Thanksgiving Day
Preaching
Lectionary Preaching Workbook
Series III
The liturgical clue comes from the secular calendar, rather than the church year - with an assist from the liturgy itself, which celebrates the death and resurrection of our Lord as Eucharist, or thanksgiving. In the United States, the occasion often falls between the last two Sundays of November, since it comes on the fourth Thursday of the month. (In Canada, Thanksgiving occurs in October.) The Eucharist celebrates the gift of redemption and eternal life through Jesus Christ; thanksgiving celebrates God's gifts in the goodness of creation. Thanksgiving, therefore, calls for preaching to function as a kind of "creation eucharist," which might properly be followed in the worship service with the actual Eucharist. Thanks-giving, from this perspective, calls for a eucharist of "two kinds" - not just bread and wine, but preaching and communion. The sermon will proclaim God's gracious acts in creation, as well as the new creation in Jesus' death and resurrection, and the communion gives people an opportunity to respond with thanksgiving to the Lord who has saved us all and is present in the Thanksgiving feast of the eating of bread and the drinking of the fruit of the vine.
The Prayer of the Day
The collect for Thanksgiving Day in the Book of Common Prayer is a prayer that reflects God's continuing work in creation and the part that people play in producing food for the world. But it also broadens human responsibility for the care of the earth in terms of stewardship "of your great bounty," and also for the "relief of all who are in need." The collect reads this way:
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.
The prayer for "Grace at Meals" might very well be added:
Give us grateful hearts, Our Father, for all thy mercies, and make us mindful of the needs of others; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
The Lutheran Book of Worship provides three prayers for the Stewardship of Creation, a theme that needs to be included in every Thanksgiving service. The second one is especially appropriate for a contemporary thanksgiving celebration:
O merciful Creator, your hand is open wide to satisfy the needs of every living creature. Make us always thankful for your loving providence; and grant that we, remembering the account that we must one day give, may be faithful stewards of your gifts; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
(Note: An examination of the prayers in the various worship books makes one realize that prayers that speak to contemporary, as well as timeless, situations are desperately needed. The congregation's worship committee and the pastor(s) might be the best ones to prepare such prayers for the worship service.)
The Psalm of the Day
Psalm 65 (LBW and BCP) - Several psalms begin with a call to the people to "give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his mercy endures forever" - or a similar expression of thanksgiving. Psalm 118, for example, begins with two repetitions of this invitation to the people, concluding at verse 26 with "Give thanks to the God of heaven, for his mercy endures forever." Any number of other psalms might have been selected for a Day of Thanksgiving, but Psalm 65 was chosen because it announces the physical and spiritual reasons that people have for giving thanks to God better than most of the other psalms. It declares: "To you that hear prayer shall all flesh come, because of their transgression. Our sins are stronger than we are, but you will blot them out." Later, the psalm speaks of how God "visits the earth," watering it, preparing the grain, softening the ground and blessing its production: "You crown the earth with your goodness, and your paths overflow with plenty." Although it reverses the natural order of God's benefits and puts salvation before creation in the first verses of the psalm, the content is so rich that no harm is done to the thanksgiving theme; rather, it is enriched and put in a fuller perspective.
The Psalm Prayer (LBW)
Lord God, joy marks your presence; beauty, abundance, and peace are the tokens of your work in all creation. Work also in our lives, that by these signs we may see the splendor of your love and may praise you through Jesus Christ our Lord.
The readings:
Deuteronomy 8:1-10
The last verse of this passage, which calls upon the people of Israel to remember how God led and blessed them, fed them with manna on the forty-year trek through the wilderness, bringing them, at last, into the promised land, applies the thanksgiving theme to this particular age. The years spent in the wilderness were a time of testing and purification, in which God sought to teach the Israelites that human beings do not "live by bread alone, but ... by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord." The promised land is "a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and springs, flowing forth in valleys and hills, a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land in which you will eat bread without scarcity, in which you will lack nothing...." The last verse brings home the message originally given to Israel to contemporary Americans: "And you shall eat and be full and you shall bless the Lord your God for the good land he has given you."
