for us because we do not give thanks for daily gifts."
Thanksgiving
I found it rather interesting to also see that the reading for today will be used in the coming months for another of the Big times of the year over the pond - in North America - as Thanksgiving is celebrated.
(They sometimes do things well there - great motorcycles and burgers; women bishops and primates; and celebrations.)
Thanksgiving has its origins in the year or so after the Pilgrim Fathers (and mothers and children!) landed from Plymouth in search of freedom and prosperity - but unused to the seasons and conditions life was very hard: as it had been for the Jews with Moses. After a year however they learned to cultivate and harvest - and life got much better. So they gave thanks to God for every little thing - and held a feast. Although the origins may be cloudy now, Americans and Canadians try to recall this.
Old Testament
So, let's look back into our reading from the Book of Deuteronomy. We see the Jews in the Old Testament story, hot and weary from their travels in the wilderness, close now to the Promised Land. They were warned by Moses not to forget the reasons and events, their liberation from slavery, which had brought them to this point. That God was acting in all of their lives to win for himself a Holy People. The Promised Land was more than just good fertile land - it was God's plan for it to be a land of goodness and wholeness: an image called upon by Martin Luther King in his final speech - "I have seen the Promised Land, but I may not get there with you." Well, the people got there, but failed to understand its nature and fullness, and became too expectant over time that times would be good and forgot to remember, thank and praise their God.
They had been through hard times and times of uncertainty ever since leaving the restricted but safe confines of Egypt - their situation was on the verge of improving as they reach the Promised Land. There was to be plenty and comfort. But because of an easing of life, would they forget the providence of God? Would they become used to plenty and comfort - and in turn, demand and expect it.
So as life became easier in the Promised Land the people got a bit more expectant that food, drink, prosperity and the protection of God would just be there for them: they were the chosen ones and God loved them. Indeed they were, and indeed he did - but the relationship was slipping to be one-sided - God gave and they took. All very human: when considering over-consumption at Harvest time, we often hear that it is an illness, a social one, as we begin to expect and demand...
As for Worship - the honour and time given to God, it became sidelined to ritual without love, and other things, such as the Golden Calf came in to replace God, despite all he had done for his people. The relationship with God was not whole; misinterpreted and misunderstood - not based on love, thanks and praise. How often the Gospel accounts tell of Jesus trying to make people understand!
New Testament
Among the great many functions of the religious professionals at the time of Jesus, the priests' task was to indicate who was in the close knit people of God and who was not. Race and health had much to do with this, and so foreigners - particularly Samaritans - were "out", and so were many unclean people - particularly lepers. If you fell into both categories; you had no chance!
Until Jesus explained the heart of the matter - that to be "in", all that was required was to respond to God by recognising what God was doing and to be thankful!!
In the Gospel account from Luke we see the group of leprosy suffers, perhaps united by their quarantine, out in some remote spot see Jesus approach. They have heard about him already and know he is able to heal. So they call out to him as he approaches - "Master, have pity / heal us!" Ten would be made better by Jesus, but one of those would also be made whole - here I refer to the King James translation; worked on by Lancelot Andrewes who the church also remembers today. All of the leprosy sufferers were faithful enough to respond to Jesus, and to be healed as they made their ways back to society. The nine did just what was expected of them; they diligently followed the instructions of Jesus and went to show themselves to the priest. The tenth couldn't - as a Samaritan where would s/he go...unless back to the one who had made him/her whole...and thereby confirmed a relationship with God. Thankfulness and praise unbounded followed!! The outsider was the one who was "in" God's kingdom. Interestingly, it was another "outsider" who is really celebrated at Thanksgiving: Squanto the Amerindian who shows the settlers what to do! The Samaritan leper shows the chosen people what to do too! Take God's gift and be thankful. This is the true law and wish of God.
In summary
Martin Luther was once asked to describe the nature of true worship.
His answer: the tenth leper turning back. His return to give thanks and praise is an example of what our worship is - seeing God at work and letting our lives be changed.
As we approach God's bounty, soon to be offered up on the altar, let us be like that tenth leper - or more accurately - ex-leper! The only place we should go is to God - in thanks, praise and worship - and become whole!!
So let us do so..."Let us give thanks and praise"
Rev Iori Price