The Future Tense of Thanksgiving

We give thanks for things in our present and in our past. What does thanksgiving about the future look like?

November 17, 2021

The season of Thanksgiving is upon us! While there are some common ways we celebrate Thanksgiving (such as a big meal), there is also a lot of variety in how we celebrate it. Some spend the whole month thinking of one thing each day for which they are thankful. Some make special trips to see family or friends. Some have a tradition of using the spiritual gift of hospitality. And some find the greatest Thanksgiving Spirit in serving others, especially those who do not have adequate food, clothes, or shelter. All of these are wonderful ways to practice thanksgiving, not just as a holiday, but as a spiritual practice in our discipleship journey and as we yearn to draw evermore closer to God.

One idea for Thanksgiving that we do not highlight as often is the practice of trust in God’s future provision. Just as we celebrate and give thanks for all that God has done for us in the past, and for what God is doing for us right now, the future tense of Thanksgiving is trust- trust that God will continue to provide in a way for which we will be thankful in the future. So, for example, I can guarantee that no matter what happens in the next year, good or bad, I will be thankful again next November. I can say this because I trust in God’s provision.

The Revised Common Lectionary reading for the festival of Thanksgiving is Matthew 6:25-33.

‘Therefore, I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? Therefore do not worry, saying, “What will we eat?” or “What will we drink?” or “What will we wear?” For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

If you are like me, there are plenty of reasons why I might feel the need to worry. But Jesus is of great comfort in this reminder that while we may pay attention to important things, worry is not helpful. Just as we are thankful at Thanksgiving, we can also be trusting of the future because God has a history of faithfulness that extends across all generations and for all time. So, take your worry to Jesus, and hand it over. Your trust is the future tense of the thankfulness you feel this season.

If you are having trouble with worry in your spiritual journey, please contact one of our pastors. If you believe you may have clinical anxiety or depression, you can come to us for conversation and a referral, or see your medical professional. If you or someone you know is experiencing thoughts of suicide, please call the National Suicide Prevention hotline at 1-800-273-8255.

Grace and Peace,

Rob

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