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Unity Church of Castro Valley

Sunday Message for November 19, 2006

Thanksgiving

Today we are going to talk about Thanksgiving.  We need to be grateful for everything in our lives. EVERYTHING!  For, the things that we praise, multiply!

And I know that there are some of you who are saying to yourselves, “How can I be grateful for my life? I was abused as a child. I had a terrible life! How can I give thanks for that!?”  Well, you may have had a terrible start to your life, but you now have to make a decision to start to have something better.

I want you to affirm every day:  I MAY HAVE HAD A TERRIBLE START TO MY LIFE, BUT I AM IN CHARGE AND I AM GOING TO HAVE A GREAT ENDING!

We need to give thanks for EVERYTHING in our lives. EVERYTHING!  Because you don’t know why these things are in your life.  They may be a blessing, a lesson, an opportunity.

When I was studying to become a minister, I did research on American Indian spirituality.  One of the things I found was related to their get-togethers, or their Pow Wows.  They would always begin their Pow Wows with a prayer of thanksgiving that could last anywhere from an hour to two days.

OPENING PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING

Today we begin our celebration as we acknowledge and give thanks to those who were here in this country before us.  Their spirituality was reflected in everything they did.  The search for the Holy Grail was not more sacred or holy than their buffalo hunts.  We are deeply indebted to all Native American peoples. We humbly acknowledge their sacrifices, grieve their losses and honor the gifts of their heritage.

Today we acknowledge and give thanks for the vision of the early settlers of this country, the Pilgrims, the Puritans, and the Strangers. We stand in awe of their hard work and their determination to create a better life for themselves and for future generations. May we continue to learn from their experiences.

We give thanks for the first Thanksgiving celebration and for the coming together of the Pilgrims and the Native American people.  May their first Thanksgiving always be a symbol of the gift of inclusiveness and generosity.  Jesus, our Way Shower, asked us to love our neighbor as ourselves.  We are all neighbors.

Today, we give thanks for the gifts of our Divine Creator, a Great Spirit of Thanksgiving.  We acknowledge and give thanks to God for the creation of the elements of FIRE, WATER, and EARTH, which enable us to be physical beings; and the element of AIR which brings us the very life of Spirit.

These elements form the unity of all people everywhere.

Thank You, God, for the drumbeat of the People that didn’t die.  Thank You, God, for our ancestors’ strong heartbeat that didn’t die.

FIRE

First there was FIRE.  Let us turn to the beginning of the drumbeat that didn’t die.   We read in (Genesis 1:3) "Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light."

It was the light of creation.  It was the burning desire to fire with enthusiasm, to rise up in a spontaneous combustion of initiative, to quicken as leaping flames moved the unformed into the transformed.

We read in (Exodus 13:21) "The Lord went in front of them in a pillar of cloud by day, to lead them along the way, and in a pillar of fire by night, to give them light, so that they might travel by day and by night."

The light of fire is for guidance along our way as we journey forth throughout all of our days.

The burning of a log is the unwrapping - layer upon layer - of all the days of radiant energy the tree absorbed from its star, the fireball sun.  From the crackling of the tinder to the popping of the embers we hear told the life story of a tree.  Embers are memories still capable of being enlivened.  This is why when we gather around a mellow fire it sets us in a reflective, absorbent mood.  This is why story telling happens around a camp fire.

(Genesis 22:6) "Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and he himself carried the fire and the knife."

He took in his hand the fire.  Using a method of fire transport that never died, he took earth, and shaped it into a vessel, a bowl of clay with a lid, a thermos for a living ember of fire.  And so fire is linked intimately and anciently with earth.

Fire is a wild, consuming thing, preserved by the insulation of earth, controlled by the dampness of water, nurtured by the inspiration of air.  So intimate and never dying is the relationship between fire and water that the concept of controlling fire by the dampness of water never died, even when we outgrew the earthen hearth and moved to the iron furnace.  A furnace has a damper – a valve plate in the flue for regulating the draft, and a draft is a current of air.  Fire, earth, water, air; four elements: one family.

The first element we share with you during this Thanksgiving celebration, and every day, is the gift of Fire.

(Matches are passed out to the congregation.)

WATER

The second element is WATER.  (Genesis 1:6 &10) "God said, "Let there be a dome in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters." God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good." 

Water is one of our most basic resources for life.  We can live quite a long time without food, but we can’t live very long without water.”

