Box Notes – 11/27/2008 : Thanksgiving Revisited

Back in November, 2003, while I and many of my local pastoral colleagues were writing articles for a religious column, I was on the schedule for the article that would be published at Thanksgiving.  While looking for some notes for my Thanksgiving Day sermon this year I came across it in my computer harddrive archives.   With some comments of reflection now 5 years after, here it is:

 

Rehearsing Thanksgivings

Thanksgiving Day sermon, 2003, and Local Newspaper Pastor Column the same weekend

The Rev. Robert G. Eaton,  Rector, St. John Episcopal Church, Tulare

Musicians know _ sometimes from embarrassing experience _ that rehearsal is extremely important for the satisfactory quality of the final performance. Any quality performance requires rehearsal. Football teams _ well, at least coaches _ know that practice (rehearsal) is extremely important in being ready for your opponent on the field. Any athletic endeavor demands practice to have the hope of a winning season. If families are going to “win” during those moments of stress and crisis that inevitably arrive, they need to have “rehearsed” the skills of being family. You know, listening, caring, forgiving, cooperation, “team effort”, personal responsibility, loving, respecting…… Any family that’s going to even just survive has to “rehearse” these action_values on a daily basis.

In the same way, I’m telling you that “thanksgiving” is going to be demanded of you in greater and greater measure _ especially as people of Faith _ even in this amazing nation of ours, the United States of America. We are beginning to wonder if we really believe any more, “In God we Trust.”

I can’t think of a Thanksgiving Day service in recent memory where I or someone else didn’t say aloud something like this: “We should be grateful, and give thanks to God, that we live in this great nation, where we are free to worship as we choose, and to proclaim our faith as our boldness allows, without fear of governmental reprisal,” which would then be followed by some example of another place in another nation somewhere on the globe where terrible persecution has taken place, or where personal liberties have been trampled.

We would go on to share how Christians, for example, despite some horrific situation had the unreal strength to “give thanks to God”, and proclaim their faith in the risen Jesus Christ, and how we would hope to have the same ability if we were standing in their footprints.

What I’m warning you about is that the times of crisis, and the moments of personal pain, and the need for courage and boldness, and the environment of “free and easy” society for people of Faith, are very gradually coming upon us. We need to rehearse being people that give thanks, so when that unimaginable time is upon us, we know how to be thankful to God even then. I’m warning you because it’s still way too easy to “give thanks” and at the same time take it all for granted.

We are seeing in our lifetime the consequences of a major shift in the basic priorities of how we do business in our nation, and of the privileges of Christian life that have for too long simply been presumed. Now, you’ll never catch me saying that there has ever truly been any “good ‘ol days.” But we have long taken for granted that the institutions of our lives – such as government, our judicial system, education, and even of the institution of marriage – are what they are because that’s what they are”supposed to be.” You fill in the blanks. You just can’t take any of it for granted any more.

You might not agree with me regarding the State of the Union, or western civilization in general; nor might you agree with my conviction that Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and thus has the answers for the degradation of society. But you cannot disagree if you have any understanding of the personal demands made in times of oppression, that what is demanded can only be produced by what is known and rehearsed _ and those occasional moments of pure Grace.

Another way to say it is, “You get out of it what you put into it.” Combined with God’s amazing grace.

Christians are called to be people of Thanksgiving. “In every situation….” said St. Paul. Every situation. If you practice now, soon you will begin to appreciate the spectrum difference between giving thanks over a large, juicy turkey, and giving true thanks to God over a can of beans because without it you wouldn’t have anything. What a witness. But if you don’t rehearse your thanksgivings now, you won’t be able to see it then. What a miserable life.

Become a thanks giving person now, so you can be one then.

 END OF ARTICLE ****

 

So now, 5 years later, having gone through so much in our Church, our parish, and quite recently in our national economy and specifically the stock market severe decline, the question is, did those who read my article back then practice over those 5 years so that they could express their thanks to God in every situation?  

And even if you didn’t read my article, surely you have read Paul’s words on your own where he proscribes giving thanks always, and in the same way, giving thanks in every situation?  In all things?

But if you didn’t follow my exhortation, and you didn’t heed the Word of God, surely five years of increase in age has also provided you with an increase in natural wisdom so that – with a sense of patient endurance – you are able to still give thanks for all the little things and the bigger things?

Some will shake their heads.  In my own life i recognize issues and areas of life and relationship and work where my own resolve to not let them get the best of me has failed.

Apparently, practice still makes perfect.

Apparently, there is still the need to rehearse.

The Christian response is to not just give thanks to the prevailing winds,
but to poinpoint the source of every good andperfect gift, that being God,

In our National life we gain respect by showing and giving respect, and so we can share around the table what we are thankful for and with insight that befits our age we can expand our thanks for the national life, the environment of freedom, the society which affirms our pursuit of dreams and hopes.   And then pray that these will continue.

