Deuteronomy 8.1-10

DO NOT FORGET

Do you like this ashtray?

It was given to me in 1971 by an elderly Radio Officer from Sudan. His name was Muhmud. I first met him on board his ship the day I started work as Chaplain in the Port of Liverpool.

Muhmud had been visiting Liverpool for many years. Most evenings he would be found in Kingston House, the international seafarers centre at the Pier Head. He once described it as a 'home from home' for when he was away from Sudan.

Although we had not met before, he wanted me to have this ashtray as a token of his appreciation of the church's work among seafarers. This, I later came to realise, was typical of Muhmud. He was a very appreciative person and was always anxious to show his gratitude, not only with his words, but also by his actions.

For instance, he would often tell me about the former British contribution to Sudan. "You built us our roads, our railways and our schools". And as a gesture of his appreciation he would seek to buy as many British goods as possible to take back home to Sudan.

Now why have I told you about Muhmud?

Quite simple - he was a person who never forgot. He never forgot the difference the Missions to Seamen made in his life at sea. He never forgot the difference the British made to his life back home in the Sudan.

And because he never forgot, he was an extremely appreciative person.

Unfortunately, it is very easy to forget the past when things are going well. It is particularly easy to forget what God has done.

Moses realised this danger in our Old Testament reading this morning from the 8th chapter of Deuteronomy.

Having suffered at the cruel hands of their Egyptian taskmasters, and having suffered hunger and thirst as they wandered through the wilderness following upon their escape from Egypt, the Israelites were now about to enter the promised land.

A land of "flowing streams, springs and underground waters. A land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates. a land of olive trees and honey". A land where bread would be plentiful and whose natural resources would include iron ore and copper.

Suddenly all their dreams were about to come true after all those years of suffering and deprivation.

But Moses knew that there was always a danger that the Israelites would soon begin to take things for granted, once they had built their fine houses, and their herds had multiplied and their gold and silver increased.

Hence he warned the people, "Do not forget the Lord your God".

And again "Do not exalt yourself, forgetting the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt".

In fact, Moses feared that Israelites would soon begin to claim the credit for themselves for the changed circumstances. So he said to them: "Do not say to yourself, 'My power and the might of my own hand have gotten me this wealth'."

Like the Israelites of long ago, we, too, often forget God in times of prosperity.

Gone are the days of "digging for victory". Gone are the ration books, which limited how much milk, eggs and butter one could have a week.

Today we live in the 'Promised Land' with "cities" like Asda, Tesco, Sainsbury, Somerfield and Morrisons. We walk their streets lined with stacked shelves and freezer cabinets, all stacked full of food, the range of which gets bigger every year.

In the circumstances it is very easy to forget God, and all the human activity that goes on behind the production of our food, let alone the fact that two thirds of the world is still under-nourished.

They too, like us, pray "Give us this day our daily bread". But, alas, their prayer often appears to go unanswered because of drought, climatic change, civil war and the exploitation of natural resources.

I often wonder what Muhmud would make of his country today, if he was still alive.

A country which has been torn into two by civil war over the past twenty years, with the Islamic Government of Sudan in the north and the Sudan Peoples Liberation Movement in the South, where most of the Christians live.

A country where the Arabs of the north call the blacks of the south 'slaves' and have frequently treated them accordingly. As Lord Alton observed: "The blood letting is exacerbated by radical Islamists seeking to impose their religion on non-believers, and by greed for resources - primarily oil".

Over two million have been killed and thousands more displaced. "Many refugees inside Sudan" says Lord Alton "are dying from hunger and thirst".

Yes, it is easy not only to forget God, but also to forget his children in need, as we walk the aisles of our crowded supermarkets.

One of the prayers I have always loved in the old Book of Common Prayer is the General Thanksgiving.

Those of you of my generation, or older (if that is possible), may recall the words. It talks about "We thine unworthy servants do give Thee most humble and hearty thanks for all thy goodness and loving kindness to us and to all men. We bless thee for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life".

And it concludes, "that we show forth thy praise, not only with our lips, but in our lives".

And that is what Muhmud did. He expressed his appreciation, not only with words, but also by actions. Hence my ashtray.

So my message to you this Harvest Thanksgiving is: Do not forget the generosity of God in your lives. For it is as we remember His generosity, that we find ourselves also wanting to express our appreciation, not only with our lips but also with our lives.