We all know that water was of the utmost importance to the Indians and the pioneers of this country.  Can you imagine, with the way we live today, how it really was so many years ago?  Days, and possibly weeks, would go by without being able to wash your hair or take a bath.  All of the water you might drink would come from a canteen or a leather pouch.

Imagine the praise and thanksgiving the Indians and the pioneers gave to the Great Spirit, to God, when at long last they came upon a flowing river or a nice cool stream.

Water is one of the most healing elements there is, whether that be a beautiful stream, a peaceful blue lake, or the lapping of a therapeutic bath.

We live in a world where there are many wonderful tantalizing drinks that can tempt our palates; but speaking for myself, when I am thirsty, a large glass of sparkling cool water is what I most desire.  As for beauty, give me something as simple and wonderful as that clear blue lake. Is this another of the wonderful gifts of God that we take for granted?  In a moment, we will be passing out some water to you.  If you choose, you can partake of it.  Let us contemplate this simple gift of water.  How thankful we are that we always have fresh water available to us.

Yet there is another water to contemplate. Jesus spoke of another water - living water.   Jesus taught that as we partake of this living water, we would never thirst again.  This is the fountain of the pure Christ spirit that is always flowing within us. Do we take this living water of Spirit for granted in the same way that we take this water from out of the tap for granted?  I can only speak for myself when I say that many times a day I forget to go to this source of living water. 

And yet, in (John 7:37-38) Jesus told us, "Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, and let the one who believes in me drink.” As the scripture has said, "Out of the believer's heart shall flow rivers of living water.'"

How many times have we been thirsty and didn’t go to our own well spring of living water to get our needs met?  As we give thanks today for all our many blessings, let us remember this most basic of elements and that is water.  Both the cool water to quench our outer thirst, and the loving water of Spirit that quenches our inner thirst.

The second element we share with you at this Thanksgiving celebration, and every day, is the gift of Water.

(Dixie cups with water are passed to the congregation.)

EARTH

The Third element is EARTH.  (Genesis 1:10-11) "God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good. Then God said, "Let the earth put forth vegetation: plants yielding seed, and fruit trees of every kind on earth that bear fruit with the seed in it." And it was so."

Earth is our home, our planet.  Metaphysically, earth represents our consciousness of being physical.  We have a body and plant our feet firmly on the earth.  The earth provides nourishment for our body, beauty for our soul, and pictures of the wonders of creation.

The earth gives freely and asks little in return.  Earth cares for tiny seeds and brings forth an abundant harvest.  Earth symbolizes the nurturing aspect of our Mother God.  Earth is also in harmony with all the planets in our solar system, showing us how we can live in harmony with others.  Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me.  Let it begin with our appreciation of earth.

The third element we share with you at this Thanksgiving celebration, and every day, is the gift of Earth.

(Small pots with a seedling are passed to the congregation.)

AIR

The last element is AIR.  (Genesis 2:7) "then the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living being."

Let us honor the breath of life.  There is nothing more precious than the first breath of life.  Anyone who has ever attended a birth of a baby child or animal knows the anxiety of that moment of waiting for the baby’s first breath of life.  Nothing is as essential for our sense of well being as being able to breathe with ease.  Breath and air is synonymous with life.  We give thanks for the precious gift of breath.

The fourth element we share with you at this Thanksgiving celebration, and every day, is the gift of Air.

 (Balloons are passed to the congregation.)

THE FOUR DIRECTIONS

Spirit of the East, we thank you!

Your blessing of air gives us breath and uplifts us.  Your gift of movement and sun reflects the beauty of the earth. As you express the Great Spirit, so we express the One.

Spirit of the West, we thank you!

Your blessing of water gives us life and refreshment.  Your gift of power and rain reflects the order of the earth.  As you express the Great Spirit, so we express the One.

Spirit of the South, we thank you!

Your blessing of sun gives us warmth and nourishment.  Your gift of light and energy reflects the livingness of the earth.  As you express the Great Spirit, we, too, express the One.

Spirit of the North, we thank you!

Your blessing of trees gives us shade and contentment.  Your gift of fruit and wood for our use reflects the bounty of the earth.  As you express the Great Spirit, so we are an expression of the One.

RESPONSIVE READING

Would you please take the Responsive Reading out of your program and follow along with me.

