Thanksgiving and Consecration Sunday, November 23, 2025
First Congregational Church of Cheshire
© the Rev. Dr. James Campbell
Deuteronomy 26:1-11
When you have come into the land that the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance to possess, and you possess it, and settle in it, you shall take some of the first of all the fruit of the ground, which you harvest from the land that the Lord your God is giving you, and you shall put it in a basket and go to the place that the Lord your God will choose as a dwelling for his name. You shall go to the priest who is in office at that time, and say to him, “Today I declare to the Lord your God that I have come into the land that the Lord swore to our ancestors to give us.” When the priest takes the basket from your hand and sets it down before the altar of the Lord your God, you shall make this response before the Lord your God: “A wandering Aramean was my ancestor; he went down into Egypt and lived there as an alien, few in number, and there he became a great nation, mighty and populous. When the Egyptians treated us harshly and afflicted us, by imposing hard labor on us, we cried to the Lord, the God of our ancestors; the Lord heard our voice and saw our affliction, our toil, and our oppression. The Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with a terrifying display of power, and with signs and wonders; and he brought us into this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey. So now I bring the first of the fruit of the ground that you, O Lord, have given me.” You shall set it down before the Lord your God and bow down before the Lord your God. Then you, together with the Levites and the aliens who reside among you, shall celebrate with all the bounty that the Lord your God has given to you and to your house.
Well, here we go again! There will be parties and Secret Santas and food. There will be visiting relatives and long, long waits at the airport… and still more food. There will be twinkling lights and ubiquitous Christmas music and sweatpants in a larger size… and still more food. Food, glorious food! Wonderful food! Marvelous food!
How appropriate, then, that this season of feasting begins with the grandest feast of them all. Thanksgiving Day is for everyone. It knows no particular religion or political persuasion, no gender barriers or economic stratification. It is simply a day of joy and gratitude for everyone born! And that makes it a foretaste of glory divine - that day when God’s Table will be set for the whole human family with food, glorious food.
I was interested to learn this week that food and feasting and the rituals that surround them are mentioned more than 1000 times in the Bible. Take the Scripture lesson of the day, for example. It is a detailed description about how food becomes an act of worship. And although this ritual is thousands of years old, it has a surprisingly resonant message for us 21st century Americans.
Deuteronomy is the fifth book of the Bible, part of the Pentateuch, the five books of Moses. And Deuteronomy contains a collection of speeches that Moses gave to the Children of Israel just before they entered the Promised Land.
Moses was about to die. And like lots of folks at the end of life, he had important things to say to those he loved. And one of those things was about the proper way to celebrate a feast of harvest.
Moses began his discourse with this foundational idea: He said: “After you have settled in the Promised Land, and that first harvest comes in, remember that the first fruits belong to God.”
The first fruits – not whatever is left over, not what you can spare, never as an afterthought, but whatever comes first. This dictum was taken so seriously that it became the custom to tie a ribbon around the first branch that blossomed in the spring or the first stalk that poked its head above the soil, so that at harvest time it would be clear what belonged to God and what belonged to you.
Then Moses continued: “And you shall put that first fruit into a basket and take it God’s house and present it to the priest. And then, when the priest takes it from your hands, you are to say the following.”
Now, this is where I need you all to play your part as God’s people. I want you to turn to page 4 in your bulletins and read aloud with me all the words in the Scripture lesson that are underlined. Are you ready?
"A wandering Aramean was my ancestor; he went down into Egypt and lived there as an alien, few in number, and there he became a great nation, mighty and populous. When the Egyptians treated us harshly and afflicted us, by imposing hard labor on us, we cried to the LORD, the God of our ancestors; the LORD heard our voice and saw our affliction, our toil, and our oppression. The LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with a terrifying display of power, and with signs and wonders; and he brought us into this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey. So now I bring the first of the fruit of the ground that you, O LORD, have given me."
I asked all of you to say these words because these were the people’s words. They were not spoken by the clergy, but by the farmers and the women who tended their gardens and the children who gleaned the fields. And in the speaking of these words, the people were reminded of two essential truths that were to undergird their lives.
The first essential truth is this: when we sing: “Praise God from whom all blessings flow…” apparently, we’re supposed to mean it. Now that might seem like a no-brainer, hardly worth mentioning - except that we humans tend to live as if this is not the truth. We live as if we did all of this ourselves. And I’ll admit, that’s easy to do, in a land of plenty and a place where we pull ourselves up by our own bootstraps.