Philippians 4:6-20
The first two verses of this text, which involve at least two of the three letters Paul had written to the congregation at Philippi and were combined into this single letter, call the people of God to a prayer service in which they will give thanks to the Lord for his blessings. After urging the Philippians to think about the things that are true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, and gracious, he tells them what to do as servants of Jesus Christ. He wants them to live out the sacrificial faith of the cross in their daily lives, as he has, to complete their mission in the world. He declares: "I have learned the secret of facing plenty of hunger, abundance and want. I can do all things in him who strengthens me." As a good Jew, too, who is grateful for their support of his ministry, Paul assures them, "And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen."
1 Timothy 2:1-4
Set as it is on Thanksgiving, this passage redirects the prayers of the church from God's care and provisions in the many blessings he has given his people to "supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings for all men, for kings and all who are in high positions...." Paul was convinced that kings and rulers were servants of God who were to be honored - and even remembered in their prayers - by human beings. In our country and time, it is a reminder to give thanks that there are people willing to serve in leadership roles in our world, and to ask God to bless them and help them fulfill their efforts to serve God by serving their fellow human beings. This text calls for a different note in our thanksgiving services; people are to give thanks - and pray for - the elected officials of this land.
Luke 17:11-19
This reading is assigned to the Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost, year C, as well as to the Day of Thanksgiving. In Pentecost, when combined with readings from Ruth and 2 Timothy, it emphasizes faithfulness rather than the gratitude obvious in its reading on Thanksgiving Day. The incident also has "Messianic meaning," because cleansing of leprosy was tantamount to receiving salvation from God. In this setting - Thanksgiving - the story of the ten lepers, one of whom returned to give thanks to Jesus when he was cleansed, highlights the theme of gratitude to God for all of the blessings that he has given to his own people. That the man who returned and prostrated himself before Jesus, praising him and giving him thanks, was a Samaritan, illustrates how God gives his blessings, including salvation, to all people. This man had an additional gift, evident in his spontaneous return to Jesus and his expression of thanks for the miracle that had occurred in his life - he recognized the source of his healing and wanted to be close enough to Jesus to express his gratitude for the gift.
A Sermon on the Gospel, Luke 17:11-19 - "And Then There Was One."
It has been four decades since I heard Alfred Price, the rector of an Episcopal congregation in the very center of Philadelphia, tell about his healing services. He told the group of pastors doing graduate work in pastoral care about the healing services that were held twice on Thursday afternoon. All sorts of cures occurred. He also told the group how he began his healing services; he said they began with dissension in the congregation, which culminated in a serious debate - virtually an argument - among the members of the choir. When Price entered the choir room before Morning Prayer one Sunday, he walked into a situation which bothered him deeply; he had to do something about the trouble that was threatening the stability of the congregation. So he asked the choir to form a circle, hold hands, and then he began to pray for forgiveness, for understanding and tolerance, for peace and joy - and what amounted to a miracle took place; the rift in the choir and congregation was healed. Dr. Price decided that prayer works, and since it prevailed in this situation, why not institute prayer services based on the promise of Jesus that the Father will answer prayers raised in his name. That was the beginning of a ministry in that congregation which turned out to be a spiritual and physical blessing to countless people.
The services were simple - with scripture readings, a short sermon, confession at the altar rail, and prayers for healing with the laying on of hands. Dr. Price said that he always prayed for healing, no matter how sick a person might be and how close to dying - and he was speaking about "total healing" of people in body and soul. He told about one woman, a clergyman's widow, who had stopped in at the church after receiving a diagnosis of a cancerous tumor. She felt "heat" flow through her when he laid on his hands, and she told him, "I knew then that I was healed." She went back to her physician, and discovered that she really was healed, which sent her back to a session with Dr. Price in the spirit of joy and thanksgiving. He claimed to have numerous records of similar cases to hers of people who were healed of all sorts of diseases and ailments, and who came back to the scene - and the priest, who participated in that healing. They all returned with grateful hearts to give private testimony to the healing and thanks to the God who had worked it in them.
1. There were ten lepers who begged Jesus to help them, to cure them. He heard their pleas and answered them by sending them to the priests in the temple. They were healed as they went - and apparently completed the assignment that he had given them. Ten were obedient and did as Jesus had commanded them.
2. And then there was one. A single leper returned to Jesus upon realizing that he had been healed. He knew that Jesus was the source of his healing - and it was more important to him to return and give thanks to Jesus than it was to go on in obedience to see the priests. Heartfelt gratitude, expressed in genuine thanksgiving, for whatever blessings we have received from God, is more important than any mechanically performed rituals and worship.
