Thanksgiving is Eucharist
October 9, 2011 – Thanksgiving Sunday | Patrick Preheim | Deuteronomy 8:7-20
At our last worship committee meeting Denelda, noted that it had been quite a while since we had last celebrated communion. Indeed, we have not partaken together in this way since Pentecost. It was quickly decided that Thanksgiving Sunday would be a good day for communion. It is fitting to have a service of communion on Thanksgiving. In Greek, the word for thanksgiving is εὐχαριστία from which comes our English word Eucharist. And most of you know that in religious circles the service of Eucharist is also called communion. Personally, I think it quite meaningful to engage in a religious ritual of thanksgiving on a Thanksgiving weekend. Perhaps the thanksgiving sacraments of song, spoken word, and broken bread will save us from the self centeredness about which Deuteronomy 8 warns.
When I first read Deuteronomy 8 I thought, “Wow, this sounds a lot like Saskatchewan”. We have fields of wheat and barley; we have fruit bearing shrubs and trees; we have the best honey in all of Canada; we have mineral deposits under our soil which have enriched the Provincial coffers. Unfortunately, we also have people in our communities so self absorbed that they are unable to practice Eucharist. Both the powerful and the beaten down can suffer from a self-righteousness that does not permit a spirit of thanksgiving. Deuteronomy 8 and our ritual of communion help us give thanks—celebrate Eucharist.
At the table we remember that God’s goodness comes to us out of God’s generous spirit, not on account of our merit. Deuteronomy chronicles divine gifts of bread, water, and protection in the wilderness. The Hebrews are a sniveling, whining, stiff necked people. Still, God offers gifts of life generously. Far from earning the manna, quail and land to which they have come, the children of Israel have received these gifts in spite of their rebelliousness. Jesus has come to us as teacher and savior. Jesus suffered and died for us and our world because he cares. Jesus dwells among us in spite of our complaining, our golden calves, our lack of trust. Both Deuteronomy 8 and communion remind us of divine grace.
At the table we remember the covenant we have with God, the atonement of our sins when we fail, and God’s unending pursuit of those who are perishing. I was confronted this past week with a situation in which good people are behaving badly. Covenants have been broken. Relationships and spiritual health are perishing. Verses 19-20 (not ones the lectionary assigns) of Deuteronomy gave me perspective on difficult situations such as these. Utilizing biblical imagery, sometimes a people must go into exile or a prodigal son must first leave home in order that they come to their senses. I do not give thanks for the fractures that exist, but in these situations I do give thanks for a couple of other things.
First, I am thankful for the God given covenant which guides us in ways of justice and righteousness. It is a beacon to guide returning exiles after they have grown weary of “wandering through wastes of empty lies” (v.2 #483 HWB). The lost are always welcome back, and it is the covenant which guides the return. I take great comfort that “if we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive our sins and cleans us from all unrighteousness” (1st John 1:9). This is part of the covenant I follow and it is good news.
Secondly, I am thankful for a God who seeks out the exiles and lost children even when their relationship with me has been severed. God pursues covenant with those outside the covenant. Jesus lived this message and it is implicit in the Deuteronomy 8 passage. Good News: God seeks out the lost sheep.
At the table we remember the past care we have experienced and future promises we are given. Thanksgiving is affected by our physical condition. Hardship does not usually put us in the mood to give thanks. The connection between memory and thankfulness in Deuteronomy 8 caught my attention, particularly after several conversations earlier in the week. I spent Monday afternoon visiting a few of the ailing from our community. Mindful that we are approaching Thanksgiving Day I asked how they view thankfulness in this time. My conversation partners responded out of religious memories:
Forced to spend long days mostly alone, one said knowing that he continues as God’s son brings thankfulness.
One who is losing physical and mental capacity gave thanks for the hope of the resurrection in which there is a renewal of all things.
Another whose treatment has been unrelenting spoke of the power of faith, hope and courage and the role of community in being a support.
I do not suggest that Thanksgiving is an easy time for those who are suffering. Rather, I think Deuteronomy and the ritual of communion invite us to remember the larger span of God’s salvation history. Memory of God’s provision in the past and promises of the future are significant sources to sustain a person in the present. It is not always easy to remember the past or future—particularly when we are hurting. For the reason, I think, the church has given us a ritual to spark our memories.
And so we come to this service of thanksgiving on Thanksgiving to be reminded of the good news which has been given to us and all people.
- At the table we remember that God’s goodness comes to us in spite of our complaining, our sinfulness, our lack of trust.
- At the table we remember the covenant we have with God, the atonement of our sins, our forgiveness, and God’s unending pursuit of those who are perishing.
- At the table we remember the past care we have experienced and future promises we are given.