But that’s where rituals come in handy. The ancient Hebrews recited these same words after every harvest, year after year, as a reminder that everything we have comes from God. And the people taught this truth to their children. They whispered it on their deathbeds. They inscribed it on their hearts. “Praise God from whom all blessings flow.”
The second essential truth found in these words is about the importance of remembering where you came from. Notice that the Hebrew people didn’t start by talking about how much their gardens had produced or how rich they were now. Instead, they spoke about their ancestor Jacob, who fled the wrath of his brother Esau, and ended up in the land of Arameans, rootless and homeless. They recalled that time when their people were slaves in Egypt and had nothing. And thus, the liturgy always began: “A wandering Aramean was my ancestor…” In other words, my ancestor was a slave. My people were homeless. I came from nothing.
Now remembering where you came from can be a profound exercise, but it is ultimately meaningless unless you also find a way to remember those who continue to wander.
But that remedy too is built into this ancient ritual. Verse 11 reads: “Then you, together with the Levites and the aliens who reside among you, shall celebrate with all the bounty that the Lord your God has given to you and to your house.”
You see, the Levites were a professional religious class that was forbidden to own property. And the aliens were refugees – people running from war or famine, who also owned nothing. And yet the bounty of the harvest also belonged to them. So, you were commanded to share the feast with them.
So, what does any of this have to do with Thursday? Well, the first thing is pretty obvious, although I suspect it’s far less common than it used to be. Remember in the old days how we always said grace, at least at Thanksgiving? Whatever happened to that? Now I know that public prayer is a scary idea for some. But I have heard through the grapevine that AI can write some marvelous prayers. But if saying grace is not your style, how about just going outside or finding a quiet corner to pause long enough to say “Thank you, God; thank you for everything”?
And while you’re at it, remember where you came from; remember where this land came from. Because no matter how far removed we might be now; we are all the daughters and sons of wandering Arameans who sacrificed greatly to give us this life. Some were natives; some were slaves; some were free. But they all came here and lived their lives and planted their hopes and watered their dreams. On Thursday, remember them. And on Friday, help someone who is still wandering.
The days of feasting and plenty are upon us. Oh, I hope you enjoy them all. But don’t forget where it all comes from. Remember the ancestors. Remember the aliens. Remember the hungry. Remember the Lord. And then dig in!
First Congregational Church of Cheshire
© the Rev. Dr. James Campbell
Deuteronomy 26:1-11
When you have come into the land that the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance to possess, and you possess it, and settle in it, you shall take some of the first of all the fruit of the ground, which you harvest from the land that the Lord your God is giving you, and you shall put it in a basket and go to the place that the Lord your God will choose as a dwelling for his name. You shall go to the priest who is in office at that time, and say to him, “Today I declare to the Lord your God that I have come into the land that the Lord swore to our ancestors to give us.” When the priest takes the basket from your hand and sets it down before the altar of the Lord your God, you shall make this response before the Lord your God: “A wandering Aramean was my ancestor; he went down into Egypt and lived there as an alien, few in number, and there he became a great nation, mighty and populous. When the Egyptians treated us harshly and afflicted us, by imposing hard labor on us, we cried to the Lord, the God of our ancestors; the Lord heard our voice and saw our affliction, our toil, and our oppression. The Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with a terrifying display of power, and with signs and wonders; and he brought us into this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey. So now I bring the first of the fruit of the ground that you, O Lord, have given me.” You shall set it down before the Lord your God and bow down before the Lord your God. Then you, together with the Levites and the aliens who reside among you, shall celebrate with all the bounty that the Lord your God has given to you and to your house.
Well, here we go again! There will be parties and Secret Santas and food. There will be visiting relatives and long, long waits at the airport… and still more food. There will be twinkling lights and ubiquitous Christmas music and sweatpants in a larger size… and still more food. Food, glorious food! Wonderful food! Marvelous food!
How appropriate, then, that this season of feasting begins with the grandest feast of them all. Thanksgiving Day is for everyone. It knows no particular religion or political persuasion, no gender barriers or economic stratification. It is simply a day of joy and gratitude for everyone born! And that makes it a foretaste of glory divine - that day when God’s Table will be set for the whole human family with food, glorious food.
I was interested to learn this week that food and feasting and the rituals that surround them are mentioned more than 1000 times in the Bible. Take the Scripture lesson of the day, for example. It is a detailed description about how food becomes an act of worship. And although this ritual is thousands of years old, it has a surprisingly resonant message for us 21st century Americans.
