Category: Thanksgiving

A Thanksgiving Story

David watched as the ride-share driver took off, then turned and faced his brother’s home. He took a deep breath, trying to steel himself to approach the front door. It wasn’t his idea to visit his brother’s family for dinner this Thanksgiving; if it were up to him, he would have stayed home and warmed some frozen turkey slices in the microwave.  But his brother, Marty, had insisted he join them, and David had to admit that the promised traditional dinner would be far superior to his own frozen meal.

His only hesitance was that Marty and his family were just so, well, perfect. Perfect wife, Katy; perfect kids – one perfect daughter and one perfect son. Both A+ students, both gifted musicians and star athletes. Marty had a good income from his executive position, and Katy almost rivaled his with her online consulting business. Even their dog and cat were perfect – they never even shed!

David shook his head as he thought about his brother’s family. How lucky their lives have been! But David’s life, well he wasn’t doing so well. Just this past year, he had lost his job – “down-sizing,” they had called it, “Sorry to see you go,” they had said. Then an emergency room visit due to gangrene that had led to a toe amputation. Then a diagnosis of kidney failure and the beginning of dialysis treatments. It could not have been a worse year for him. Never having married, there was no one even to share those struggles with. So now, alone, he was going to his perfect brother’s house in a ride-share car, since last week he had totaled his own car. And now, it was time to “celebrate” Thanksgiving! Give thanks? To whom and for what?

Deciding it was too late to back out, Dave walked to the door and rang the door bell. A voice spoke from the door-bell camera (of course), saying, “Come on in!” Dave opened the door and was warmly greet by Marty, and ushered into the dining room. “So glad you could come!” said Marty; then from the kitchen into the dining room came Katy, looking perfect as always. She smiled a smile as bright as sunlight as she greet David: “We’re so happy you’re here! It’s been too long!” It would have been longer, but Marty insisted, thought David.

Next, the two perfect kids appeared, greeting, “Hi, Uncle Dave!” Right from Central Casting, David thought. In just a few minutes, the pleasantries ended, and the whole family took their seats at the large table. Festooned with fall and Thanksgiving decorations, and serving platters piled high with food as pleasing to the eye as to the palate, that table would make a fitting cover for Better Homes and Gardens’ holiday issue.

Now, David knew, it was time for the Thanksgiving prayer before the eating could begin. David hoped Marty would offer a short grace; the two brothers had grown up with simple prayers like: “God is great, God is good, so we thank him for our food,” or, “Good food, good meat, Good God, let’s eat!”* That would be fine, not to have to listen to a prayer lifting all the good things his brother’s family were grateful for. But David knew that Katy would be offering the prayer, and he was afraid the turkey would be cold by the time she finished. Oh, well . . . so be it, thought David.

Sure enough, Katy began:

Dear heavenly Father, we come to you this national day of Thanksgiving, to thank you for your blessing on our country, both throughout its history, and in the present day. Too often have we turned from you and endorsed sinful practices, yet you have abounded in mercy, ready to forgive and strengthen us to return to your fold. May our motto, “In God We Trust,” be lived out as well as proclaimed.

So far so good. . . now say, “Amen” .  . .

And now, Lord, we thank you especially for your goodness this year for to our family . . .

Oh, no, here it comes – a perfect blessing for a perfect family . . .

We thank you for your strength for Marty to endure the lawsuit against his company, and for the medical intervention to improve his blood pressure and guide his actions in a biblical way in this situation . . .

What? A lawsuit? He never told me about that . . .

And for our daughter, Grace, that you led us to the right doctor to treat her skin cancer. We thank you that the treatments are working to stop the cancer spreading, and we pray for her healing and encouragement.

Grace has cancer? Since when?

For our son, Greg, we are disappointment that his sports scholarship was rejected for college. Please encourage him and give him a clear path forward according to your will.

No way he was turned down! Did you aver see him play?

And for my business, Lord, may you move the client that refuses to pay me to pay what they owe, or else I may have to go bankrupt and lose the business that I have worked so hard to build up.

Oh wow. And here I thought everything was perfect for them. I guess one never knows . . .

Now we pray for Dave, who has had such a difficult year. Please give him courage and yet unseen blessings in this coming year, that you may bless him financially and health-wise. We thank you for being with him and protecting him in all adversities.

What protection? Thanks for what?

For his foot surgery, we thank you that the gangrene was caught in time and was treated effectively, saving his leg and even his life from the severe sepsis it caused. We also thank you that David’s kidneys can be treated with dialysis to prolong his life from what used to be a death sentence. And for his accident, we thank you for protecting his life, that only his car was lost. Thank you that you sent your angels to watch over him that day. We pray also for him to find new, productive and satisfying employment, that his finances may flourish and his self-esteem may improve. May he find and receive an even better job than he ever had before, and may he see your hand in freeing him up to be available for what is to come. For all these thing, and for this food before us, even the cold turkey, we give you all our thanks and praise, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

David just sat there as the rest of the family stared grabbing for their favorite dishes. How could I have been so self-centered, thought David, to not see the struggles Marty’s family was facing, nor to see their love for me in all I am suffering, nor to see the ways God had watched over me in every situation? Even Marty’s invitation to dinner had been God’s plan for me to climb out of my own hole and see my brother’s family’s struggles, and realize how much God loved them and me.