3. There are those - scientists and futurists - who believe that the human race may find itself in a situation where, from the standpoint of faith, the only thing people will be able to do is cry, "Lord, have mercy upon us." They tell us that we are destroying the earth - and the quality of life that we have enjoyed upon earth. As we are consuming the earth, we are also devouring ourselves. There seems to be no escape from a cataclysm caused by greed, mindlessness, and carelessness. The whole human race needs to be healed if there is to be any hope for the world.
4. And now there is one. Each of us has to live in the world in the spirit of obedience and gratitude. God told people from the beginning to take charge of the earth and fill it up; it is obvious that humanity has done a better job of filling it up than taking care of it. Before it is too late - this day and always - God's people, who appreciate his blessings in creation and the new creation in Jesus, give thanks that is joined inextricably to obedience.
5. And then there was one - Jesus Christ - who showed us the meaning of grateful obedience, redeeming us in the process. To him be all praise, thanksgiving, glory, honor, and obedience from us, his disciples.
A Sermon on the First Lesson, Deuteronomy 8:1-10 - "Thanks Be to God."
The other day, as the Minnesota Vikings football team began pre-season practice, I noticed the t-shirt that one of the star running backs, D. J. Dozier, was wearing. It read, "Joshua 1:9 - "The Lord your God will go with you wherever you go." On the back of the shirt was another quotation from Joshua, "Be strong and courageous." He and other athletes believe that they can only do their best if God is with them - on their side, as it were. Of course, Dozier doesn't expect God to block for him, but he believes that God will help him to do his best. God made a promise to Israel, when he brought them out of Egypt - he promised to be with them and to see that they had food and drink - and he did so. He expected them to trust him, and to obey the commandments which he gave them. At last, after forty years, he took them into the good land that he had prepared for them. It was time for them "to eat and be full, and (to) ... bless the Lord your God for the good land he has given you."
1. Thank the Lord for the world. He has given us the very fruits of creation in this beautiful and productive land in which we live. The world should be able to produce all that is necessary for life until time runs out; it contains enough for all people, all time. God is really with us in his world! "Bless the Lord, 0 my soul, and all that is within me, and forget not all his benefits."
2. Be good stewards of God's creation, of his world - he expected that of the Israelites, and he expects it of us today. It may almost be too late to "care for the earth," the world in which we live. As has been said, "This is the only world that we will ever get." (Even if we should be able to establish life on Mars, or other planets, the quality of life would hardly be what it is on earth.) Good stewards will care for this earth - right now. Conservation and preservation begin with you and me as the expression of grateful human beings.
3. Be concerned for others - really concerned about their needs and welfare. What the world needs now is more caring and concerned people, who love God and actually love one another - hopefully, as Jesus has loved us. The era of living for "myself" has to go; Chris-tians live for others, in order to be living for Jesus Christ. And that's where this concern for the needs of others really comes from - the new life in Jesus Christ. He generates the kind of love that will be obedient, loving, caring, and considerate toward the other people in the world.
4. Trust God - no matter how bad things might seem to be in this world - and know that all will be well for those who fear and love him and do his will. God will see to it - as we obey him and keep his commandments today - that it will be well for us in the world, just as he has guaranteed our future in heaven in Jesus Christ. "Thanks be to God!" for his promises and all of his gifts to us and the world.
Philippians 4:6-20 - "Come, You Thankful People, Come."
This text always brings Henry Alford's hymn to mind:
Come, you thankful people come;
Raise the song of harvest home.
All is safely gathered in
Ere the winter storms begin.
God,our maker, does provide
For our wants to be supplied.
Come to God's own temple, come,
Raise the song of harvest home.
1. The people of God are thankful people - for they are vividly aware of all he has done for them in his continuing creation here on earth. All good things come from his hand - food, family, friends - and every other blessing and benefit that people enjoy.
2. The people of God are obedient people - hearing God's Word and doing it and caring for the earth and sharing the earth's bounty with others, who may not have what they need to live on. Thankful people care about and share with others of all and anything they may have that others need.
3. The people of God put him to the test - by sacrificing themselves, their goals and ambitions - and desires - for others. God has promised to sustain his own people - and he surely will, if we give him a chance to. The early church has given us an example in their words of love and charity, which they could only do because they trusted the Lord their God. "God will supply every need of yours."
4. He has - and he still does. Give thanks and be glad - and participate in his work of blessing people in this time, this world.
