Expressions of Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving (Year B)

Joel 2.21-27; 1Timothy 2.1-7; John 18.33-37

St. Thomas of Canterbury, Long Beach

Live Streamed on Parish Facebook page (beginning at 15:35)

 

Most of us grew up with the image of Thanksgiving first being celebrated by the Pilgrims after their landing at Plymouth Rock in Massachusetts. A feast celebrated in 1621 after the first harvest of crops in this new land. A feast celebrated with the local Natives who helped the Pilgrims get established in their new homeland. A feast celebrating the friendship between two very different peoples now sharing the same land. Such was the first Thanksgiving. Wrong!

 

Not that any of those facts are, strictly speaking, wrong. As my New Testament professor in seminary was fond of saying about virtually everything, “it’s more complicated than that.” A thanksgiving feast was indeed held in 1621 as a celebration of the first harvest in the Pilgrim’s new homeland, and local Natives were the honored guests. But the first? No. There were other thanksgiving celebrations on what is now American soil prior to the Pilgrims. In 1619, the colonists who landed in what is now Virginia held a celebration of thanksgiving for their safe arrival to their new home. But that was not even the first. When the Spanish arrived in what is now Texas in 1598, they held a celebration of thanksgiving for their safe arrival. But even that was not the first. Over three decades earlier, in 1565, the Spanish who arrived in what is now Florida held a celebration of thanksgiving for their safe arrival. Which does appear to be the first thanksgiving celebration on what is now American soil.

 

So, while the Pilgrims may not have been the first to celebrate Thanksgiving, they are the more well-known. Becoming the quintessential image of Thanksgiving. Perhaps because theirs was more elaborate, incorporating feasting and celebration with friends, whereas the others were more akin to worship services. Nonetheless, all were celebrations of gratitude for God’s providence: in being delivered safely to a new land, or in the case of the Pilgrims, gratitude for making it safely through the first winter in a foreign land, thanks to their new neighbors. Although all thanksgiving celebrations in our history have not been for such righteous or joyous purposes. A mere 16 years after the first Pilgrim thanksgiving, the governor of Plymouth Colony called for another thanksgiving. This time to celebrate the bloody victory over the massacre of Native Americans in the Pequot War.

 

Despite the complex, and at times, morally questionable justifications for celebration, offering thanks to God is part of our national history. Prior to the founding of our nation, celebrations of thanksgiving were more localized. The first national Thanksgiving Day celebration was called by George Washington. Held on November 26, 1789 this was “a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favours of Almighty God,” and calling on Americans to “unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions.”[1] It was not until 1863 when Abraham Lincoln formally established Thanksgiving Day as an annual national holiday. Although, even then, the intent was to explicitly give thanks for the Union’s military efforts in the Civil War.

 

Regardless of why thanks were being offered, be it for safe arrivals, for successful harvests, for a new nation, for military efforts in times of war, or even for a morally questionable victory, the heart of our Thanksgiving celebrations has always been the belief that God is the one who provides for all our needs. This most certainly reflects the Christian beliefs of early colonists who were instrumental in the formation of who we are as a nation. As such, we faithfully take time each year to offer our thanks to God for the blessings of the year.

 

Scripture demonstrates that offering thanks to God is a fundamental part of who we are as the People of God. Not just for us Christians but beginning with our Jewish forefathers and foremothers. The Old Testament is filled with stories of the people offering public thanksgiving to God for what he has done. One example is in our first reading from the prophet Joel. Here, the prophet announces deliverance from a plague of locusts, aggravated by a severe drought, which brought great destruction and loss of life to humans and animals alike. God has brought the people through this calamity and promises to compensate for the previous tragedy with great bounty from the land. Promising an abundance of rain, threshing floors full of grain, and vats overflowing with wine and oil. Because of this bounty, God declares, “You shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and I, the Lord, am your God and there is no other.” While not explicitly stated, the implication being that the people are to offer thanksgiving in response.

 

The harvest bounty provided by God has and continues to be one of the most common symbols of any celebration of thanksgiving. Perhaps because it is most tangible: rejoicing and giving thanks for what we can see and touch, what we can smell and taste. The bounty from God’s creation which provides for our physical wellbeing. The same theme we see reflected in our Gospel reading from Matthew.  A reminder that God provides us with life and all that we need to sustain it. What we eat, what we drink, what we wear. As Matthew assures us, “indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.” Again, invoking our thanksgiving in response.

