Scripture: Psalm 126:6 – “Those who go out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, carrying their sheaves.” (NRSVue)
Today is the summer solstice, the longest day of the year (at least in the northern hemisphere). And yet I am thinking about Thanksgiving today. Maybe not the meal, but the feeling of being thankful for what we have received. There is a hymn that is regularly sung at Thanksgiving services called “Bringing in the Sheaves”. It is based on Psalm 126 and expresses the joy of the harvest. It goes:
Sowing in the morning, sowing seeds of kindness,
Sowing in the noontide and the dewy eve;
Waiting for the harvest, and the time of reaping,
We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves.
Refrain:
Bringing in the sheaves, bringing in the sheaves,
We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves,
Bringing in the sheaves, bringing in the sheaves,
We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves.
This is a very upbeat song and is sometimes sung when calling forth donations of money and non-perishable food for those in need.
But looking back on Psalm 126, it is not really about farming, but about returning home and finding joy after a season of sadness. The context of Psalm 126, like so much of the Old Testament, involves the return of the Jews from Exile in Babylon. They had left the smoking ruin of their city, their temple, and their lives, and now were returning home two generations later. It felt like a dream come true as the nations who mocked them now marveled at their fortune, or like streams flowing through a barren desert.
To me, the most fascinating image is of sowing in sadness. What a powerful idea! Normally when people sow seeds there is a hope that they will spring up. The sowing season of spring is not done with the expectation of failure, and yet to the ancient Jews it seemed like all they could do is go through the motions with little faith that anything could come out of their efforts. Of course, God provides, and the people return home with an unexpected bountiful harvest.
Too often in our lives we go through the motions. We do things the way we have always done them and hope for something different. This is the classic definition of insanity, but we know it is insane. We just do not know any way to do it differently and our hope is empty. Psalm 126 reminds us that our efforts are not in vain, even when we are full of sorrow and hopelessness. One of the reasons why so many psalms speak of the return from exile is because it is such a powerful image of hope. God provided for the people, even after their faithlessness had led to their destruction. If God could save those people, God can save us. We just need faith that what we do can make a difference. God invites us to put aside our fear and try something new, to take risks, and to find courage especially when everything seems impossible. Nothing is impossible with God, so go out and sow with hope, and even through your tears, know that God promises a great harvest.
Prayer: God, grant me courage and strength so that I may endure to live in your glory. Amen.
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