imageIn a few hours, we will gather for an all-ages worship Celebration of the Canadian Thanksgiving. In a sense, every Sunday worship is thanks-giving, to God, for….well pretty much everything. So, why pick out one day in the year and call it Thanksgiving?  I am not going to get into the histories of American and Canaudan Thanksgiving, or get side-tracked by turkeys and pumpkins, but rather I am going to look at the lectionary Old Testament reading, from Deuteronomy 8:7-18.

The plot of the book of Deuteronomy has Moses leading the escaped slaves across the wilderness of Sinai towards the Promised Land. Knowing that he himself will not live long enough to enter the land himself, Moses sits the people down to teach them all what he know about God, and the relationship God wants to keep with the people.  In this section, Moses tells a desert-dusty people to imagine the fruitful land God is leading them towards, one with olive trees, and pomegranates, and vineyards, and streams that flow year round…. A land of blessing and abundance…..we don’t have to imagine it, because we live in such a place. But Moses is worried; he’s lived with these people long enough to fear that once they arrive and settle in the land, they will forget that all if it is a gift from God.  A land given to be cared for, sustainably, and the fruits of which are meant to be shared with all, especially the poor.

He pleads with them, “Don’t forget! Don’t forget God in the midst of your wealth and well being!”  Wise words to those of us living in this land of abundance. The injunction to remember and be thankful is one we do well to heed.

Tomorrow, then, we will remember, and we will “make” thanks together in a number of hands on activities during worship.

See you Sunday!