 

It is in our Epistle reading where we see an explicit injunction to express our thanksgiving in a formal way. In his First Letter to Timothy, Paul is counseling and encouraging his protégé Timothy as to orthodox teachings and appropriate practices for the community Timothy is leading. The words we hear today are instructions regarding prayer in communal worship. As we heard, one of the primary forms Paul identified as central to worship are prayers of thanksgiving. Emphasizing the centrality of thanksgiving in our worship and our lives of faith.

 

While not part of this letter, it is worth remembering that our primary worship services are inherently centered around a particular form of thanksgiving: the Eucharist. The word “Eucharist” literally means “thanksgiving.” Eucharist being a sacrament in which we express thanksgiving for God’s grace in all that has been provided for us. Particularly for the greatest gift: the gift of God’s Son come among us in the flesh. The means by which we have received and are assured of our salvation: the forgiveness of our sins and the promise of eternal life. Symbolized by elements from the bounty of nature: bread and wine. Which become Christ’s body and blood, given for us. The bread and wine that provide for our physical and spiritual nourishment. A foretaste of the heavenly banquet which we will all one day share.

 

Thus far, we have been focusing on the communal aspect of thanksgiving. On the annual feast that we will celebrate tomorrow. On the religious and liturgical aspects and expressions through our acts of public worship: this night and every time we gather as the Body of Christ. All of which are important, to be sure. All focused on the central act of offering our thanks to God for what we have received.

 

As we gather together this night, as we prepare to gather together around dinner tables tomorrow, we are reminded that thanksgiving is about more than just the physical “stuff” we receive from God. It is also about the relationships that nourish us in our day-to-day lives. While I am always grateful to and for the people in my life, and regularly offer prayers of gratitude for them, I am also aware that I do not always express that directly. Perhaps you find yourself in the same boat. Our celebration of Thanksgiving is an opportunity, a reminder, of the need to express gratitude for those in our lives.

 

In a recent reflection, Scott Stoner, an Episcopal priest, and his wife Holly Hughes Stoner, both licensed marriage and family therapists, provided a simple framework for reflecting on gratitude for the people in our lives. Not just at this time of year, but throughout our lives. A framework based on three words: find, remind, and bind. I found this framework to be a helpful reminder and offer it to you as a Thanksgiving gift. I now quote from their reflection:

 

Find: Seek out fresh reasons to be grateful for the people in your life—family, friends, colleagues, and even those fleeting encounters with strangers. There’s always something new to discover when we open our hearts to appreciation.

 

Remind: Once you uncover those moments of gratitude, don’t let them go unspoken. As William Arthur Ward wisely said, “Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.” Remind others of how much they mean to you—not just for what they do, but for who they are. A kind word, a heartfelt note, or even a simple smile can make all the difference.

 

Bind: Gratitude isn’t just a feeling; it’s a force that strengthens the bonds between us. In a world woven together by interdependence, every act of appreciation reinforces the connections that hold us together.

 

So, as you navigate this season of thanks, keep these three words close to your heart: Find. Remind. Bind. They’re a gentle reminder that gratitude, when shared, has the power to uplift us all.[2]

 

Gratitude and thanksgiving are a central part of who we are as people of faith. In our crazy and hectic world, it is sometimes easy to forget that. It is easy to let life slip by without offering a word of gratitude, be it to God or to a fellow pilgrim on life’s journey. May our annual celebration of Thanksgiving be a reset, as it were, giving us the opportunity to recall who we are as people of thanksgiving, and to make the expression of our gratitude an ongoing part of who we are.

 

I offer my gratitude for each and every one of you and for all you do as members of the Body of Christ, and in your ministries at St. Thomas of Canterbury and at St. Gregory’s.

 

Happy Thanksgiving!

 

 

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[1] “Thanksgiving,” Wikipedia, November 22, 2024. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thanksgiving.

[2] Holly Hughes Stoner and Scott Stoner, “Find, Remind, and Bind,” November 22, 2024, The Wellness Compass Initiative, November 21, 2024. https://www.wellnesscompass.org/column.