1 Timothy 2:1-4 - "Timothy on Thanksgiving."
1. Pray - as the people of God - to the Heavenly Father, maker and creator of all that is and ever will be.
2. Pray - for decision makers and world leaders - that they may do what is necessary and right to the sustenance of life - the good life - in this world.
3. Pray - for the good life - the life of sufficient food, clothing, shelter, health, and security for all people. Intercede with God on behalf of others.
4. Pray - and pray some more - with thanksgiving. It is not the only thing that you can do, but it may be the best thing that can be done for yourself and others.
The Prayer of the Day
The collect for Thanksgiving Day in the Book of Common Prayer is a prayer that reflects God's continuing work in creation and the part that people play in producing food for the world. But it also broadens human responsibility for the care of the earth in terms of stewardship "of your great bounty," and also for the "relief of all who are in need." The collect reads this way:
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.
The prayer for "Grace at Meals" might very well be added:
Give us grateful hearts, Our Father, for all thy mercies, and make us mindful of the needs of others; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
The Lutheran Book of Worship provides three prayers for the Stewardship of Creation, a theme that needs to be included in every Thanksgiving service. The second one is especially appropriate for a contemporary thanksgiving celebration:
O merciful Creator, your hand is open wide to satisfy the needs of every living creature. Make us always thankful for your loving providence; and grant that we, remembering the account that we must one day give, may be faithful stewards of your gifts; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
(Note: An examination of the prayers in the various worship books makes one realize that prayers that speak to contemporary, as well as timeless, situations are desperately needed. The congregation's worship committee and the pastor(s) might be the best ones to prepare such prayers for the worship service.)
The Psalm of the Day
Psalm 65 (LBW and BCP) - Several psalms begin with a call to the people to "give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his mercy endures forever" - or a similar expression of thanksgiving. Psalm 118, for example, begins with two repetitions of this invitation to the people, concluding at verse 26 with "Give thanks to the God of heaven, for his mercy endures forever." Any number of other psalms might have been selected for a Day of Thanksgiving, but Psalm 65 was chosen because it announces the physical and spiritual reasons that people have for giving thanks to God better than most of the other psalms. It declares: "To you that hear prayer shall all flesh come, because of their transgression. Our sins are stronger than we are, but you will blot them out." Later, the psalm speaks of how God "visits the earth," watering it, preparing the grain, softening the ground and blessing its production: "You crown the earth with your goodness, and your paths overflow with plenty." Although it reverses the natural order of God's benefits and puts salvation before creation in the first verses of the psalm, the content is so rich that no harm is done to the thanksgiving theme; rather, it is enriched and put in a fuller perspective.
The Psalm Prayer (LBW)
Lord God, joy marks your presence; beauty, abundance, and peace are the tokens of your work in all creation. Work also in our lives, that by these signs we may see the splendor of your love and may praise you through Jesus Christ our Lord.
The readings:
Deuteronomy 8:1-10
The last verse of this passage, which calls upon the people of Israel to remember how God led and blessed them, fed them with manna on the forty-year trek through the wilderness, bringing them, at last, into the promised land, applies the thanksgiving theme to this particular age. The years spent in the wilderness were a time of testing and purification, in which God sought to teach the Israelites that human beings do not "live by bread alone, but ... by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord." The promised land is "a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and springs, flowing forth in valleys and hills, a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land in which you will eat bread without scarcity, in which you will lack nothing...." The last verse brings home the message originally given to Israel to contemporary Americans: "And you shall eat and be full and you shall bless the Lord your God for the good land he has given you."
Philippians 4:6-20
The first two verses of this text, which involve at least two of the three letters Paul had written to the congregation at Philippi and were combined into this single letter, call the people of God to a prayer service in which they will give thanks to the Lord for his blessings. After urging the Philippians to think about the things that are true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, and gracious, he tells them what to do as servants of Jesus Christ. He wants them to live out the sacrificial faith of the cross in their daily lives, as he has, to complete their mission in the world. He declares: "I have learned the secret of facing plenty of hunger, abundance and want. I can do all things in him who strengthens me." As a good Jew, too, who is grateful for their support of his ministry, Paul assures them, "And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen."
