Thinking about wandering 5000 year old Arameans.
November 19, 2007 – 2:01 pmOn Wednesday evening several UMCs in our area are coming together for a Thanksgiving Eve worship service and each pastor gets three minutes (yeah, right) to reflect on one of the lectionary passages. My reflection is based on Deuteronomy 26:1-11.
In verse 2 the writer is giving instruction to the individuals in the community to bring the firstfruits of all that you produce… And while the text goes on to imply an agricultural focus, I think it can aptly be applied to our lives today. What are the fruits of your labors? Today much of what many of us produce has nothing to do with farming and agriculture. How can we find creative ways to bring our firstfruits to God in ways that change the world through the church? The passage (as many others) explicitly tell the reads to bring their baskets to the dwelling place for his Name, so locally, as we participate in the vision of the local church, we can give thanks to God for the blessings we receive and participate in tangible ways of transformation of the world.