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Living the Gospel in the Public Arena

Eighth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 10B)

2 Samuel 6.1-5, 12b-19; Mark 6.14-29

St. Thomas of Canterbury, Long Beach

Live Streamed on St. Thomas’ Parish Facebook page (beginning at 19:10)

 

Today’s Gospel reading, the well-known story of the beheading of John the Baptist, is unique in Mark’s Gospel. Not the story itself—it is told not only in Mark, but also in Matthew and Luke. It is unique because it is the only story in Mark in which Jesus is neither the main character nor the main subject of the story. And despite Jesus not appearing in the story at all, the account of the beheading of John the Baptist is, in many ways, a character study in what it means to live the Gospel.

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Sowing the Seeds of Shared Ministry

Seventh Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 10 Year A)

Matthew 13.1-9, 18-23

St. Thomas of Canterbury, Long Beach

 

We know that Jesus was fond of using parables to convey his teachings—the central truths about who God is, the nature of God’s kingdom, and our place within that kingdom. By all indications, this was a pretty effective method of teaching. Primarily because Jesus provided teachings about some great unknowns using images that were very well known to the people—images from their daily lives, images that they could relate to. Something that they could relate to more readily than weighty theological concepts. And since these teachings were told in short stories, they were easier for the people to remember. Now, admittedly, the messages Jesus sought to convey were not always readily understood by his audience. But then again, this was part of the learning process. As any teacher knows, you do not just spoon feed information to those being taught. There may be some of that, but in order for the student to really learn and internalize the information, they need to work with it. Struggle with it to more fully understand what is being taught. To find ways to make it their own. Thereby allowing it to take root in their own lives.

 

Now, we don’t know if during his teaching sessions, if following the telling of parables, Jesus did Q&A sessions. Providing an opportunity for people to ask their questions and seek clarification and greater understanding. Regardless, for us, 2,000 years removed from the original telling, we do not have that opportunity. The vast majority of the time, we are left to struggle with these parables on our own. To try to figure out just what his real message is based on context. Not so with today’s “Parable of the Sower.” As we heard, Jesus tells this parable to a large crown on the beach. Later on, when he is alone with his disciples, Jesus takes the opportunity to explain exactly what he meant in telling this parable. Which indicates that even those closest to him were not always clear on the concept.

 

Jesus makes it very clear—to the disciples and to us—that in this parable, the sower is the one who proclaims the Word of God. The implication being that, in the parable, that would be Jesus or his disciples or anyone charged with proclaiming the Good News of the Gospel. That being the case, the seeds are the Gospel message. And the ground—four types of which are identified—are those who are the potential recipients of the preached message, of the Good News of the Gospel. And Jesus even goes on to explain just what each of the four types of soil mean—how there are four different ways in which the preached message is generally received. Or not. Clear enough.

 

Jesus has just made the job of future preachers that much easier. He’s given the outline. Not something normally handed to us on a silver platter. You could almost just let Jesus’ words speak for themselves. And yet, even in our own time, we need more than just the message Jesus provides. As with his original teaching methods, we need to find ways of making his message our own.

 

Given the fact that this Sunday is a “pulpit swap” between St. Thomas of Canterbury and St. Gregory’s, and given our joint efforts over the last couple of years at identifying and engaging in opportunities for shared ministry between our two congregations, the direction of preaching for today became pretty obvious. At least to me. And, as it turns out, to Mother Sharon, as well. And no, Mother Sharon and I did not plan our pulpit swap to coincide with this Gospel lesson. It was purely God’s delightful sense of humor at work. Which seems to make the subject of our shared ministry all the more appropriate as our contemporary example of this Gospel reading.

 

As a recap, you all know that, even before the pandemic started, Mother Sharon and I were starting to look at ways that St. Thomas and St. Gregory’s might do some things together. Given that we are both smaller congregations, neither of us have the resources to do some of the things we might want to. But together, we might just be able to. Combined services for special occasions. Coming together for occasional social activities. Possibly sharing some other ministry opportunities. And more behind the scenes opportunities, such as Mother Sharon and I covering for each other when necessary on our days off, as well as using St. Gregory’s parish administrator to ease the burden on Mother Sharon when it comes to things like making reservations for shared events and copying of bulletins. And throughout, our guiding principle is that all this would be done in ways that are sensitive to and in recognition of the unique cultures and identities of our two congregations. For your clergy—Sharon and I—this is about how to best use our respective gifts, talents, and resources, to benefit and strengthen our two congregations, individually and collectively. To make St. Gregory’s the best it can be, and to make St. Thomas of Canterbury the best it can be. The idea of doing shared ministry was formalized in a meeting with Bishop Taylor in September 2021 and formally launched at our respective annual meetings in 2022. Since then, Mother Sharon and I, in partnership with the wardens from both congregations, have continued to work to implement various shared ministry opportunities and to brainstorm new ideas for expanding our shared ministry.

