Deuteronomy 26:1-11 is one of the most oft-used texts for Thanksgiving Worship Services. It’s pretty easy to see why. This text tells the story, essentially, of the Israelites’ “First Thanksgiving,” and it is remarkably similar to the traditional account of the American “First Thanks.” Both are about an arduous journey from oppression to freedom in a new land, especially the freedom to worship God as one wishes. Also, the new land that both communities find themselves in is rich in resources and hope, and it’s from the abundance this land produces that a generous gift of thanks is faithfully given to God, the Prodigal Provider. It’s also shared prodigally with neighbors of different ethnic and racial stripes. (When it comes to the first American Thanksgiving, anyway, emphasis needs to be added that it’s in large part because of the hospitality and knowledge of their neighbors of different ethnic and racial stripes that the Pilgrims were still around by that first Thanksgiving to celebrate….)
Of course, there are significant differences, too. The scene pictures of these two Thanksgivings are quite different. One is all about buckles, and the other is more about baba ganoush.
And there is another stunning difference that comes into focus when viewed through the Comic Lens’ “What’s Weird About This Scripture?” eyeglass.
The story of the American Thanksgiving is always told in the past tense. It’s a recording of an amazing celebration of thanks that happened 400 years ago.
The story of the Israelite Thanksgiving, however, is told in the future tense. It’s an account of amazing celebration of thanks that WILL happen at some point in the near future.
The Deuteronomist paints a pretty detailed description of everything the Israelite pilgrim will do, say, see, feel once he arrives in the Land of Milk and Honey. You can’t help but imagine how exciting it must have been to receive this super hopeful, happy vision of what was to be - what God promised will be - in just a little while.
Sure, when the Israelites did finally arrive in the Promised Land the ritual described in 26:1-11 would have taken place. It therefore would also then quality as an account to be described as having happened, in the past tense.
However, the history of the Israelite/Jewish people has been, for the most part, the story of a people getting thrown off their land over and over again. The Deuteronomist brings instruction of the thanks to be given when the people once again return to the land, which they will. Soon.
Usually we associate giving thanks for blessings of the present or past. I’m guessing most of us don’t think about giving thanks for what will be. In fact, probably most of us fear the future more than anything else. We look down the road and see a ruined planet, a nation we’ll probably hardly recognize, old age and disappointing decrepitude.
What would it be to regularly give thanks for the future? For one thing it would probably be something that feels kind of crazy. Foolish even!
And the truth is, it can be a very intelligent thing to do.
Jason Connell wrote a great blog about giving thanks for the future. You can read it all HERE.
Jason talks about how well known it is that practicing gratitude is an important and necessary stepping stone to a successful and abundant life. However, he admits, when he would make his daily lists of the things he was grateful for, nothing much changed in terms of his life direction, success and abundance.
Then he began giving thanks for the future, with a simple and, he claims, effective exercise. From his blog:
1). Begin by sitting down and spending a bit of time thinking about the future you want to create for yourself.
2). Once you have a clear picture of that future, try to foster feelings of gratitude and excitement for it.
3). Let those feelings wash over you for a little while.
4). That’s it. Open your eyes and move on with your life. I know it seems like it should be more complicated than that, but it isn’t.
The benefits of doing this meditation are considerable, Jason says. For one thing, it has helped him keep from too much wandering around when seeking to accomplish personal and professional goals. It’s also given him focus and motivation to reach his goals. It’s also helped him better appreciate the present moment, in addition to getting excited about the future. It’s helped bring “magic into the mundane” of his everyday life: “Though technically this practice is future facing, I’ve also started to notice how amazing my present is. I’ve found myself delighted by simple things that I never used to notice like my bamboo plant, or the feel of the fresh summer air.” That all sounds pretty fabulous, don’t you think?
May I invite you to include, in your giving of thanks today, giving thanks for what is to come? Thanks for the future God sees for you, for the world? Make Jason’s gratitude exercise described above part of your daily spiritual practice?
Even if it still sounds a little crazy?
Deutronomy 26:1-11 probably sounded a at least a little crazy to Moses’ generation, still sitting as they were on the far side of the Promised Land, too….
HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL, AND TO ALL A GOOD BITE! :) :) :)