As David reached for the turkey, he was grateful it still had some warmth to it, he offered his own silent prayer for his family and for a God who loved him so much he not only blessed him in this life, no matter the struggles, but also provided the promise of eternal life to come, by the gift of his own Son, Jesus Christ.

As he finished his prayer, he remember the words of Philippians 4:7, “do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Now may the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Read: 2 Corinthians 9:11-13; Philippians 4:2-9; 1 Timothy 4:4-5.

*Actual prayer from a camper in summer camp in the 1970’s.

Note: the names of Marty and Katy were not chosen randomly; can you think of some other famous couple with those names?

 

The Day After, or, The Leftovers’ Lament

‘Twas the day after Thanksgiving and all through the house,

Leftovers were waiting for me and my spouse.

Though they knew we were stuffed, too bloated to eat,

It wouldn’t be long till we grabbed some more meat.

 

So they gathered to meet on the fridge’s top shelf,

There were green beans, and ‘taters, and turkey itself.

They wondered aloud which would be first to go,

And which would remain for a week or so.

 

So they made a list of which foods remained,

“Just to be ready,” the sweet corn explained.

Each food replied when they called the roll:

Potatoes, and corn and a baked casserole.

 

Turkey and stuffing and a red Jell-o dish,

And rolls and jelly and even a fish!

Said the gravy, so tasty, “I guess we’re all here.”

But they noticed the ham was shedding a tear.

 

“What’s wrong?” they all asked, “There’s plenty still left.”

But the ham still cried; it was just too bereft.

“Something’s missing – it’s been all used up,”

It just won’t be there, the next time they sup.”

 

“What could it be, since there’s still so much food?”

“What would make you so sad and cause you to brood?”

Asked the corn of the ham, as it heard it cry.

Said the ham, “I will tell you,” and gave out a sigh.

 

“Thanksgiving is great for thanking the Lord,

For surely he’s worthy to be so adored.

But the thanks given that day sure run out so fast,

There’s none of it left for the coming repast.”

 

“You would think each meal, and other things, too,

Would make people grateful for blessings so true,

But missing the day set aside for that reason,

They just go on, season to season.”

 

“So they gobble their food, and finish their course,

But don’t even think to honor its source.

It causes me pain, I’m sad to say,

That thanks are used up on Thanksgiving Day.”

 

The ham was done; it had said its piece,

And now their talking did stop and cease.

For they knew the ham’s words were only too true,

So now I must ask, “Are they true for you?”

Now may the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Read: Psalm 100:4; Philippians 4:6; 1 Timothy 4:4.

Thanks No Matter What

With Thanksgiving fast approaching, I’ve been thinking about some of the enjoyable  traditions which go along with this national holiday. There’s the food, of course: turkey, stuffing, cranberries, mashed potatoes (or sweet potatoes), green bean casserole, and the ever-delicious pumpkin pie. Then there are the activities, including a morning church service, gatherings of friends and family, televised football games, and triptophan-induced couch comas.

Another great dinner tradition is to go around the table and have everyone share those things for which they are thankful this holiday. During this time, you are likely to hear thanks for the food, family and friends, a new job, recovery from an illness, freedoms, and among Christians, salvation in Jesus Christ. While people in general may be happy and generally thankful for the good things in their life, believers direct their gratefulness to God. It certainly is a good and proper thing to do, and it obeys the many Scriptural admonitions to recognize the source of our blessings and to thank God for them. Just a few of those passages are the following:

1 Chronicles 16:34, “Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!”

Psalm 9:1, “I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds.”

Psalm 100:4, “Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name!”

Isaiah 12:4, “And you will say in that day: ‘Give thanks to the Lord, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the peoples, proclaim that his name is exalted.'”

Revelation 7:12, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.”

There are so many reasons to be thankful to God, that the dinner may get cold before everyone finishes their list of blessings! Maybe we ought to restrict each person to say just one – or maybe two – points of praise.

Unfortunately, for many across the country this year, that restriction won’t be necessary, because there are so many problems and worries on people’s minds that thankfulness does not seem to be the dominant attitude. The apparent collapse of our society this year due to crime, inflation, shortages, civil unrest (that is, uncivil unrest), political division, border crises, the debacle in Afghanistan, and of course, the Covid pandemic and its effects. My guess us that many people are thinking, “What’s there to be thankful for? Let’s wait till things improve and then throw a big thank-you party!”

But that’s just the opposite of what we should do. Now, I’m not saying we ignore the issues facing all of us (not to mention personal problems any of us struggle with individually), nor am I advocating a Pollyanna approach that looks for the “silver lining” in those troubles. Even if we try to “make lemonade out of life’s lemons” the worries, hurts, disappointments, pains, and heartaches are all too real. No, we treat those problems seriously, and seek to overcome them with prayer, fortitude, and hard work.

