Thanksgiving Eve 2012

Thanksgiving Sermon – "Heaven is a Piefest"

  Preacher: Pastor Paul Cannon

 Joel 2:21-27, 1 Timothy 2:1-7, Matthew 6:25-33

Good evening!  I want you all to know – first and foremost – that I take some things more seriously than others – and one of the things I take most seriously is pie. In college, I once made up a list of “Rules for Dorm Life” which was really just silly and ridiculous things that people needed to do in order to enter our dorm.  I included the following rule in this list that perhaps demonstrates exactly how much I value pie in my life.  

 

The rule said, “Upon entering our dorm room, friends must present a pie to be donated to its occupants – or be refused entry.”  That’s right, in college if forced to make a decision between pie and friends, I had it in writing that I would choose pie.  As you might imagine, this rule didn’t go over so well with my friends … and though it mostly garnered eye rolls from them, it did actually net us a pie or two, so I chalk that one up as a win in my book.

And so when I heard for the first time that our church has something that we call “Piefest” – well, I knew that I had finally found a place that I could call home.  In fact, just last night, the Bethany church sign actually read as follows “Worship Pie.  7pm.” As much as I love pie, it never occurred to me that I should worship it in any form. I mean, I thought that I took pie seriously, but Bethany Lutheran Church clearly has taken devotion to our favorite Thanksgiving desert to a whole new level.  I suppose I have a lot to learn.

One thing that I have learned about pie, is that like most anything else in this world, it comes and goes in waves. One day you have a freshly made pecan pie – wafting scents of cinnamon and vanilla as it comes out of the oven - with a perfectly flaky, golden brown crust, topped with expertly roasted pecans and a dab of cool whip … (takes a sip of water) excuse me, all this talk about pie is making my mouth water …  Then day after day, the pie disappears into the abyss until suddenly all you’re left with is an empty tin dish containing only crumbs that serve as bitter reminders of all the pie that you used to have – and you want to have again.

Well, maybe it’s not a perfectly analogy, but we often live we are down to our last slice of pie.  If you have siblings you probably know what it means to live like this – my brother calls it the Law of the Jungle.  That is – when you’re sitting down at the table with your family – if you want to get that last slice of pie, you probably need to be the biggest, baddest, quickest, meanest animal in the jungle.  And even if that last slice is sitting on your plate – (dramatic whisper) you’re never safe. If you turn your head, you’d better be prepared to stab somebody with your fork otherwise a thief will likely break off a chunk of crust and caramelized apple.  That’s living in fear.  

As you might imagine though, that’s not how God operates.  That’s not what God desires for your life.  You see, I think that God wants you to live every day as if it’s a piefest. God wants you to live without worrying over our last slice.  God wants us to live as if there is always a freshly baked apple, or pecan or cherry pie that is coming right out of the oven.  

God wants you to live trusting that he will provide.  “Do not worry.” we heard Jesus say in our gospel lesson today, “Look at the sparrows.  They neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns – and yet your heavenly father feeds them.”

 If God provides for little birds, how much will God provide for you? God knows that you need money and a job to live. God knows that you need to be able to put food on the table for your family. God knows that you need a home and a roof over your head to protect you from the elements.  But when we live as if we’re down to our last slice of pie – when we live with our forks raised in striking position, ready to stab the next person that comes close to your flaky treasure – when we live this way, we live contrary to God’s will.  

Which is why Jesus concludes his parable with a promise.  He says, “But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Strive first for the kingdom.  Give shelter to the homeless.  Give food to the hungry. Give love to the unloved. Give pie to the unpied! Strive first for the Kingdom, and trust that God will provide for you, in this life and the next.  Go live without worry – as if everyday were a piefest.

Happy Thanksgiving to you all.  And please –  go and enjoy yourself a slice of pie.

Amen