Become Present with Thankfulness
by Rev. Cory Bradford-Watts
Readings
Matthew 25:1-13
“At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.
“At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’
“Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’
“‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’
“But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.
“Later the others also came. ‘Lord, Lord,’ they said, ‘open the door for us!’
“But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.’
“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.
Psalm 103:1-12
Praise the Lord, my soul;
all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
Praise the Lord, my soul,
and forget not all his benefits—
who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,
who satisfies your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
The Lord works righteousness
and justice for all the oppressed.
He made known his ways to Moses,
his deeds to the people of Israel:
The Lord is compassionate and gracious,
slow to anger, abounding in love.
He will not always accuse,
nor will he harbor his anger forever;
he does not treat us as our sins deserve
or repay us according to our iniquities.
For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his love for those who fear him;
as far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
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Read the written message below with music videos
Being thankful is an underestimated way to improve our own day, and often everyone else’s day around us! What makes it difficult is a two-parter: just remembering to be thankful for our untold gifts, and being present enough to remain that way - instead of getting pulled back down by our negative, often called “realistic,” thinking. But, I have to ask, what is realistic about worrying about the future all the time? What’s realistic about sinking back into the past, our constant fears, or our self-image? Instead, let’s give thanks while letting the qualms pass as they come, accepting the moment for what it is, and celebrate all the diverse people and other expressions of God’s Divinity in our lives, today, right now.
As a United Statesian (often selfishly called American), Thanksgiving here in Canada is even more pleasant if only because it falls in early October. Right at the time of year when leaves are changing, and the weather hasn’t turned too terrible here in Ontario. It feels natural to give thanks for these things, the beauty and the hint of cold in the air that makes us feel alive. I think it’s the surprise of the colors and the rain, like throwing cold water from a beautiful lake onto our face, it helps bring us into presence and an appreciation for the little things.
I believe that thankfulness is a key reason why fall just feels so good for many people. And, easily enough, we can all work on finding more thankfulness in order to dispel our mental cobwebs and burdens. Coming into presence is often said to be somewhat synonymous with reconnecting with God, and I think that’s because a living God is a present God, shining through the details of everything around us. Believing and perceiving the Divinity shining in every mundane thing reinforces and invigorates our thankfulness, reminding us that we too are made of both starstuff and Godstuff alike and are worthy of celebration, no matter our differences.
Unfortunately, if you’re like me, you know that the weight of our world can easily weigh us out of any semblance of thanksliving. For many of us, it might take a mighty miracle to get us somewhat consistently into a place of thanksgiving, and perhaps we think this is rightfully so, due our missteps and hurtful motives at times, as well as what our world is doing and what it’s like. I relate to this. But what we have to understand is that in order to change our world we have to change our thinking. Impactful sages, Alcoholics Anonymous, and psychotherapists alike tell us that we should “accept the things we cannot change,” as a first step to perceiving what we can and to finding the willpower to do so. A minister might rephrase this for a Sunday morning service, saying that we should accept the Lord’s providence as our own and stop fighting the past, and in that more peaceful, accepting state, use the Lord’s empowerment to make positive changes in this world.
So, to be thankful we often have to relax in a way, and let go of our identification with our worrying, our judging, and all the other ways we think in divisional terms. When we’re thankful, instead of analyzing everything (and looking a gift-horse in the mouth) we’re celebrating what we’re experiencing, and in its fullest state we are celebrating God and God’s providence in everything, even in the challenges calling us to heal, learn, love, and act. In our states of fear, anxiety, annoyance, anger, and unease, we often lack the ability and the clarity to act appropriately to real issues, especially when these persist for long, and we often end up resenting the present moment.
The Passover is a celebratory holiday that’s lasted thousands of years, all in celebration of how God spared the Hebrew people due to their presence to God’s will, even in the midst of great strife, enslavement, and pain. It’s a testament of thanks for how God comes through when we’re willing to be present and discerning to God’s will, not our own. The stakes were high then - certain death or continued enslavement, as they’re high now - the continued mistreatment of our earth and the oppressed, leading to mass destruction. Like the Israelites, we are called to stay present to what needs to be done, with love, compassion, and wisdom guiding us to hear and embody God’s will.
Similarly, Christ shares a prophecy about how he may come at any moment, and that we should not be asleep when it happens – otherwise we will be left behind. Instead of pinching ourselves and taking caffeine for the rest of our lives, I interpret this as a similar parable to many of his others, inviting us to wake up to the moment and to God’s will in our lives with thanksgiving and peace, instead of slumbering in our suffering, fear, and feelings of disconnection. We’re called to wake up to the reality of the living God, the Ancient One who speaks through us and through untold spiritualities in varying ways!
The diversely wonderful things in our lives help with this. The wonder and the joy of a child. The peace and wisdom of a great grandfather. The love and insight of a mom. These help us wake up to thankfulness and the staggering Divinity shining around us, most obviously in our healthy differences. They key us into the nature of our own consciousness, helping to settle our minds so that we may discern the mountainous peace that’s always been within. This shining Christ at our core, known by many names, gives thanks for us. He celebrates our own thanksgiving as a balm for our wounds and tender heart. He knows what we are capable of, what kind of joy and peace we will find in him, in our growing awareness of our unity, without the distorted worldviews and intentions that have led to so much pain. He asks us to wake up, to stop slumbering in our heady, analytical dreamland, and find that heaven is already within and around us, and it’s ready to put us to life-giving work.
Blessings of peace and presence to you and yours,
Cory