And yet, it is precisely because we have those very real problems and dangers in our lives that we need to stop and turn our attention to God and offer him our thanksgiving.

I was struck when I read about Thanksgiving, that throughout our history, this celebration has occurred right after, or even during, times of extreme danger and troubles, rather than during periods of peace and prosperity.

  1. The very first Thanksgiving, celebrated by the Pilgrims in October of 1621  (400 years ago this month!), came after the first harvest. But the meal was celebrated by only 57 Pilgrims, the other 45 members of the colony having died the previous winter.
  2. In 1777, the Continental Congress called for a day of Thanksgiving to God, not because of victory, but during a time of desperation. They had to meet in York, Pennsylvania, for that declaration, because the British were occupying their usual capital of Philadelphia.
  3. Abraham Lincoln declared a day of Thanksgiving in the year of 1863, in the midst of the bloody Civil War, when the fate of the nation (and the freedom of millions of slaves) was at stake.
  4. In 1939, while millions of Americans were struggling due to the Great Depression, President Roosevelt declared a national day of Thanksgiving.
  5. In 1942, Congress established the federal holiday, even though World War II was raging, with much fighting, bloodshed, and civilian hardships ahead.

As you can see, giving thanks is not contingent on good times. Rather, our attitude should be that of the prophet Jeremiah, who cried over the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple by the Babylonians, yet still could write these profound words: “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:22-23). 

But why should we offer thanks to God when we don’t feel like it, when our eyes tell us “the Temple is destroyed.” Isn’t that just going through the motions, insincerity cloaked in religious piety? No; there are very good reasons to offer thanks even when we struggle to do just that.

First, we thank God  because everything we have comes from him. Food, clothing, shelter, health, material goods, family, and friends all are from him. Not to mention our  very lives themselves. All are a gift from God. And even should all those things be lost, including our lives, we still thank God for the greatest of all his gifts, eternal life through Jesus Christ. Scripture says that all good gifts come from our Father above (James 1:17). And Luther taught us that keeping the First Commandment requires us to attribute all our blessings to God and to nothing else (Large Catechism, Part I).

Second, we thank God because he deserves it. He is worthy of all praise and all devotion, even if we received nothing good from him. This is the lesson of Job, who though he lost everything, still held to faith in God, saying, “Though he slay me, I will hope in him” (Job 13:15). I picture the great scene in heaven, when all the saved – even those who lost everything in this life – join in the great chorus of “every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them,” saying, “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!” (Revelation 5:13).

Third, we thank God because we recognize that he is sovereign, that is, ruler over all. We might not like what we see, but we lack the knowledge or wisdom of God, whose foolishness is greater than man’s greatest wisdom (1 Corinthians 1:25). In other words, we don’t have the whole picture. We can’t see what God is doing behind the scenes to accomplish his purposes, nor do we know his purpose in any specific situation. We have to trust that the One who is ultimately in charge knows what  he is doing. “I’ve got this!’ is what he tells us in his Word. By thanking him, we are trusting him to do what is best. As Abraham told the Lord just before the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, “Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?” (Genesis 18:25).

Fourth, we thank God because he is the One who can actually overcome evil circumstances. Our thankfulness acknowledges our dependence on him, and is part of our prayer for his intervention. The Apostle Paul wrote, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God” (Philippians 4:6). Paul shows us the linkage between a grateful heart and asking God for his blessings. If we have an attitude of entitlement, why should God show his love and power by jumping to obey our demands? True prayer holds thankfulness for past mercies, and the promise of gratitude for God’s mercies still to come.

Fifth, we thank God even in times of trouble because it is a witness to others. When Satan afflicted Job, it was to see whether Job loved God only because God had blessed him so much. But Job did not abandon God when he lost everything, which was a testimony to Satan, and to all of us, that his faith in God was true. So too, when we continue to worship, pray, and thank God during our difficult times, we are showing the world that our faith is sincere and that God is worthy of worship. To unbelievers, giving God thanks blows away any prejudice they may have that our faith is a selfish thing, or that we see God as a magical genie we can summon to grant our wishes. To our fellow believers, our thankfulness during trouble is a strong encouragement for them to hold on when they face difficulties (which they will). Having difficulties is not a witness; how we handle them with God is.

There’s more that can be said, but it’s time to grab the old blunderbuss and go hunting for a turkey. I hope you have a great Thanksgiving, and that you will be blessed when you, too, “give thanks with a grateful heart”*

Now may the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Read: Job 1; Philippians 4; 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24; Revelation 5

*Give Thanks, by Don Moen, Integrity Music, 1986.