FROM MATTHEW:
MINISTER:  (Matthew 5:6) "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.”
Congregation:  I AM OPEN AND RECEPTIVE TO GOD IN PRAYER. I AM EMPTY OF FEAR AND DOUBT, READY TO BE ANEW WITH WISDOM AND STRENGTH. I REALIZE GOD’S PRESENCE AND POWER, AND I AM DEEPLY SATISFIED PRAISE GOD!
MINISTER:  (Matthew 6:31-33) “Therefore do not worry, saying, "What will we eat?' or "What will we drink?' or "What will we wear?' … 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.”
Congregation:  GOD IS MY INSTANT, CONSTANT, ABUNDANT SUPPLY. I PLACE GOD FIRST IN MY LIFE AND I AM FULFILLED. PRAISE GOD!

FROM MARK:
MINISTER:  (Mark 6:41-44) “Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before the people; and he divided the two fish among them all. And all ate and were filled; and they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and of the fish. Those who had eaten the loaves numbered five thousand men.”
Congregation:  THE CHRIST INDWELLING SUSTAINS ME ALWAYS. I AM LOVINGLY AND ABUNDANTLY SUPPLIED IN THE RIGHT WAY, AND THE PERFECT TIME. PRAISE GOD!
MINISTER:  (Mark 11:22-24) “Jesus answered them, "Have faith in God. Truly I tell you, if you say to this mountain, "Be taken up and thrown into the sea,' and if you do not doubt in your heart, but believe that what you say will come to pass, it will be done for you. So I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”
Congregation:  AS I TRUST IN GOD, THE SEEMING OBSTACLES ARE REMOVED FROM MY PATH. MY WAY IS CLEAR. IN FAITH I SPEAK THE TRUTH, AND GOD ESTABLISHED MY GOOD UNTO ME. PRAISE GOD!

FROM LUKE:
MINISTER:  (Luke 1:46 & 53) “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, he has filled the hungry with good things,”
Congregation:  GOD IS MY ALL-SUFFICIENCY IN ALL THINGS. I FEAST ON THE LIVING WORD OF TRUTH FROM GOD, MY SOURCE. PRAISE GOD!
MINISTER:  (Luke 8:11 & 15) “The seed is the word of God. As for that in the good soil, these are the ones who, when they hear the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patient endurance.”
Congregation:  THE DIVINE LAW OF UNIVERSAL INCREASE IS NOW ACTIVE IN MY MIND AND IN MY LIFE. I HOLD STEADFAST TO THE TRUTH AND I REAP A RICH HARVEST OF BLESSINGS. PRAISE GOD!

FROM JOHN:
MINISTER:  (John 4:34-35) “Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to complete his work. Do you not say, "Four months more, then comes the harvest'? But I tell you, look around you, and see how the fields are ripe for harvesting.”
Congregation:  GOD’S WILL FOR ME IS GOOD AND ONLY GOOD. I APPROPRIATE GOD’S CREATIVE IDEAS, AND I AM NOURISHED AND UPLIFTED. I DO NOT WAIT TO GIVE THANKS, BUT I GRATEFULLY EXPRESS GOD’S IDEAS RIGHT NOW IN LOVING AND POSITIVE WAYS. PRAISE GOD!
MINISTER:  (John 6:35) “Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”
Congregation:  CHRIST IS THE LIFE OF MY LIFE. THE CHRIST INDWELLING IS THE I AM -- THE ETERNAL, PERFECT REAL OF ME THAT CONTINUALLY RENEWS AND REFRESHES ME. PRAISE GOD!
MINISTER:  (John 11:41-42) “And Jesus looked upward and said, "Father, I thank you for having heard me. I knew that you always hear me."
Congregation:  I GIVE THANKS FOR ALL THE MANY BLESSINGS OF MY LIFE, AND THAT I AM EVER IN THE PRESENCE OF OUR ALL-LOVING, ALL PROVIDING FATHER. PRAISE GOD!
ALL: IN THE NAME AND NATURE OF OUR WAYSHOWER, CHRIST JESUS,
AMEN.

SCRIPTURE: Genesis 1:3; Exodus 13:21; Genesis 22:6; Genesis 1:6 & 10; John 7:37-38; Genesis 1:10-11;
              Genesis 2:7; Matthew 5:6; Matthew 6:31-33; Mark 6:41-44; Mark 11:22-24; Luke 1:46 & 53;
              Luke 8:11 & 15; John 4:34-35; John 6:35; John 11:41-42

Last updated December 8, 2006