 

As we continue our efforts, as we continue to try new opportunities, as we continue to come up with other possibilities, we can learn a few things from our Gospel reading for today. In today’s parable, as related to our shared ministry, the sower is our collective efforts at trying different ministry opportunities. The seeds are those ministries and worship activities we think might be good things to at least try. And the soil types, as in the parable, are how those opportunities, those proposed activities, are received. Which, again, as in the parable, is key to the whole endeavor. So, let’s briefly look at these ways our efforts might be—and in some cases, have been—received.

 

The seed falling on the path and eaten up by birds is an image for those proposals in which there is no interest. Period. Those things that Mother Sharon and I think might be a possiblity, but which are outright rejected as not being that good of an idea, or at least not one that is in keeping with who we are, or with where we are at present. Which is okay. Not everything we come up with will be of interest.

 

The seed falling on rocky ground that spring up quickly but do not take root is an image for those proposals that may sounds good on the surface. That might have possibilities, and yet are a little iffy (or rocky) for some reason. As a result, not many of our parishioners are willing to put in the effort. Such proposals may endure for a short time, but then other priorities take over and they are soon forgotten or abandoned. These things happen. You never know unless you try.

 

The seed falling among thorns and are choked out is an image for what is one of the most pervasive causes of programs dying in any church. Due to naysayers. Or, as we so often hear in the Episcopal Church, “we’ve never done it that way.” Congregations become so entrenched in an established way of doing things that there is an unwillingness to try something new and different. More often than not, this attitude can be based on fear. Fear of change. Which is understandable. But, at the same time, the inability or unwillingness to change has its own consequences, as the parable shows. Of all the possible types of reception, this is perhaps the most insidious, as it shuts down possibilities without giving them a real chance. As the old saying goes, “try it; you just might like it.”

 

And then there is the seed that falls on rich and fertile ground that allows things to take hold and become an established part of what we do. Those programs and ministries that grow and thrive and become a part of our parish cultures. That have the potential to become part of our collective memory – eventually reaching the point of “we’ve always done it that way.” Ideally, this is what we are shooting for. To identify those programs and ministries that there is a lot of energy around, on the parts of both our congregations. Those opportunities that our people are excited to participate in. Those opportunities that exemplify our shared ministry opportunities, and in turn help to further define who St. Thomas is and who St. Gregory’s is.

 

Of course, rarely do we find perfect soil, perfect conditions for optimal growth. Invariably we will run across rocks and other impediments that need to be moved out of the way, thorns that need to be removed. And not everything we try will yield wildly fantastic results of a hundredfold or sixtyfold or even thirtyfold. In fact, Jesus implies this in the way he specifies four types of soil. Of the four, only one produces any meaningful and lasting results. The way Jesus lays it out, three-quarters of the efforts do not produce results. Not necessarily scientifically or statistically accurate, but the point being, success takes work. It takes perseverance. On the part of all of us. The more we try, the more likely that something will take root and grow into something beautiful and lifegiving.

 

The Gospel lesson does not present a rosy picture that everything we try will take hold and produce abundant results. Not everything we do will survive or continue. That is reality. And that’s okay. The important thing is that we continue to try. That, too, is part of the Gospel lesson. Jesus does not present a parable about only planting in ideal conditions. Sowing seed in all types of soil indicates optimism. Because we never know what will actually take hold and produce results. Not until we try. And if it doesn’t work or take hold, we don’t have to do it again. But if it does, then there is always the possibility that, over time, with a little effort on our part, with a lot of support from our parishioners, and with God’s help, our efforts will yield results beyond our wildest imaginations. Providing bountiful blessings to both St. Thomas and St. Gregory’s.

 

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