 

Me and Ebenezer

What do you think of when I say, “Ebenezer”? No doubt, you think of the stingy miser, Ebenezer Scrooge, from Charles Dickens’ novel, A Christmas Carol. So, when I say, “Me and Ebenezer,” you may worry that I’ve become crotchety in my old age, ready to grumble, “Bah, Humbug!” at the drop of a hat. Not so, though I don’t blame you for thinking that; I would have made the same connection as you: “Ebenezer” always meant that character.

At least it did, until I actually paid attention to the lyrics of the old hymn, Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing. Verse 2 begins with the words, “Here I raise my Ebenezer; Hither by Thy help I’m come;” I wondered why it mentioned Ebenezer? Was it referring to Dickens’ novel (unlikely), or to someone or something else? I figured it had to be a biblical reference, so I got out my concordance and soon solved the mystery.

Ebenezer is a Hebrew word from the Old Testament. It means literally, “stone of help” and refers to a stone which Samuel set up in remembrance of the help which God gave the Israelites to save them from an attack by their pagan enemies, the Philistines. Note carefully: the stone didn’t do the helping; Samuel wasn’t worshiping a rock. It wasn’t his good luck charm. Instead, he set up the stone to remind everyone who would pass by and see it, that God had helped his people right there in that place.

The book of 1 Samuel (7:5-13) tells what happened. Samuel, who was the last judge and leader of Israel before there were kings, had called the people of Israel together at a place called Mizpah to repent of their disobedience to God. The people fasted, prayed, destroyed their idols, and asked for God’s forgiveness. While they were in the midst of their repentance, the Philistines got wind of their activities and sent an army to destroy them. The Israelites trembled in fear as the Philistines approached and called on God for deliverance. Then, as Samuel offered a sacrifice to God, the Philistines struck. The Israelites were certain to be destroyed – until God intervened. The passage says, “But that day the LORD thundered with loud thunder against the Philistines and threw them into such a panic that they were routed before the Israelites.” The Israelites attacked the fleeing Philistines and defeated them.

To commemorate God’s saving intervention, Samuel set up a stone and named it “Ebenezer,” – stone of help – for as he put it, “Thus far has the LORD helped us” (1 Samuel 7:12). This wasn’t the only memorial stone set up by biblical heroes. Genesis 25:14 says, “Jacob set up a stone  pillar at the place where God had talked with him, and he poured out a drink offering on it; he also poured oil on it.” And, in Joshua 24:26-27, when Joshua made a covenant for the people at Shechem,  he took a large stone and set it up there under an oak tree as a witness and reminder of their promises to God. Therefore, when the hymn sings of raising an Ebenezer, it acknowledges our dependence on  God’s help, and our gratitude to him for all he has done.

Which is an appropriate attitude for Thanksgiving.

James 1:17 says, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” So no matter what we are happy to have, if it is good, God is the One who gave it to us. Martin Luther explained in his Large Catechism that to keep the First Commandment, we must recognize that every blessing we have is from God; to do otherwise is to put some other god before the true God by making any other source of goodness our god.**

We probably haven’t been delivered from the Philistines lately, but there are plenty of other blessings and deliverances we should acknowledge. Do we have food to eat, clothes to wear, a roof over our heads, families to love, and friends to enjoy? Do we have medical care, medicines, and access to fire and police protection when needed? Do we have recreation, education, and jobs (or a secure retirement)? Do we still enjoy much freedom and peace, in spite of the evil in the world? Do we have a loving church family? Are we still Covid free, with a vaccine soon to be available?

Let me suggest a way to commemorate what God has done in your life. Just as the Bible itself is a record of God’s help for the world through the promise and fulfillment of a Savior, each of us has a history of what God has done in our lives to provide for us, protect us, bless us, and bring us to saving faith in Jesus Christ. Only in most of our cases, it’s probably not yet written down. It’s in our heads, in family stories, or in objects which carry special meaning because they remind us of things God has done for us. Let me suggest that you create your own personal “Ebenezer,” in which you record the special things which God has done in your life. Begin jotting down just a few of the things you remember about how God has blessed you. As you write, more ideas will come to mind. Be specific, not general, and offer your prayers of thanksgiving to God for each one of them.

When Samuel raised the Ebenezer stone, it was to commemorate the deliverance which God gave them from certain destruction at the hands of the Philistines. God was their help because only he could have saved them; they could not have saved themselves from the doom that was descending upon them. Likewise, the greatest help which God gives us is the salvation provided through his Son, Jesus Christ, providing the deliverance from eternal destruction that none of us could have accomplished on our own. God alone is our help for salvation. Only he could save us from our sins, and that is what he has done.

Therefore, join “me and Ebenezer” in thanking God with a grateful heart for all his blessings, especially for our Savior, Jesus Christ. And as you do, have a great Thanksgiving Day!

Now may the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you ad give you peace. Amen.

Read: 1 Samuel 7, Psalm 77, Philippians 4:4-7

*by Robert Robinson, written 1758. Public domain.

**The Book of Concord, The Large Catechism, Part I, The First Commandment, by Martin Luther.

Friendsgiving?

