ECOPREACHER
The Rev. Dr. Leah D. Schade (To view this resource in Spanish, click here.)
The Thanksgiving holiday is an ideal time to give thanks for God’s Creation and reorient our hearts toward service and sustainability.
Here are ideas for reading and preaching about Deuteronomy 8:7-18 and Luke 17:11-19. This installment of the EcoPreacher 1-2-3 series equips preachers and congregations to engage the Bible through an ecological lens. The Revised Common Lectionary assigns these texts for Thanksgiving Eve in Year A.
Eco-Exegesis
Eco-exegesis is a method of interpreting the biblical text through a green lens using the principles of ecological theology.
Deuteronomy 8:10-11: You shall eat your fill and bless the Lord your God for the good land that he has given you. Take care that you do not forget the Lord your God, by failing to keep his commandments, his ordinances, and his statutes, which I am commanding you today.
Luke 17:18-19: [Jesus said to the man who was healed of leprosy]: “Was none of them found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” Then he said to him, “Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well.”
In many communities across the United States, houses of worship join in ecumenical or interfaith Thanksgiving Eve services. Nearly all religious traditions include a spiritual practice of giving thanks. Thanksgiving therefore offers an ideal opportunity to bridge theological and religious divides by standing on the common ground of gratitude.
For churches that follow the Revised Common Lectionary, this year’s Thanksgiving readings emphasize not only the need to give thanks but also the humility that makes gratitude possible. Such humility requires a reorientation of priorities, especially for those who enjoy wealth and comfort. Giving thanks for the Earth is central to that reorientation. As these two passages show, however, gratitude is more than just a feeling. It calls us to act in ways that protect the health of the planet for all living beings.
In Deuteronomy 8:7-18, Moses speaks to the Israelites as they prepare to enter the Promised Land. According to Rabbis Yonatan Neril and Leo Dee, “God is warning the Israelites not to forget the lessons that they learned when they were desperate and dependent in the desert. They, too, must remember it once they…become wealthier and feel independent” (Eco Bible, Vol. 2, 147).
The rabbis further reflect, “When the people were tangibly dependent on God in the desert for their food (the manna) and shelter (clouds of glory), they had no problem seeing the role of God in their lives.” That perspective changed once they came into the land promised to them. When they amassed enough flocks and herds to generate substantial income, the memory of dependence faded. “Once they built houses that could be passed down to future generations, and had excess income to spend on luxuries, it became easy to forget their connection to God’s gift of rain and soil and His protection and continued, yet invisible, influence in their lives” (Eco Bible, Vol. 2, 147-8). The Thanksgiving holiday is an ideal time to remember our connection to God and Creation.
Luke 17:11-19 tells a parallel story about forgetting to be grateful. After Jesus heals a group of men afflicted with leprosy, they leave without acknowledging what he has done for them. Only one—an outsider—returns. We don’t know what compels him to return, but perhaps he had already made gratitude a spiritual discipline. Whatever his reason, he returns to express sincere appreciation for the healing Jesus has given him.
For people who enjoy wealth and comfort today, these passages call for gratitude, humility, and renewed attention to the Earth. Gratitude carries with it a moral imperative: we must act in ways that ensure the health of this planet for all living beings. As the Rabbis remind us, “Material blessing should not be an end in itself. Using abundance for the common good is key to a sustainable society. Spirituality in the service of sustainability will help the next generation inherit a livable and thriving planet” (Eco Bible, Vol. 2, 148).
Importantly, gratitude cannot remain an individual endeavor; congregations must practice it together. They can express their gratitude and care for the Earth by joining climate marches, meeting with elected officials, or writing letters to support climate policies and legislation. Engaging in local environmental advocacy such as protesting a toxic landfill or industry can galvanize a church to protect the community. Churches can also create rituals that orient believers toward Creation: worshiping outdoors, lamenting threatened natural lands and extinct species, and blessing community gardens.
The Eco-Idea is one succinct statement that tells us who God is and/or what God does in relation to Creation and how we should respond as people of faith.
Thanksgiving turns us toward God’s Creation and calls us to express our gratitude through service and sustainability.
Eco-Questions are what we can ask to help a congregation draw out the implications of the Eco-Exegesis and Eco-Idea.
- How might our Thanksgiving meals change if we paused not only to give thanks but also to eat consciously and reflect on the blessings of the Earth? What might we notice focused on the taste, smell, and texture of each bite? How could this practice of mindful eating improve our physical and spiritual health on this day and during the rest of the year?
- Instead of rushing to shop for deals after the Thanksgiving meal or the day after, what might happen if you and your loved ones took a walk in a local park, botanical garden, or nature preserve? How might extending your gratitude, humility, and commitment to sustainability for one more day change the holiday?
Eco-Actions are ways that a congregation might respond to the Eco-Idea and Eco-Questions. One of these possibilities may have salience for your ministry context.
- Encourage your congregation to join Blessed Tomorrow’s One Home, One Future, a multi-faith climate action campaign to strengthen vitality, relevance, and community connection across generations in local congregations nationwide.
- During the prayers of the people in your community Thanksgiving worship service—or on the Sunday following Thanksgiving—pray for God’s Creation and for unity in caring for our common home.
- Call your denominational head office and ask if they have divested from fossil fuels. If the answer is yes, thank them. If the answer is no, ask why. Tell them why this is important to you as a member of the church.
*Credit for featured image: Unsplash.
