With gratitude to God - Harvest Thanksgiving
John 6: 24 - 35
A while ago I read of a painting which is called “Look Up.” It apparently depicts a large city church. In front of the church people are milling around busily. But on the side of the church about ten feet off the pavement is a sign. It is one of those signs that has white on black letters that can be removed when appropriate. This sign tells the time of the services and the sermon title. In front of the church a priest is stood on the pavement whilst a church official is on a ladder next to the sign. Clearly he has just changed the sermon title. Now it proclaims “Sunday’s Sermon: ‘Look Up!”
Why should anyone bother to paint such a picture? The clue is that all the people seem to be doing the opposite of what is written. They are looking down, be they people getting on with the tasks of life or the official looking down at the priest in search of approval. Only the priest is looking up.
This evening, we come to the conclusion of our Harvest Thanksgiving celebrations. We have celebrated the wonder of the Harvest and around us we see an array of the good gifts in which we rejoice at this season. And yet is there not a danger that we will be as those in the painting, looking down rather than up, wondering at the gifts yet losing sight of the giver?
If so, we are hardly the first. It was so with those who were fed in that story of the feeding of the 5,000. Having filled their bellies, they give Jesus no rest. He has gone away in search of rest but rest is what he will not have for the crowd sets off in search of him. And ultimately they find him.
Jesus would seem to know that their motives are somewhat selfish;
“Very truly, I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves.”
It’s the material gifts that have got them excited. But now Jesus seeks to point them to greater gifts still, the spiritual gifts that he himself embodies;
“Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you.”
In this we are pointed to the importance of being in relationship with God. We owe our very beings to God. God offers to be a presence in the experiences of our lives and through the Spirit enables us to grow that we might realise more and more what it means to live as those privileged to have been created in the image of God.
And the spiritual gifts of God cannot be quantified visually as can the Harvest here this evening. God’s blessings, you see are not restricted to the times when we can see good things happening to us. Turn for a moment to that great Lutheran hymn, “Now thank we all our God.” Hear these words;
Now thank we all our God, with hearts and hands and voices,
Who wondrous things has done, in Whom this world rejoices;
Who from our mothers’ arms has blessed us on our way
With countless gifts of love, and still is ours today.”
Words written against a background of material blessings and prosperity? Certainly not! For this hymn was written against the background of the 30 Years War. Its writer, Martin Rinkart was a Lutheran minister in the city of Eilenburg. As warfare raged, a steady stream of refugees seeking asylum entered its gates. But here was no safety for the Swedish army surrounded the city and famine and plague were rampant. Eight hundred homes were destroyed and people began to die. The stream of funerals put a constant strain upon the clergy and they too began to die. Eventually Rinkart was the only priest left, burying some fifty people a day.. Eventually the siege ended after Rinkart had pleaded for the Swedes to show mercy. At this time of deliverance, Rinkart write his great hymn.
Rinkart knew something of the treasures of God. He knew that God is not just for the good times but also for the bad times. Circumstances did not dictate to his understanding of God’s goodness. Not even the Harvest was necessary to convince him of God’s unfailing goodness.
This evening as we gaze at the fruits of the Harvest, they do indeed serve as a pointer to God’s goodness. But as the painting reminds us, gazing at the gift is not enough. We, too, need to lift up our heads to look up to the one who is the giver of all good things, whose gifts are beyond number or the ability of our eyes to appreciate. Rejoice in the gifts by all mean but then look up to the giver.
Look up!
This sermon was preached at the closing service of Harvest Thanksgiving at Alwington Methodist Church on Tuesday 25th September 2007
Opening illustration comes from a sermon by Alex Stevenson
A while ago I read of a painting which is called “Look Up.” It apparently depicts a large city church. In front of the church people are milling around busily. But on the side of the church about ten feet off the pavement is a sign. It is one of those signs that has white on black letters that can be removed when appropriate. This sign tells the time of the services and the sermon title. In front of the church a priest is stood on the pavement whilst a church official is on a ladder next to the sign. Clearly he has just changed the sermon title. Now it proclaims “Sunday’s Sermon: ‘Look Up!”
Why should anyone bother to paint such a picture? The clue is that all the people seem to be doing the opposite of what is written. They are looking down, be they people getting on with the tasks of life or the official looking down at the priest in search of approval. Only the priest is looking up.
This evening, we come to the conclusion of our Harvest Thanksgiving celebrations. We have celebrated the wonder of the Harvest and around us we see an array of the good gifts in which we rejoice at this season. And yet is there not a danger that we will be as those in the painting, looking down rather than up, wondering at the gifts yet losing sight of the giver?
If so, we are hardly the first. It was so with those who were fed in that story of the feeding of the 5,000. Having filled their bellies, they give Jesus no rest. He has gone away in search of rest but rest is what he will not have for the crowd sets off in search of him. And ultimately they find him.
Jesus would seem to know that their motives are somewhat selfish;
“Very truly, I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves.”
It’s the material gifts that have got them excited. But now Jesus seeks to point them to greater gifts still, the spiritual gifts that he himself embodies;
“Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you.”
In this we are pointed to the importance of being in relationship with God. We owe our very beings to God. God offers to be a presence in the experiences of our lives and through the Spirit enables us to grow that we might realise more and more what it means to live as those privileged to have been created in the image of God.
And the spiritual gifts of God cannot be quantified visually as can the Harvest here this evening. God’s blessings, you see are not restricted to the times when we can see good things happening to us. Turn for a moment to that great Lutheran hymn, “Now thank we all our God.” Hear these words;
Now thank we all our God, with hearts and hands and voices,
Who wondrous things has done, in Whom this world rejoices;
Who from our mothers’ arms has blessed us on our way
With countless gifts of love, and still is ours today.”
Words written against a background of material blessings and prosperity? Certainly not! For this hymn was written against the background of the 30 Years War. Its writer, Martin Rinkart was a Lutheran minister in the city of Eilenburg. As warfare raged, a steady stream of refugees seeking asylum entered its gates. But here was no safety for the Swedish army surrounded the city and famine and plague were rampant. Eight hundred homes were destroyed and people began to die. The stream of funerals put a constant strain upon the clergy and they too began to die. Eventually Rinkart was the only priest left, burying some fifty people a day.. Eventually the siege ended after Rinkart had pleaded for the Swedes to show mercy. At this time of deliverance, Rinkart write his great hymn.
Rinkart knew something of the treasures of God. He knew that God is not just for the good times but also for the bad times. Circumstances did not dictate to his understanding of God’s goodness. Not even the Harvest was necessary to convince him of God’s unfailing goodness.
This evening as we gaze at the fruits of the Harvest, they do indeed serve as a pointer to God’s goodness. But as the painting reminds us, gazing at the gift is not enough. We, too, need to lift up our heads to look up to the one who is the giver of all good things, whose gifts are beyond number or the ability of our eyes to appreciate. Rejoice in the gifts by all mean but then look up to the giver.
Look up!
This sermon was preached at the closing service of Harvest Thanksgiving at Alwington Methodist Church on Tuesday 25th September 2007
Opening illustration comes from a sermon by Alex Stevenson
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