THANKSGIVING SUNDAY OCTOBER 8 - ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE
Carolyn Smith
Attitude of Gratitude
It’s high time for Pie time! Who’s the apple pie crowd around here? Pumpkin? Cherry? Lemon Meringue? There are few things as simple as the items that make up the table this weekend. Squash, beans, measly potatoes. That same potato, in August or March? No big deal, but add it to a table viewed through festive nostalgic eyes, mashed with butter… Abundance! Thanksgiving! My grandma’s family lived on a farm - I’ve heard about cows, corn, a huge garden…. And so there was a lot to do and there were always farmhands around working, and part of her job after feeding the chickens and getting the big meal ready for everyone. And the trick was - after everyone was getting back up from the table to get back to work, were there still some potatoes leftover in the bowl. If there were, then everyone had had enough. For simply enough food in this world of hunger, for friends in a world of division, for faith in a world of fear, we give thanks. You’ve heard it said “the blessings of God for the people of God,” and we make our list of things we’re thankful for…? … We list: food, friends, family and faith. Of course we do! And our patterns of saying thanks are happily predictable! We have hugs and handshakes, cakes and presents, we send cards and make donations Prayers of the people on Sundays, quiet prayers on our own and grace around the table - we all say grace around the table every day??… fond memories of that! And Thanksgiving as the harvest comes in. Our faith tradition is embedded with celebration of abundance of God’s creation and grace. Each Sunday is sabbath time - the seventh day after creation, we tell of God resting. The Noah legend - climbed off the Ark for a celebration beneath a Covenant rainbow. The faith story we carry says ‘stop and remember the struggles behind us, acknowledge what is all around, we don’t have to work to the bone every day and we get a day of rest. We don’t hoard our stuff, but we share and eat and care for each other.’ Our traditions all sing of simple, healing, elemental acknowledgment & gratitude of what life on this earth can offer. I guess you could say we know how to throw a party! Jesus for all these faithful traditions of Sabbath days and celebrating, couldn’t help but see the shadows off to the side, the dark spots and who was left out. When we hear about the 10 people who met Jesus that day, calling out for mercy, have you ever thought of them just like you? They get lumped in together as ‘those 9!” And off they go - and it’s been so easy to wag our fingers: “Ungrateful!” But they had faith in Jesus- that’s why they asked, they did just as they were told - and they aren’t what the story is about. Jesus responds as we expect - He says ‘go tell the priests!’ And as they realize their sores are healing, and energy returning, they did just as he expected, did what they were told told, just as he & they knew to do. It happens that for the sick people cast out of town into little settlements - it protected the whole community, and the only way back home to their family and life was to get a clean bill of health from the Priests. And then, of course, their traditions of celebrating, sacrifice, and sabbath times together offered their faithful praise and thanksgiving to God - it was bound to happen, all in good time. They & Jesus had a culture of ritual thanksgiving, just gotta stop first on the way home at the doctor, and then pharmacy for some Tylenol and bandaids. We do this all the time, just updated for the 21st century. Just like we save some prayers for Sunday morning, after week rushing around and then a bit of time to reflect or send a card of thanks. Around all the other things of life. When those nine people in the story ran off to the priests, they were grateful and were going to show it. Maybe they were also maxed out after being so long separated, lonely and running on empty so that they arrived home and collapsed in the arms of their loved ones for a nap. They did just as we, as Jesus could expect them to. God bless them. It was that last one - the tenth person that shines out, that surprises us. In a group outside a little town, where 9 are the same and 1 is different - what was he there for? sick - yes, but clearly now separate. Remember those shadows that Jesus couldn’t help but see, the ones in the shadows, on the margins? In readjusting our lens for the dim edges, away from the familiar, sunny story, we discover the depths of longing and the height of thanksgiving. Off go the 9! And this 1 lags behind… and then he lifts his arms in wonder! Jesus SEES him now - separated, and calls him ‘a foreigner,’ and we’ve heard Jesus tell of Samaritans before, about this old outsider culture