Deuteronomy is the fifth book of the Bible, part of the Pentateuch, the five books of Moses. And Deuteronomy contains a collection of speeches that Moses gave to the Children of Israel just before they entered the Promised Land.
Moses was about to die. And like lots of folks at the end of life, he had important things to say to those he loved. And one of those things was about the proper way to celebrate a feast of harvest.
Moses began his discourse with this foundational idea: He said: “After you have settled in the Promised Land, and that first harvest comes in, remember that the first fruits belong to God.”
The first fruits – not whatever is left over, not what you can spare, never as an afterthought, but whatever comes first. This dictum was taken so seriously that it became the custom to tie a ribbon around the first branch that blossomed in the spring or the first stalk that poked its head above the soil, so that at harvest time it would be clear what belonged to God and what belonged to you.
Then Moses continued: “And you shall put that first fruit into a basket and take it God’s house and present it to the priest. And then, when the priest takes it from your hands, you are to say the following.”
Now, this is where I need you all to play your part as God’s people. I want you to turn to page 4 in your bulletins and read aloud with me all the words in the Scripture lesson that are underlined. Are you ready?
"A wandering Aramean was my ancestor; he went down into Egypt and lived there as an alien, few in number, and there he became a great nation, mighty and populous. When the Egyptians treated us harshly and afflicted us, by imposing hard labor on us, we cried to the LORD, the God of our ancestors; the LORD heard our voice and saw our affliction, our toil, and our oppression. The LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with a terrifying display of power, and with signs and wonders; and he brought us into this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey. So now I bring the first of the fruit of the ground that you, O LORD, have given me."
I asked all of you to say these words because these were the people’s words. They were not spoken by the clergy, but by the farmers and the women who tended their gardens and the children who gleaned the fields. And in the speaking of these words, the people were reminded of two essential truths that were to undergird their lives.
The first essential truth is this: when we sing: “Praise God from whom all blessings flow…” apparently, we’re supposed to mean it. Now that might seem like a no-brainer, hardly worth mentioning - except that we humans tend to live as if this is not the truth. We live as if we did all of this ourselves. And I’ll admit, that’s easy to do, in a land of plenty and a place where we pull ourselves up by our own bootstraps.
But that’s where rituals come in handy. The ancient Hebrews recited these same words after every harvest, year after year, as a reminder that everything we have comes from God. And the people taught this truth to their children. They whispered it on their deathbeds. They inscribed it on their hearts. “Praise God from whom all blessings flow.”
The second essential truth found in these words is about the importance of remembering where you came from. Notice that the Hebrew people didn’t start by talking about how much their gardens had produced or how rich they were now. Instead, they spoke about their ancestor Jacob, who fled the wrath of his brother Esau, and ended up in the land of Arameans, rootless and homeless. They recalled that time when their people were slaves in Egypt and had nothing. And thus, the liturgy always began: “A wandering Aramean was my ancestor…” In other words, my ancestor was a slave. My people were homeless. I came from nothing.
Now remembering where you came from can be a profound exercise, but it is ultimately meaningless unless you also find a way to remember those who continue to wander.
But that remedy too is built into this ancient ritual. Verse 11 reads: “Then you, together with the Levites and the aliens who reside among you, shall celebrate with all the bounty that the Lord your God has given to you and to your house.”
You see, the Levites were a professional religious class that was forbidden to own property. And the aliens were refugees – people running from war or famine, who also owned nothing. And yet the bounty of the harvest also belonged to them. So, you were commanded to share the feast with them.
So, what does any of this have to do with Thursday? Well, the first thing is pretty obvious, although I suspect it’s far less common than it used to be. Remember in the old days how we always said grace, at least at Thanksgiving? Whatever happened to that? Now I know that public prayer is a scary idea for some. But I have heard through the grapevine that AI can write some marvelous prayers. But if saying grace is not your style, how about just going outside or finding a quiet corner to pause long enough to say “Thank you, God; thank you for everything”?
And while you’re at it, remember where you came from; remember where this land came from. Because no matter how far removed we might be now; we are all the daughters and sons of wandering Arameans who sacrificed greatly to give us this life. Some were natives; some were slaves; some were free. But they all came here and lived their lives and planted their hopes and watered their dreams. On Thursday, remember them. And on Friday, help someone who is still wandering.
The days of feasting and plenty are upon us. Oh, I hope you enjoy them all. But don’t forget where it all comes from. Remember the ancestors. Remember the aliens. Remember the hungry. Remember the Lord. And then dig in!
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