1 Timothy 2:1-4
Set as it is on Thanksgiving, this passage redirects the prayers of the church from God's care and provisions in the many blessings he has given his people to "supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings for all men, for kings and all who are in high positions...." Paul was convinced that kings and rulers were servants of God who were to be honored - and even remembered in their prayers - by human beings. In our country and time, it is a reminder to give thanks that there are people willing to serve in leadership roles in our world, and to ask God to bless them and help them fulfill their efforts to serve God by serving their fellow human beings. This text calls for a different note in our thanksgiving services; people are to give thanks - and pray for - the elected officials of this land.
Luke 17:11-19
This reading is assigned to the Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost, year C, as well as to the Day of Thanksgiving. In Pentecost, when combined with readings from Ruth and 2 Timothy, it emphasizes faithfulness rather than the gratitude obvious in its reading on Thanksgiving Day. The incident also has "Messianic meaning," because cleansing of leprosy was tantamount to receiving salvation from God. In this setting - Thanksgiving - the story of the ten lepers, one of whom returned to give thanks to Jesus when he was cleansed, highlights the theme of gratitude to God for all of the blessings that he has given to his own people. That the man who returned and prostrated himself before Jesus, praising him and giving him thanks, was a Samaritan, illustrates how God gives his blessings, including salvation, to all people. This man had an additional gift, evident in his spontaneous return to Jesus and his expression of thanks for the miracle that had occurred in his life - he recognized the source of his healing and wanted to be close enough to Jesus to express his gratitude for the gift.
A Sermon on the Gospel, Luke 17:11-19 - "And Then There Was One."
It has been four decades since I heard Alfred Price, the rector of an Episcopal congregation in the very center of Philadelphia, tell about his healing services. He told the group of pastors doing graduate work in pastoral care about the healing services that were held twice on Thursday afternoon. All sorts of cures occurred. He also told the group how he began his healing services; he said they began with dissension in the congregation, which culminated in a serious debate - virtually an argument - among the members of the choir. When Price entered the choir room before Morning Prayer one Sunday, he walked into a situation which bothered him deeply; he had to do something about the trouble that was threatening the stability of the congregation. So he asked the choir to form a circle, hold hands, and then he began to pray for forgiveness, for understanding and tolerance, for peace and joy - and what amounted to a miracle took place; the rift in the choir and congregation was healed. Dr. Price decided that prayer works, and since it prevailed in this situation, why not institute prayer services based on the promise of Jesus that the Father will answer prayers raised in his name. That was the beginning of a ministry in that congregation which turned out to be a spiritual and physical blessing to countless people.
The services were simple - with scripture readings, a short sermon, confession at the altar rail, and prayers for healing with the laying on of hands. Dr. Price said that he always prayed for healing, no matter how sick a person might be and how close to dying - and he was speaking about "total healing" of people in body and soul. He told about one woman, a clergyman's widow, who had stopped in at the church after receiving a diagnosis of a cancerous tumor. She felt "heat" flow through her when he laid on his hands, and she told him, "I knew then that I was healed." She went back to her physician, and discovered that she really was healed, which sent her back to a session with Dr. Price in the spirit of joy and thanksgiving. He claimed to have numerous records of similar cases to hers of people who were healed of all sorts of diseases and ailments, and who came back to the scene - and the priest, who participated in that healing. They all returned with grateful hearts to give private testimony to the healing and thanks to the God who had worked it in them.
1. There were ten lepers who begged Jesus to help them, to cure them. He heard their pleas and answered them by sending them to the priests in the temple. They were healed as they went - and apparently completed the assignment that he had given them. Ten were obedient and did as Jesus had commanded them.
2. And then there was one. A single leper returned to Jesus upon realizing that he had been healed. He knew that Jesus was the source of his healing - and it was more important to him to return and give thanks to Jesus than it was to go on in obedience to see the priests. Heartfelt gratitude, expressed in genuine thanksgiving, for whatever blessings we have received from God, is more important than any mechanically performed rituals and worship.
3. There are those - scientists and futurists - who believe that the human race may find itself in a situation where, from the standpoint of faith, the only thing people will be able to do is cry, "Lord, have mercy upon us." They tell us that we are destroying the earth - and the quality of life that we have enjoyed upon earth. As we are consuming the earth, we are also devouring ourselves. There seems to be no escape from a cataclysm caused by greed, mindlessness, and carelessness. The whole human race needs to be healed if there is to be any hope for the world.
