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Rector's
Messages
Harvest
2005
"Offer
unto God the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and pay thy vows unto the most
high" - Ps.50: 14 (BCP)
The
first parish I served, as rector, was Neil's Harbour in northern Cape
Breton. Members of the Fishermen's Cooperative in the parish donated part
of the value of their annual lobster catch to their church. The manner by
which they did so was known as 'The Lord's Acre'. Each year, each
participating fisher gave the proceeds from a particular set of traps to
the parish. However, 'The Lord's acre' represented much more than a way of
organizing a financial contribution. The gift that each fisher made
included all of the preparation, the worry, the time, the labour and the
fulfillment that accompanied each fishing season. It was an offering of
self as well as money. This particular kind of giving is similar to how
the people of ancient Israel approached the offering of the first fruits
of the harvest to God. Their gift represented planting, tending,
harvesting and rejoicing. The labour, anticipation, worry, work and
reaping were all rolled up in the offering. The gift was part of their
membership in the covenant community. The giving was grounded in their
relationship with God and with one another. It was to be offered in
conjunction with lives of righteousness and faithfulness. It was truly a
sacrifice of thanksgiving and a vow to the most high.
As
we celebrate Harvest Thanksgiving, we too can be mindful of the spiritual
nature of giving. Of course it isn't so much the size of the gift, but the
size of the commitment or sacrifice behind the gift that connects us as
giver to God and to neighbour. Our gift of self through time, ability,
money expresses our thankfulness for what God accomplishes in our life. It
also allows us to act on our values in ways that touch the lives of
others. There are so many beneficiaries in giving of one's self to others.
This is true in giving to both church and social agencies. There is the
family preparing for baptism, the patient who receives a visit from clergy
or laity, the young couple being counseled for marriage, the person who
has a need met by outreach, and the community that gathers in church on
Sunday to celebrate the faith. There is the child whose day at school is
made manageable because of a breakfast program. There is the critically
ill person whose life is made more hopeful because others canvassed for
medical research. There are the people of all ages whose lives are
enriched because someone contributes time and expertise to a program or
community organization.
"Offer
unto God the sacrifice of Thanksgiving … ". Notice the particular
emphasis the translation from The New Revised Standard Version places on
this verse: "Make thanksgiving your sacrifice to God…." This
Harvest Festival may we affirm with the Psalmist that giving is a form of
Thanksgiving, and that giving is joined to sowing and reaping in the
kingdom of God.
The
Rev. Canon Rod Gillis, Harvest, 2005 |