I learned a new word this week – which proves you can teach an old dog new tricks. The word is “friendsgiving.” I first heard it on the radio, then found it online. And not just the word, but numerous applications of it: greeting cards, party games, and snacks. While the last application – snacks – did draw my interest, it was the meaning and concept of the term that got me thinking.

So, just what is friendsgiving? As I understand it, it’s meant to be an alternative to Thanksgiving: instead of gathering with all your relatives to eat a big turkey dinner (and then fall asleep on the couch while watching football), you get together with your friends – hence the name. It’s become popular among Millennials as a way to spend time with friends you want to spend time with, rather than with family you are expected to be with. As a negative, it’s opting out of what to many has become an old-fashioned, meaningless expectation; as a positive, it’s an affirmation of one’s friends. Besides, there’s that old “politically incorrect” thing with Pilgrims and Indians.

So what do I think of “friendsgiving?” other than, “There go those Millennials again!”?

1. First of all, let’s talk about friends and friendship. I think it’s great to affirm one’s friends – if they really are true friends. I doubt that everyone who “friends” you on social media can really be counted in that category. As Charles Schulz expressed it in a Peanuts cartoon, “A friend is someone who says nice things about you when you’re not around.” (Thanks to reader and friend Dave for sending me that note!)

Or, better put, the Bible calls a friend someone “who is as your own soul” (Deuteronomy 13:6). The prime example it gives is the relationship between David and King Saul’s son, Jonathan: 1 Samuel 18:1 says “the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.” Now, that’s friendship! Certainly, friendship is marked by enjoyment of another person’s company, but to me the test of friendship is how much one is willing to give up for the sake of the other person. Would you give up your time, your money, your opportunities, for a friend? Jesus put it in ultimate terms: “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13).

Of course, it’s important to choose one’s friends carefully. Hanging around with the wrong crowd can get you into trouble, as peer pressure can get a person to do just about anything, even knowing it’s wrong. We know this is true from experience – ours and others’ – and from Scripture, which warns repeatedly against falling in with the wrong friends. 1 Corinthians 15:33 says, “Do not be deceived: ‘Bad company ruins good morals.'” and in Proverbs 13:20 we read, “Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm.” Then there’s that warning in James 4:4 against making friends with the world:  “Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” This doesn’t mean we shouldn’t have friends while we live in this world; it means we should not put acceptance by and conformity with the world ahead of our love for God.

The Bible calls the very special relationship we have with God, friendship. Jesus spoke of it immediately after speaking of dying for one’s friends. His next sentence (John 15:14) was, “You are my friends if you do what I command you.” He also called his disciples, “friends,” when teaching them. We understand that it is in Christ that we become friends with God, but even the Old Testament speaks of such a special friendship: Psalm 25:14 says, “The friendship of the LORD is for those who fear him.” It’s wonderful for God to consider us as his friends, just as it’s wonderful that he calls us his children (John 1:12)! The difference is that as followers of Christ, our friendship with God is not between two equals, as it is between two earthly friends, but between an all-powerful Creator and his subjects. We never become gods, but the image of God in us is restored, and friendship is now possible. We now can enjoy a special bond with our Lord, a relationship such as God had with Moses: “Thus the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend” (Exodus 33:11).

All told, friends are good to have, and to celebrate. Earthly friends are a joy, especially true friends, and it’s good to treasure those relationships, but the greatest friendship we can have is with God himself. Earthly friends come and go, and can sometimes let us down or turn against us. But our special friendship with God will be an eternal one. As the gospel song proclaims, “What a friend we have in Jesus!”*

2. Second, what about the “giving thanks” part? My major issue with the whole “friendsgiving” thing is that it substitutes having fun with friends (which one can do any day of the year) for a special time set aside for thanking God for his blessings. From:

    • the inception of a day of thanksgiving in 1621 observed by those un-P.C. Pilgrims who thanked God for getting them through a brutal and deadly winter,
    • to George Washington proclaiming a national day of thanksgiving in 1789 (“Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor . . .),
    • to Lincoln’s proclamation in 1863 even in the midst of the Civil War,
    • to the current observance established by Congress in 1942,

the focus of the Thanksgiving holiday has always been to thank God for his blessings: for harvest, for peace, for protection of our nation, for family, for friends (yes), and especially for the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ. Thanksgiving has morphed into a secular holiday filled with food and football and family – all good things – and preparation for Black Friday sales, but along the way, the reason for the season has been set aside (sound familiar?). God has blessed us with such bounty that we have come to focus on the blessings rather than the Blesser:

      • We fill our plates with so much to eat, forgetting “the mighty power of God that filled the earth with food.”**
      • We enjoy watching football, ignoring the One who washed his disciples’ feet just hours before his death.
      • We fall asleep on the couch as did the disciples in Gethsemane, who could not stay awake one hour to pray with their Lord (Mark 14:37).
      • We (usually) enjoy friends and family, forgetting that we are called to be God’s friends and have been adopted into his family. As Jesus said in Matthew 12:48-49, “’Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?’ And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers!'”
      • We get excited about spending money on Black Friday sales, ignoring the One who was sold for pieces of silver to die on Good Friday, by which he purchased our forgiveness and eternal life.
      • We stay home for “more important” things, skipping Thanksgiving Day worship services; when we could focus our vague ideas of thankfulness onto the God to whom we must surely give thanks, who has given us the life, the bounty, and the ability to enjoy such a holiday.