4. And now there is one. Each of us has to live in the world in the spirit of obedience and gratitude. God told people from the beginning to take charge of the earth and fill it up; it is obvious that humanity has done a better job of filling it up than taking care of it. Before it is too late - this day and always - God's people, who appreciate his blessings in creation and the new creation in Jesus, give thanks that is joined inextricably to obedience.
5. And then there was one - Jesus Christ - who showed us the meaning of grateful obedience, redeeming us in the process. To him be all praise, thanksgiving, glory, honor, and obedience from us, his disciples.
A Sermon on the First Lesson, Deuteronomy 8:1-10 - "Thanks Be to God."
The other day, as the Minnesota Vikings football team began pre-season practice, I noticed the t-shirt that one of the star running backs, D. J. Dozier, was wearing. It read, "Joshua 1:9 - "The Lord your God will go with you wherever you go." On the back of the shirt was another quotation from Joshua, "Be strong and courageous." He and other athletes believe that they can only do their best if God is with them - on their side, as it were. Of course, Dozier doesn't expect God to block for him, but he believes that God will help him to do his best. God made a promise to Israel, when he brought them out of Egypt - he promised to be with them and to see that they had food and drink - and he did so. He expected them to trust him, and to obey the commandments which he gave them. At last, after forty years, he took them into the good land that he had prepared for them. It was time for them "to eat and be full, and (to) ... bless the Lord your God for the good land he has given you."
1. Thank the Lord for the world. He has given us the very fruits of creation in this beautiful and productive land in which we live. The world should be able to produce all that is necessary for life until time runs out; it contains enough for all people, all time. God is really with us in his world! "Bless the Lord, 0 my soul, and all that is within me, and forget not all his benefits."
2. Be good stewards of God's creation, of his world - he expected that of the Israelites, and he expects it of us today. It may almost be too late to "care for the earth," the world in which we live. As has been said, "This is the only world that we will ever get." (Even if we should be able to establish life on Mars, or other planets, the quality of life would hardly be what it is on earth.) Good stewards will care for this earth - right now. Conservation and preservation begin with you and me as the expression of grateful human beings.
3. Be concerned for others - really concerned about their needs and welfare. What the world needs now is more caring and concerned people, who love God and actually love one another - hopefully, as Jesus has loved us. The era of living for "myself" has to go; Chris-tians live for others, in order to be living for Jesus Christ. And that's where this concern for the needs of others really comes from - the new life in Jesus Christ. He generates the kind of love that will be obedient, loving, caring, and considerate toward the other people in the world.
4. Trust God - no matter how bad things might seem to be in this world - and know that all will be well for those who fear and love him and do his will. God will see to it - as we obey him and keep his commandments today - that it will be well for us in the world, just as he has guaranteed our future in heaven in Jesus Christ. "Thanks be to God!" for his promises and all of his gifts to us and the world.
Philippians 4:6-20 - "Come, You Thankful People, Come."
This text always brings Henry Alford's hymn to mind:
Come, you thankful people come;
Raise the song of harvest home.
All is safely gathered in
Ere the winter storms begin.
God,our maker, does provide
For our wants to be supplied.
Come to God's own temple, come,
Raise the song of harvest home.
1. The people of God are thankful people - for they are vividly aware of all he has done for them in his continuing creation here on earth. All good things come from his hand - food, family, friends - and every other blessing and benefit that people enjoy.
2. The people of God are obedient people - hearing God's Word and doing it and caring for the earth and sharing the earth's bounty with others, who may not have what they need to live on. Thankful people care about and share with others of all and anything they may have that others need.
3. The people of God put him to the test - by sacrificing themselves, their goals and ambitions - and desires - for others. God has promised to sustain his own people - and he surely will, if we give him a chance to. The early church has given us an example in their words of love and charity, which they could only do because they trusted the Lord their God. "God will supply every need of yours."
4. He has - and he still does. Give thanks and be glad - and participate in his work of blessing people in this time, this world.
1 Timothy 2:1-4 - "Timothy on Thanksgiving."
1. Pray - as the people of God - to the Heavenly Father, maker and creator of all that is and ever will be.
2. Pray - for decision makers and world leaders - that they may do what is necessary and right to the sustenance of life - the good life - in this world.
3. Pray - for the good life - the life of sufficient food, clothing, shelter, health, and security for all people. Intercede with God on behalf of others.
4. Pray - and pray some more - with thanksgiving. It is not the only thing that you can do, but it may be the best thing that can be done for yourself and others.
