Deuteronomy 26:1-11

‘‘’So now I bring the first of the fruit of the ground that you, O Lord, have given me.’ You shall set it down before the Lord your God and bow down before the Lord your God.” vs. 10

There almost seems to be a bit of a gap in the liturgical calendar this year, a blank set of days between Christ the King Sunday and the First Sunday of Advent. Chances are not many will notice the gap though–our country fills it fully with Thanksgiving and Black Friday, one almost a religious holiday and the other a cultural celebration of greed and acquisition. From a scriptural perspective Thanksgiving was around long before the Pilgrims landed in Massachusetts. Deuteronomy tells us it was the first act of worship for the Israelites when they crossed the Jordan and entered the land of the Canaanites. They were to bring the first fruits of the ground and set it before the Lord at the place appointed by the priests. Of course the Israelites didn’t invent Thanksgiving–it’s been a part of the rhythm of life in every land from the beginning of time. Humans have long understood that the produce of the ground is a gift from God, and that the proper response is through an offering of first fruits. Thank God for our altar guilds who round up displays of garden produce in our sanctuaries this time of the year. And how beautiful it is to see food for the hungry being brought as offerings in our congregations. That’s really what Thanksgiving is all about!

Thought for the Day: What will my offering be on Thanksgiving?