It’s because of what God has done for us, and because of our need to recognize the source of all our blessings, that I would never want to give up Thanksgiving Day for “friendsgiving” or anything similar. We owe it to God to thank him every day, so why give up the one day we make a point of doing just that? To God be the glory, and our thankfulness, forever and ever! Amen.

Now may the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Read: Matthew 12:46-50, 1 Samuel 18:1-5

*”What a Friend We Have in Jesus” by Joseph M. Scriven, 1855

**”I Sing the Mighty Power of God” by Isaac Watts, 1715

 

Rise and Rejoice!

When I get up each morning (unless I sleep until noon) I usually listen to the radio during my morning ablutions. My preference is talk radio shows on the AM dial, which can be entertaining and, at the same time, help me keep up with the news. Unfortunately, they can also be discouraging, as the hosts and guests tend to focus on the problems we face in our country and world. The problems can be the actual developments – bad news – or the disagreements and arguments about those developments which seem to divide our country and its people. A person can come away from those talk shows feeling down about what the future may hold for us all.

Well, last Saturday I turned on the radio again, only to find the AM dial to be a wasteland of infomercials, you know, the kind that are structured to sound like real news stories or interviews, but are really just advertisements for some product or service. There’s nothing wrong with companies using such programs to sell their wares; I just don’t want to listen to them. And so, yesterday I switched to the FM dial, planning to listen to some music.

After scanning the available frequencies I finally settled on a station that was playing classic Christian hymns: songs like “Crown Him With Many Crowns” and “Holy, Holy, Holy.” I was enjoying the music while I shaved, trying not to cut myself while singing along with my resonant, bass voice. Then, one of the songs ended, and the announcer identified the program as “Rise and Rejoice.” I liked that phrase.

This is not an endorsement of that show, which is found on the Family Radio network, because I haven’t had the chance to listen to their commentaries and teachings enough to vouch for them. What I am endorsing is the concept that as Christians we should “rise and rejoice,” that is, begin each day by rejoicing in God our Savior.

This was a good reminder to me that my Christian walk is about more than doctrinal statements or theological study. Such things are good and necessary, but I have been too focused on believing and articulating the “right” beliefs, that I have sometimes forgotten to thank God for what he has done and rejoice in knowing him and his grace. As I considered this call to rejoice, I thought about the ways in which rejoicing is beneficial to me and to everyone who come into contact with me. So, what is so good about rejoicing?

It is commanded in Scripture. “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4); “And you shall rejoice before the Lord your God in all that you undertake” (Deuteronomy 12:18); “Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice!” (1 Chronicles 16:10 and Psalm 105:3). Because Scripture commands it, we rejoice whether or not we feel like rejoicing. It is like generosity, forgiveness, and service: we do those things because they are right for a Christian to do, regardless of any special giftedness or desire to do them. We owe it to God to rejoice in him.

It follows the example of Christ himself. Luke 10:21 tells us that Jesus rejoiced: “In that same hour he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, ‘I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will.'” Christ was righteous in his act of rejoicing, and he set an example for us to do the same.

It is a positive way to begin each day. If we were to get up and take a long car trip, we would make sure we had a full tank of gas before starting out. Likewise, a good breakfast helps us have the energy and nutrients needed to face the day ahead. How much more should our spirits be focused on God before we do anything else? Think of the difference it would make to face the day’s challenges knowing in your heart that God loves you and has already blessed you greatly! Instead of starting out glum (thanks to the news), we can start out refreshed and encouraged, ready to face whatever lies ahead.

It is a counter to the unending stream of bad news that assails us. It is easy to become glum when we are constantly bombarded by stories of crime,  war, injustice, terrorism, and political squabbles and lies. But when we consider what God has done for us through Jesus Christ, how can we not be uplifted? We have a loving God who made us, redeemed us and reconciled us to him though we were his enemies, and who has prepared a place for us in heaven for all eternity to come. How great is that! Plus, even in this life he has given us gifts, and works through us to bless others. Isaiah 16:10 gives us good reasons for rejoicing: “I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; my soul shall exult in my God, for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation; he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.” Our rejoicing is based on the objective facts of what God has done for us.

It puts reality into true perspective. If all you hear are the news media (whatever political slants are favored), you come to define the world around you – in fact, all of reality – in political or sociological terms. Your priorities become what the news tells you is important, and you are subject to their manipulations. You find yourself running to and fro, following one person and angry at another, only to switch when new stories come out. But if you turn off the chatter and listen again to God through his Word, you come to realize that no matter what happens around you in the visible world, there is an invisible reality in which God works. As the Nicene Creed says, Christ is the Creator of  things, “visible and invisible.” The hymn, “This is My Father’s World,” says, “That though the wrong seems oft so strong, God is the ruler yet.” We would forget that truth if all we saw, heard, and thought were limited to the secular media. What is real and true goes so far beyond what the world says is so important.

