Reading
Deuteronomy 26:11
Then you, together with the Levites and the aliens who reside among you, shall celebrate with all the bounty that the Lord your God has given to you and to your house.
Devotion
Long-time followers of my blog will know that one of my favorite American artists is Henry Ossawa Tanner. This week features his 1894 work "The Thankful Poor." The painting is held by a private foundation and occasionally loaned out. It was last on public display at the Dallas Museum of Art in 2022.
The painting shows a couple of African American, perhaps a father and son or grandfather and grandson. They are praying before their meal. In contrast to, say, a Norman Rockwell Thanksgiving painting, their meal appears quite modest. I love the quiet dignity, the intergenerational connection, and the determination to live out of an inner sense of abundance that is in defiance of the harsh reality of the surroundings. The painting reminds me a bit of Elizabeth Nourse's 1891 work "Le Repas en Famille" (The Family Meal) depicting a similar scene for a peasant family.
I love the reverence portrayed in the painting. How this week, might you practice reverence, dear reader?
Prayer
Almighty and gracious Father, we give you thanks for the fruits of the earth in their season and for the labors of those who harvest them. Make us, we pray, faithful stewards of your great bounty, for the provision of our necessities and the relief of all who are in need, to the glory of your Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. (Book of Common Prayer)