Musical Prelude and Service.

Deuteronomy 8:7-18 & Luke 17:11-19
Why do we celebrate Thanksgiving?
Why do we make it a holiday and take time to feast and express our gratitude for what we have?
In some places it is historically connected to the settling of this continent. That is not precisely the
tradition in Canada. Here it is more connected to traditions of gratitude for the harvest that certainly
goes back much further than Europe settling and colonizing North America. But there are accounts of
European explorers taking time to have a meal and giving thanks for their continued survival in a new
world.
But here we are today, once again taking time to express our gratitude. And I think it is instructive
that one of the scriptures passages we consider comes from Deuteronomy calling on people to
remember why they have all that they have. These are instructions as the people of Israel cross the
Jordan into this new land – a land of plenty. It is a place full of life and abundance, but through
Moses, God reminds the people that if they are not careful, they will become self-congratulatory.
They will come to think that they are deserving of all that they have at their fingertips. They will say
all this is ours because we have earned it ourselves. They will forget all that God as done; all the
ways that God liberated them from a life of slavery and want. They will forget how God guided them
through a time of starvation and thirst and despair.
Don’t forget where you came from and who guided you to this new place. Live a life of gratitude.
In her book, Grateful, Diana Butler Bass notes that genuine gratitude leads to compassion and
generosity. When you make time to consider all you have to be thankful for it shifts your perspective.
You see the world through new eyes. You recognize that you are not alone in this world. What you
have, the comfort you enjoy, the riches that you might take for granted are there because God has
been there guiding you; providing for you in times of need and comforting and strengthening you,
even when you may not have recognized that presence.
So to take time regularly to remember that you are not alone in this world. That what you have did
not come from nowhere, you are perhaps moved to live your life with some of the generosity and
grace that blessed your life. This is not to say you have not worked extremely hard to get where you
are. This is not to dismiss your efforts and your innovation. But Deuteronomy urges us to remember
that God is at the root of all we have. All that we are. And for that we should be ready to express our
gratitude. And not just through words and ritual, but by living lives of grace and generosity our
selves. To remember where we, as a community came from. Who we were and how we came to be
where we are.
As Jesus makes is way to Jerusalem, he stops to heal a group of 10 men suffering from what we are
told is leprosy. They are suffering and they are shunned by all around them. But Jesus takes time
and heals them and sends them to a priest for a blessing. One, a Samaritan, stops to return and give
thanks. Jesus notes that the one who does give thanks is a Samaritan; a foreigner – someone
generally viewed by the Jews as not worthy of their time.
Among those who Jesus heals is a man of a marginalized minority. Someone viewed with suspicion.
But it should be noted Jesus does not take away the healing of the other nine. God does not demand
the gratitude of people for the healing and grace that are extended. But the faith of the Samaritan is
noted.
When we discuss faith, we often make use of words like belief, or trust or commitment. The word
fidelity gets used a lot. All of that is valid. That is all part of my general reflection on the notion of
faith. Faith is something we do. It is not just about intellectual acknowledgment. But as I reflect on
Jesus noting the faith of the grateful Samaritan, I wonder about the connection between faith and
gratitude.
Part of faith is acknowledging God’s constant loving and generous presence in our life. It is
committing ourselves to a God of love and life. It is having hope that God will fulfill the promises of a
new world of abundance and justice. And so, we old gratitude for all that God has done and promises
to do. Our gratitude moves us to see and recognize the people all around us that are on their own
journeys; often very similar to our own, and to realize we are on this journey together. That we can
be their strength; their support. Just as they are often there for us offering that same strength; that
same support.
Thanksgiving is a time to call to mind all that we have to be thankful for. Sometimes in our lives it is
easy to make a list of all that we have and all that we have enjoyed. We can easily make a list that is
difficult to name everything, and there are times in our lives when it can be difficult to name the
gifts. Times when we are overwhelmed with stresses and griefs. Times when we are overcome with
anxiety over what our future might hold. Those are times when it is maybe most important to make
gratitude a discipline. To be mindful of all the ways God has worked in and continues to work in our
lives. To make it part of our spiritual practise to express our gratitude.
As I worked on this sermon on Thursday, I was still working from home as I recovered from a flu bug
that hit me last weekend. I was annoyed and feeling guilty at spending time at home while trying to
accomplish what work I could. At the same time, I was anxiously waiting for word on Abigail’s
surgery to repair her sinuses. While I knew it was not a rare form of surgery, I still was waiting with
some anticipation. But as I reflected on the notion of thanksgiving; of gratitude, I found myself being
reminded to express gratitude and not fear. Gratitude for good friends and supportive family and
community. Gratitude for a professional and available healthcare system that doesn’t demand second
mortgages for this type of care.
I could go on, but as I express my gratitude for such support and concern, I am reminded that I am
also called to be a source of such concern and support. To be a compassionate presence and to
continue to learn and model the love and healing that Jesus, the source of our love and our hope
continues to offer to all the world. Thanks be to God. Amen
Rev. Warner Bloomfield

Music provided with permission through licensing with CCLI License number 2701258 and One License # A-731789