It blesses others around us. We can see how rejoicing lifts our spirits and “centers us” on what is important and real in this world and beyond. But beyond us, the impact of our rejoicing can have a dramatic and beneficial effect on other, as well. When we are uplifted and encouraged, our joy can be contagious. Even among nonbelievers, it helps them to interact with someone who is happy; how much more so among other believers, when our rejoicing reminds them of their own blessings in Christ.  When we rejoice, we are witnesses to Christ for those who don’t know him yet (“You are my witnesses” Isaiah 43:10), and encouragers for those who do but are having tough times or are even wavering in their faith (Hebrews 10:24-25). To not rejoice is to deprive our fellow Christians of something we owe them.

It glorifies God and helps fulfill the 1st Commandment. One of our sinful tendencies, if not the greatest one, is our tendency to look anywhere except God when it comes to recognizing our blessings. We thank other people, the economy, our education and training, our own abilities, our “connections,” luck (“our lucky stars”), or something else, when it comes to finding the source of the good we have in life. “I earned it!” we think, forgetting that God gave us the life, the abilities, and the situations which have blessed us. Luther reminded us of this in his explanation to the First Commandment, saying, “For even though otherwise we experience much good from men, still whatever we receive by His command or arrangement is all received from God,” and “For creatures are only the hands, channels, and means whereby God gives all things.” When we recognize and rejoice at what God has done for us, we are recognizing him as God above all other so-called gods of money, possessions, pride, and nature. We see the Creator, and not the creation as the source of all good things.

So, then, I encourage you to follow my lead in rejoicing at the start of each day – in song, in prayer, and in the Scriptures. I am sure I will forget to do so some days, or be distracted by various things (such as the smell of breakfast cooking – another reason to rejoice!). But if we consider all his benefits, how can we not rejoice in God our Savior?

Now may the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Read: Isaiah 43, Philippians 4

 

 

 

Thanks, I Needed That!

This week we will celebrate Thanksgiving, that holiday when we take off work, get together with family and friends, cook meals, stuff ourselves along with our turkeys, watch the big game, nap, and oh yeah . . . give thanks. For some of us it means worshiping at church, and hopefully for everyone, it includes moments to pause, consider our blessings, and thank the One who is the Giver of all good gifts (James 1:17 – “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights . . .”).

For the many across our land who attend Thanksgiving services or read Thanksgiving Day devotionals, they will be challenged and encouraged to list the many blessings for which they should be grateful. Those lists often include such things as: family, friends, food and other material provisions, home and work, health and happiness, our country, our pastors 🙂 and life itself, both now and in eternity. I have included such blessings in my own sermons and in the prayers of the church during our Thanksgiving Day services. These blessings are in a sense as traditional as the meals (and naps) we enjoy over this holiday.

But today, I would like to offer additional thanks to God for one other blessing that often gets overlooked, and that is this: I thank God for giving us a sense of humor.

As my wife said just today, she is grateful that I make her laugh, and that she can still laugh at me, I mean, with me, after 43 years of marriage. Actually, I think I give her more things to laugh about now than in our early years, since we have experienced more funny things over all those years, which have accumulated like gray hairs and “love handles.” (Now, if we could just remember all of them!)

Certainly, there is humor to be found in puns, in jokes, and in the routines of stand-up comedians. There is slap-stick humor and prat-falls, and even the barbed witticisms of insult kings like the late Don Rickles. But even though I have laughed at humor expressed in all those varied forms, the sense of humor I’m talking about is not contrived by someone to make others laugh, but rather is found in our ability to find humor in our life events and circumstances. This sense of humor provides a relief valve that protects us from being overwhelmed by frustrations and difficulties that come from living in a fallen world. It allows us to laugh in the face of danger or disappointment, and to endure pain and poverty. It keeps us from taking ourselves too seriously, and can’t help but keep us humble when we can laugh at ourselves and our own foibles. To quote The Joker from the Batman movies, “Why so serious?” We are told by the Lord to remove the log from our own eyes before we criticize someone else’s speck (Matthew 7:5), but shouldn’t we laugh at our log, too, when we find it?

