Harvest Thanksgiving
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Readings: 1 Timothy 6 : 6-10 and Matthew 6: 25-33
So we come to Harvest Thanksgiving, a festival that has not always been kept in the Church of England; indeed, many churches don’t observe it very much now. It would seem strange for a church such as ours not to keep this observance, as we are placed in the midst of the countryside, and see crops grown, cattle herded and sheep grazing all around us. Not so in churches in urban settings, where children might have to be taken out some distance so that they actually see real animals, and be taught better the whole process of food production and the agricultural cycle on which we depend, even if it is not always visible.
Another reason that Harvest Thanksgiving as a celebration has become less fashionable over the last, say, 50 years, is that we are so much more aware of the vast disparity between what we have in the richer part of the world and that which a far greater number of people the world have, or, rather, don’t have. And in the last twenty or so years, climate change and sustainability have become great concerns, with many people fearful of the very future of the planet. Of course, all these themes are inter-connected. If you cut down rain-forests, you are destroying vital lungs in the eco-system and much wildlife; whilst freeing up land may help local farmers in the short-term; you are at the same time hastening the problems of climate change.
So, we may want to remind ourselves what is the purpose of Harvest Thanksgiving. Put simply, I would say that today we thank God for his provision in the past year; we renew our confidence in God as provider, and contemplate what we might do to help those whose harvest is meagre compared to ours. And looking at the wider canvas, we must recognise once again that we are stewards of God’s creation, not its masters.
In the gospel for today, Jesus is teaching his disciples, as the crowds listen on, in what we have come to call the ‘Sermon on the Mount’. In the verses leading up to today’s passage Jesus has told them not to store up treasure on earth, either for greed, or for meeting a deep inner need, or for security. ‘You cannot serve God and wealth, or possessions….’
Then he says, beginning today’s passage: “Therefore do not worry about what you will eat, drink or wear. We can assume, since Jesus tackled the question, that the disciples were worried. Some of them had left their work to follow Jesus full-time, like Matthew the tax-collector, and James and John; Andrew and Peter the fisherman. Where was provision to come from?
Jesus points them to the creation – birds and lilies. The birds do not sow or reap, yet God feeds them. The birds are not fed by God’s hand coming into their nests; they have to go out, search and hunt, and, Jesus says, God provides. He encourages bird-watching; when he says ‘look at the birds’ the word can be translated “fix your eyes on; take a good look at.” As we do that, says Jesus, and see how the Creator provides for them, we trust that he surely will provide for us, because we are of greater value.
Then the disciples are encouraged to look at the lilies of the field – and so, the flowers and vegetation. If God so chooses to clothe the world, then he will provide for our needs as well, we, his children who pray to him daily. This is an invitation to trust in God’s provision for each of us. We are not to be like those who do not know our heavenly Father and so are unable to rely on him and his promises, so they rely on their own strength and work. We are to be different.
But of course, we can hear an objection to what Jesus is saying. So many of God’s children are under-nourished, and there is severe need in countless places across the world. Does God’s promise then not work? There is no simple answer. Many people are put off trust and faith in God because of this very thing; the presence of so much poverty and need in the world.
Part of the answer lies in our own hands. A main cause of human hunger is not inadequate divine provision, but unequal human distribution. Resources are hoarded, wasted, spoiled and not always shared. Harvest calls us to be good stewards of what God has made and prepared. And it is important to take in the breadth of Jesus’ teaching. Later, in the gospel, we have the imperative to feed the hungry and clothe the poor. There will be a judgment on what we have or haven’t done. John Stott, in his work ‘Sermon on the Mount’ wrote: “The fact that God feeds and clothes his children does not exempt us from the responsibility of being the agents through whom he does it.”
Two reflections we could all usefully engage ourselves in: How has God provided for you, for me in the past year? Who have I/you provided for? Who can I/you provide for?
Jesus tackles the negative – do not worry. We know how difficult it is not to worry in adverse circumstances. Each harvest tide the PCC makes a donation to the Farming Community Network, which is very active in this region, and indeed across the country. The Farming Community Network recognises many of the strains and stresses that farmers grapple with: falling yields often as a result of wet weather; economic pressures and market volatility; long working hours; fear of the future; isolation and depression. FCN may not be able to solve all these problems, but the organisation can offer advice and support, not least in the area of mental health. FCN runs a confidential national helpline and a ‘FarmWell’ website, providing a wide range of information to support farmers’ health, well-being and business resilience.
Jesus tackles the negative: do not worry, then sets out the positive attitude: Seek first God’s kingdom and his righteousness. The word ‘seek’ is seen as a continuous ongoing obligation. God’s kingdom and his righteousness. One doesn’t hear the word righteousness very often in everyday use, but I think we know what it means. We should be committed to pursuing God’s will; putting God first. God will take care of the rest. Our commitment to God should not be crowded out by material concerns.
John Stott, who I mentioned earlier, said “In the end, just as there are only two kinds of piety, the self-centred and the God-centred, so there are only two kinds of ambition: one can be ambitious either for oneself, or for God. There is no third alternative.” We are invited to be ambitious for God. Harvest is a time to renew our focus on God’s kingdom, on his rule, and seeking to live a righteous life, so to move away from a preoccupation on material things, to put first things first, and trusting his provision for our needs as we do so.