20th October 2024 

Harvest: Generosity, Justice and Celebration

We had a glorious Sunday afternoon celebrating the beauty and wonder of God's creation at Messy Harvest last week. Whether immersing themselves in sand or water, using their God-given creativity to make junk model animals, marvelling at the rainbow of light produced by their spectroscope, eating the fruits (more accurately, the iced biscuit people) of their labours, or dancing their praise on the platform, the children's exuberance, energy and joy shone through - a window perhaps into the exuberance, energy and joy of the Creator God who looked upon all he had made and pronounced it "very good".

Life sometimes gets in the way of our exuberance, energy and joy. We are easily weighed down by anxiety, illness, suffering - our own or that of those dear to us - and the general state of the world. It's easy to forget that we were created "in the beginning" for that exuberance, energy and joy of our Creator - to tend and delight in the beautiful world he has made.

Life was tough for the people of Israel. After 400 years of enslavement in Egypt and 40 years of wandering in the wilderness, I wonder if they too had lost their exuberance, energy and joy? And I wonder if that's why, baked into the Law of Moses, in between laws around justice and responsible agriculture, are instructions around celebration. "Three times in the year," says God, "you shall hold a festival for me." (Exodus 23:14). These festivals celebrate in different ways God's involvement in the whole life of his people. The first, Passover, remembers God's action in saving his people from enslavement and bringing them out of Egypt. The second, Harvest, rejoices in the first fruits of God's generous provision, and the third, the ingathering, celebrates the completion of the harvest.

And so God calls his people to be above all a people who celebrate. A people formed by Sabbath rest and by festivals (rather than, as their enslaved ancestors were, by relentless toil). A people who, formed by Sabbath rest and celebration, live out that Sabbath rest and celebration in exuberant joy which spreads to the peoples round about. A people who, recognising God's generous provision in their own lives, are able to be generous in the way they treat others.

Children are good at celebrating, good at exuberance and joy. As an intergenerational community of faith, let's learn from the example of the children at Messy Harvest and celebrate God's gifts with exuberance and joy this weekend.