Certainly, I have been blessed with the gift of being able to laugh at myself (maybe because the Lord knew I would need it so much!) and at many of the circumstances which I have faced. This has lessened disappointments, softened insults, and helped keep me balanced in a world (certainly, not me!) that often seems so crazy. It doesn’t mean that I have laughed out loud at everything, but that I have seen the events from a different perspective. I offer you the following as examples of what I’m talking about:

  1. This last week, I had some dental surgery that involved a tooth extraction and a bone graft in my jaw. Not what you would consider a funny situation (though I could tell you it left me in stitches!). But add to that the fact that the oral surgeon used bone from a cow for the graft, and the possibilities are almost endless. When the surgeon asked how I felt afterward, I said, “Moo!” (Which from his reaction, I guess he’s heard before). Then they gave me post-op care instructions which advised cold, soft foods the first couple days, progressing to grass and alfalfa by day four. Even though I am sore and bruised from the surgery, I’m not mad (no mad cow here) at the surgeon, because after all, “To err is human, but to forgive is bovine.”
  2. Then there was the time one Sunday morning when a fellow pastor and the men’s choir set me up. Having established early on that I am not skilled at singing, I decided not to sing with the men at either morning service for their traditional Super Bowl Sunday anthem. During the announcements at the first service, I commended the men for singing, but apologized for not joining them at rehearsal, which meant I couldn’t sing with them that day. Knowing my quality of singing, most people chuckled and I went on with the rest of the announcements. Came time for the second service, the other pastor encouraged me to make the same announcement again. But when I did, I realized why he asked me to do so. Between the services, the men had prepared a little surprise: as soon as I said I wouldn’t be singing with them, they broke out in the Hallelujah Chorus, leaving me speechless and the congregation roaring in laughter. The pastor who did that to me has since wisely moved to Tanzania.
  3. One time I took a flight where I was sitting next to a man with a prosthetic leg. We had purchased the “Cheap seats” and found ourselves sitting with our backs to a bulkhead, so we couldn’t recline our seats. This was fine until the seats in front of us leaned back, which left us no room; also, his prosthesis got jammed by the now-reclined seat. We looked at each other’s discomfort, and began to discuss the preference of sitting anywhere else in the plane, which led to our dreaming about moving to first class. We chuckled about it, and then he asked, “I wonder how much it costs for a first-class seat?” To which I innocently replied, “Probably an arm and a leg.” Which I instantly regretted saying, especially as he got up and found a vacant seat elsewhere in the plane.
  4. On another flight, my sense of humor got me in trouble. It was a packed plane, and being the last to board, I was forced to sit between two guys as big as me. They frowned as I squeezed into my seat, and once the plane took off, we all three took out paperback books to read. There we were, all three holding up books in front of us, crammed together in those small seats. The situation struck me as funny, so wanting to lighten things up I said, “Why don’t I just hold up one book and we can all read it?” Apparently, they failed to appreciate just how hilarious I was, as they continued to read their books and sat in stony silence for the entire flight.
  5. Finally, there is an incident from my early twenties which I will now share with you, but you must NEVER TELL anyone else! I went to the doctor for a routine checkup, and after the usual poking and prodding, the doctor sent me to get a urine sample. The nurse directed me to the bathroom, which I entered and prepared to “collect” the required sample. Only there weren’t any cups or vials in the bathroom, just a sign above the toilet that read, “Aim to Center of Bowl.” I looked around again, but still there was only that sign. So I figured, they must have a collecting device in the toilet, that would trap the sample as long as I “aimed to the center of the bowl.” So I did, washed my hands, and returned to the exam room. The nurse looked at me kind of funny and asked where my sample was; I told her how I had followed the instructions. With a big grin, she led me back to the bathroom and opened a little sliding window, behind which was a nice little collecting bottle. As she walked away, I am sure I heard her laugh and I knew that I would be the subject of their next staff meeting. I blame it on the inexperience of youth, but though I almost died of embarrassment at the time, now I just laugh at it.

In Umberto Eco’s book, The Name of the Rose, the plot revolves around a monastery that houses a secret collection of writings that present God as having a sense of humor. This is considered so scandalous and threatening to the Christian faith that the monks will even kill to keep the books hidden from view. This is similar to ancient Greek dramas which were of two types: comedies, which were about people, and tragedies, which were about the “gods.” To many, the very idea that God could laugh or find humor is considered heretical. But if that is true, where does our humor come from? Is having a sense of humor part of the image of God in which we were created? And why can good, clean Christian comedy be so funny, if God is not the source of our sense of humor? Is humor a sin? A vice, or a virtue? A blessing or a curse?

I believe our ability to find humor and laugh is like other human abilities: it is God given, but like our other gifts, it can be used for good or evil. If we deride other people, make “fun” of them before others, or mock them, we have sinned. If we laugh at someone’s misfortune, guffaw when they trip and fall, or chuckle at their embarrassments, then we have broken the commandment to love our neighbors as ourselves. But if we can use humor to entertain people positively, defuse tense or embarrassing situations, help people improve behavior by pointing out ironies, and keep ourselves humble, then humor is a good thing. So I say to God for his gift of humor, “Thanks, I needed that!”

I also believe God does himself have a sense of humor, though the evidence for it will have to wait for another time. For now, let me just offer one word: platypus.

In the meantime, have a great Thanksgiving celebration, and remember the reason for the day, which is to give thanks to God for all his blessings. May God continue to grant you those in abundance!

May the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Read and enjoy: Numbers 22:1-35