Thanksgiving C

 Embodying Gratitude

This sermon was written by Rev. Ali Smith at Forest Hill United in Fredericton. My off the cuff sermon was based on these notes.

My Autumn Drive

Throughout the Season of Creation,

I have been sharing with you

how much I have been enjoying Autumn this year.

I know that every year Autumn rolls around

and the leaves change colour

and fall to the ground

in preparation for winter.

But this year,

it's beauty has really struck me.

This week,

I went for a drive on the winding highway

between Fredericton and the Miramichi,

as I often do -

through some of the most picturesque places

New Brunswick has to offer;

places like Nashwaak and Taymouth,

Boistown and Doaktown,

and finally Blackville and Renous.

Most of the leaves, at this point,

had changed colour.

So, my eyes were met with a beautiful palate

of browns, golds, oranges, and reds.

Pine needles, like confetti,

covered the road.

The air was clear

and the sunshine was warm

as if hanging on from summer

for just a little bit longer.

Every now and again,

I would come across a produce stand,

filled with crisp delicious-looking apples

and bright orange pumpkins

that looked like they came

straight out of a child's colouring book.

And most of the people I saw out of my window

were wearing cozy Fall sweaters.

At several points,

birds soared gracefully overhead

in the blue sky.

And as I got closer to my destination,

a family of deer jogged across the road

up ahead,

with their white tails

standing at attention up in the air.

Driving down that road,

I felt blessed to have this time,

to have this beautiful scenery

that was speaking to my soul.

For two full hours,

I breathed it all in

and indulged myself

in my surroundings,

in the feelings stirred inside of me,

as if I had spent the afternoon at the spa.

I felt a deep appreciation

for what was before me

and found myself saying aloud

to no one in particular,

"This is beautiful."

And it was beautiful.

And it made me feel good.

And though I don't recall saying any words of prayer,

I could feel gratitude for God and for nature

deep in my bones.

My awareness, my alertness, my enjoyment

was my prayer of thanksgiving.

Words weren't necessary,

as something more powerful was happening;

I was embodying gratitude.

A Simple Thanks

How can one possibly come up with the words to say to God

when one experiences holy moments like this?

How are we to pray to the One who gives us so much?

As I was preparing for Thanksgiving Sunday,

I was pondering how we can possibly say thank you

to this generous God that is a constant presence in our lives.

A quote from the 13th century German mystic kept coming to mind.

I think I might have shared it with you last year

in the Thanksgiving bulletin.

Meister Eckhart is credited with having said:

"If the only prayer

you ever say in your entire life

is thank you,

it will be enough."

When giving thanks,

the words don't really matter

but the feeling of gratitude is important.

God is not sitting around

waiting for us to offer appropriate praise.

God is concerned with how we live our lives.

God wants us to live lives of gratitude -

to be thankful in the ordinary moments of our day -

moments like when we drive in our cars down a country road.

God wants us to feel gratitude

with our bodies and our hearts and our minds.

That will change who we are.

Embodiment

We see this embodiment modelled for us in scripture.

At Story Time,

we talked about the leper

who felt such gratitude for the help that Jesus had provided

that he could not stop himself

from getting down on his hands and knees

in an act of thanksgiving.

It wasn't what the leper said that impressed Jesus

because all that the leper said was "thank you".

He didn't make any great speech of praise.

What impressed Jesus

was the deep gratitude that the leper obviously felt.

The gratitude that he embodied

and thus shone right through him.

Jesus could see that he was thankful

and had great faith.

This morning,

we hear another wonderful story of gratitude embodiment

as we hear a thanksgiving story of the Israelites.

These ancient people had journeyed for generations.

Sometimes the journey was rewarding,

other times tedious,

and sometimes it was downright painful.

But with every step they took through the wilderness,

they felt a connection to God

and walked on with thanksgiving.

Even when they grumbled

or were ready to give up,

they continued to give thanks for God's promise

to bring them to a land all their own.

And then when they got to that land,

they gave thanks each and every year

in a great act of thanksgiving

that went well beyond words.

Each year,

they worked the land with their hands,

digging deep in the rich soil,

caring for crops until they were ripe.

When the time was right,

they gathered the first produce of the harvest

and put it in a basket.

They then carried this basket of first-fruits

to the altar -

a special place set aside for worshipping God

Then, with the same hands that tilled the land,

they put their offering on this altar.

Then they would physically bow to God

and say some words

to remember the many blessings

that God has bestowed upon them.

Once everyone had offered their first-fruits in this way,

the people got together and had a feast -

an ancient potluck, you might say.

And everyone was invited to feast -

neighbours and strangers alike.

This is another journey of sorts,

shorter perhaps,

but not unlike the journey

of their people

into the promised land.

And it is a journey filled with thanksgiving.

The words aren't what's important in this act.

It's the feeling of thanksgiving

that fill the people deep down to the bone;

a gratitude so deep that their bodies can't help but respond.

This became the ritual of the Israelites

and our thanksgiving ritual is not so different, is it?

We too gather the fruits of the Fall

but, instead of an altar,

we put them on our decorated dinner tables.

Then we gather around with those we care about

and share a delicious meal

that has been lovingly grown and prepared for us.

And while this is a great ritual

that most of us look forward to,

we must remember that

the Israelites weren't just doing a single act of thanksgiving on this one day;

they lived thanks with their entire lives.

And we are called to do the same.

Practices

So, how can we live thanksgiving with our entire being?

Today, when you look at your plate of food,

whether it is elaborate or simple,

take a moment to recognize the colours and the aromas

before you dig in.

In simply admiring what is before you,

you are giving thanks in a deep way.

Each week when you come to church,

take time to look around this circle,

perhaps when we sing a hymn,

and really take in the faces that you see.

See what you can see in those that share your space.

This is a great act of thanksgiving.

When you exercise this week,

whether it's a high intensity workout

or a simple stroll around your neighbourhood,

pay attention to what your body is doing.

Feel the way your muscles move,

the way you use energy,

the sweat the forms on your brow.

In doing so,

you are giving thanks for this beautiful body

you have been given.

When you spend time with your pet,

allow yourself to really feel connected to her.

As you touch her fur with your fingers

or feel her rub against your leg,

fill yourself with gratitude for this presence.

Conclusion

Live out of a place of deep gratitude.

Live your life as a response

to being given all that you will ever need for free.

Live knowing that God is always with you.

Live thanksgiving.

This week, a wonderful Canadian writer

won the Nobel Prize in Literature.

Her words are a blessing to us.

So, I end my sermon

with words from Alice Munro.

They are from her story "Gravel":

            "The thing is to be happy," he said.

            "No matter what. Just try that.

            You can. It gets easier and easier.

            It's nothing to do with circumstances.

            You wouldn't believe how good it is.

            Accept everything and tragedy disappears.

            Or tragedy lightens, anyway,

            and you're just there,

            going along easy with the world."

Thanks be to God!