always in conflict with the Hebrew people. Hebrews or Jewish folk as the People of God conflicted with outsiders, the Good Samaritan, the Woman at the Well. Different traditions, expectations and struggling to understand each other. And now Jesus Sees this 10th man, he’s similar to the Canaanite woman who faced Jesus down in our story two weeks ago, is here in this story to say “And me too?” The nine people turned and went on their way as they knew to do, while this one lone person has no town to return to - his whole world at this moment is the presence of Jesus and the WAY he offers. The 10th man who expects nothing is awestruck by the grace of compassion for even him. This one has been marginalized, and here we take a moment to say - yes, our inclusive message of God’s love recognizes those who have been in the shadows, on the margins - our message at St. Paul’s United Church is wide enough for all- our affirming 2sLGBTQI folks, work towards reconciliation and beloved community for people of all colours and races, yes, everyone is beloved of God. But who else? On a day of celebrating abundance, Jay & I drove through potato country yesterday - and the farmers weren’t around a table - the potato trucks were still in the fields, so we say thanks to those folks out still harvesting the bounty of this season, - we celebrate tables overflowing, families happy together, glowing with health and happiness… the flip side is that that every week we adjust our lenses for the shadows and offer prayers and ask how to help… We pray for equality, nourishment, climate recovery, for people who are ill, alone, out of the running for so many reasons, and what the heck happened yesterday in Israel and Palestine!? I know I speak for all of us wondering “What is thanksgiving in a hard world like this?” From the perspective of the nine, this one stands out. From a perspective of abundance and privilege, we don't know what to do. But on my heart and mind, I”m well aware of something I dont’ feel thankful for. People I am desperately worried about. Situations I can’t figure out and fix. And you too I expect - health problems, families that dont’ gather so easily and happily? Money. Housing. Mental health. Feeling out of the running.. No kidding… so what is abundance when things have fallen apart? At times like this, we can ask, ‘what is enough?’ And that question has as many answers as stars in the sky… Part of the answer is that I can’t dare to answer for you. And the other part Is that potato - the bowl of potatoes on my grandmothers’ table that was never emptied. We’ve heard the answers when we’ve listened to the outsiders, when we dare to ask the last and least, and maybe even our selbes… Truly, What is enough, and we grow from there. What is enough for a young family searching for affordable housing right now? What is fair, what is supportive, what would give them a leg up? A ministry colleague in Alberta is at her son’s bedside after he was stabbed repeatedly, and he’s in critical condition still. What is enough? What is enough for a mother in Palestine or Israel today? What is enough for creatures running from a wild fire caused by climate change? What is enough when sitting in a doctor’s office hearing difficult news? In the shadows of this world, at our most fragile, what is enough? The most caring gift is a simple one: it’s health or at least good care and compassion. Enough Food and a place to live and grow. Second chances. Choice, connection. Breathing room and hope for tomorrow. On a planet of astonishing abundance, and human capacity, our faith tradition isn’t hoarding and keeping for ourselves & our chosen ones, it’s Enough for all and the world rises. Off went those nine celebrating faithfully with their families and community. The attitude of gratitude stands the test of time. The ripples were good, the thanksgiving tables joyful. Meager or bountiful, it is our blessing of God to savour such things, and everyone’s even if they don’t know it yet. What finely tunes that attitude of gratitude is here too - Like Jesus, we KNOW who the 1 is, with no hope or expectation, and God’s blessing rains down there too. The ones in the shadows, the countries at war, the planet in peril… the others we don’t understand. And, you , I, your kids, your circle - you’re the one who is longing for just enough, just enough grace to make something a little better. I see you, we can see and make space for one another, and in granting one another that blessing and relief, our deepest longing meets highest thanksgiving! Heaven on earth - might feel like a LONG LONG way off, but we see the abundance possible, we know the Way! And here and there, in our sharing, our celebrating, and in celebrating ENOUGH for all, heaven on earth is right here too. Praise and Thanks be to God. Amen.