Happy Thanksgiving! This weekend we are called to centre gratitude. What does it mean to be grateful? For what are we grateful? To whom are we grateful?
We have spent this Season of Creation focused on our relationship with water. When we look at the water we have collected, when we reflect on the stories we have shared, and consider the ways we have explored what our senses teach us about our relationships with water, what does gratitude look like in response?
Running parallel to our journey, we have also heard the stories of the Israelites journey from slavery in Egypt through the wilderness. We imagined the smells of the first Passover meal, the sounds of the Red Sea as it parted and then washed over the Egyptians, the taste of quail and manna in the desert, the sight of water cascading from a rock, and the ways water has touched their lives inviting them into respectful relationships through the Ten Commandments. In the midst of this long, difficult journey, today we encounter a moment when they decide they want to express gratitude, but Moses is no where to be found. So, Aaron helps them figure out a way to channel their thanksgiving feelings.
He took the gold from them, formed it in a mold, and cast an image of a calf; and they said, "These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!" When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation and said, "Tomorrow shall be a festival to the Lord." They rose early the next day, and offered burnt offerings and brought sacrifices of well-being; and the people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to revel.
Notice how easily alliances shift. They want answers. They want something, someone on which to focus their gratitude. They have no interest in waiting for Moses. They want something to worship NOW. They want something to celebrate, an excuse to feast without having to wait for Moses and whatever he is doing.
Sound familiar? Have we ever noticed human beings lacking patience, and willing to take shortcuts to do what they want and get what they want? Who pays the price when that happens? How many challenges are we facing because human beings have not fully considered the impacts of the choices we make? To what extent are we struggling with the consequences of worshipping the wrong gods?
Just as God did with the Israelites in the wilderness, God keeps on giving us second chances. We know Lake Erie was once considered dead because of the vast amount phosphorous in the Lake, poor choices by human beings, and yet we have seen it revive, the resilience of Creation. Similar stories play out with Lake Ontario and the other Great Lakes. God has planted within our world the capacity to heal. Our challenge is to work with the wisdom of Creation to safeguard its integrity and sustain and renew the life of the earth. What guides our choices? What will we do to ensure our relationship with water continues to be respectful and reciprocal?
On this final day of the Season of Creation, we will combine the waters we have collected. This water connects to our own journeys, our own stories, our lives in diverse ways. It is our reminder that God’s gifts flow through moments and memories connecting us to Creation and each other. The water will be blessed and, as the Israelites were once called to live as the people of God through the Ten Commandments, we will renew our commitments with God, each other, and Creation through the Baptismal Covenant.
May we draw deeply from God’s Life-Giving water, reminding ourselves of the gifts God has given us so that we can live out the challenges of our Baptismal Covenant for the wellbeing of God’s Beloved people and Creation. This we pray as we sing (VT)788 The Garden Needs Our Tending Now