In our relationship with God we gain not just respect for God but also train ourselves to continue to give thanks for the presence of God and his love for us in every and any situation by giving thanks now, the daily rehearsal providing the discipline necessary to give thanks when it seems not so elicited by bad circumstances.   We give thanks for yesterday, today and yes, tomorrow, for we know that the promise of Jesus is true, “and, behold, I am with you now and for evermore.”

Seeing what we are thankful for is one thing; Giving thanks now in order to be prepared for hings to come is another.

So, with all that is going on around us, How’s that going for you?

Be prepared,  give thanks.

 

 

Box notes – 11/21/08, Friday in Proper 28

St. John’s Cycle using the BCP Daily Lectionary for 2008 through Advent 1, Year Two

 at Morning Prayer – use the Venite; Psalm 102; James 5:7-12

at Evening Prayer – use the Magnificat; Psalm 107:1-32; Luke 18:1-8

for End of Day (using Compline, or “At the Close of Day”)- use Psalm 134; Malachi 3:1-12

 Luke 18:1-8 (NRSV)

Then Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray always and not to lose heart. 2He said, ‘In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor had respect for people. 3In that city there was a widow who kept coming to him and saying, “Grant me justice against my opponent.” 4For a while he refused; but later he said to himself, “Though I have no fear of God and no respect for anyone, 5yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will grant her justice, so that she may not wear me out by continually coming.”‘
6And the Lord said, ‘Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7And will not God grant justice to his chosen ones who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long in helping them? 8I tell you, he will quickly grant justice to them. And yet, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?’

 

Thought:  Justice.  A word used so haphazardly these days, and with less respect for the power of its meaning.   A Supreme Court justice.  The political process of selection of a Justice itself provides for room to deride or exalt, usually depending upon not the hoped for wisdom of a ruling, but upon whether the ruling satisfies the needs of an individual’s or group’s opinion.  I suppose that’s always the way its been wherever “appointments” to the bench are made.

 Still, even in this parable where Jesus does indeed recognize the imperfect human capacity of a judge to be self-serving (or serving someone else’s agenda in return for lining the pocket with gold) and He himself disdains what value of justice could come from such a judge, Jesus reveals that true justice – and that which comes inspired (in the NT sense of that word) by God the Father’s Love and Concern for what is right for His People – can and will be given, ruled.  At this point, turning now to the word in the greek (ekdikesis) that is used several times in this short paragraph we are faced with the power that is unleashed in justice, and that in direct confrontation with how our society has lessened the meaning.   Here Jesus says the widow has not just an “opponent” (like in checkers, or in quilt making) but an adversary (probably more like a cheating landlord, or some societal parasite) taking advantage of a widow’s less than secure and less than protected place in that society.  And she is looking for “justice”, that is, a revenging, vengeance, punishment.

extension: God will bring this kind of justice — vengeance, punishment — for his people who are crying out.  “Will not God grant justice to his chosen ones who cry to him day and night?”  Yes. Revenge.  Very consistent, don’t you think?  Remember, “Vengeance is mine, saith the Lord”?  That doesn’t just mean I can’t take vengeance into my own hands.  It also means God will take vengeance.  And if that is the case, then my job – with the exercising of my faith – is to wait for God to get the job done.

challenge:  the Church today must see that working for justice (“for all”?) doesn’t simply mean trying to make things right.  In harsh words, it means “taking out” those who you claim offended you in such a way that you have deemed them your enemy, your adversary.  And that is exactly the reason God claims the role of justice for himself, because He is the true judge, and he makes no mistakes in making sure the right people get the right punishment.  To make it clear, human beings constantly fail to “get it right”, and we allow so many unjust thoughts, emotions, passions, etc., (the self) to inform or should I say corrupt OUR attempt to handle justice.

So what are we to do?  Cry out to the Lord for Justice, and wait for Him to accomplish it.  And that takes Faith.   Even more sobering than waiting upon the Lord for justice, is that Jesus, in the same way that he is not naive about the fact there are obviously unjust judges who only give in to the irritation of badgering, also is not naive about our ability – should I say inability –  to exercise the kind of Faith he asks of us.   But that is not an exemption on his part to us.  Rather, it sets the standard, and exhibits his frustration and skepticism of even the People of God.  That alone should put us on our faces before him.  Our prayer:  “Lord, my situation is unjust.  I am sorely tempted to take matters into my own hands.  But by your grace and assistance, I can live with this.  You will take revenge for me.  Just get here quickly.”

Box Notes – 11/20/08, Thursday in Proper 28

St. John’s Cycle using the BCP Daily Lectionary for 2008 through Advent 1, Year Two

 at Morning Prayer – use the Venite; Psalm 105, Part 1; James 4:13 – 5:6

at Evening Prayer – use the Magnificat; Psalm 105, Part 2; Luke 17:20-37

for End of Day (using Compline, or “At the Close of Day”)- use Psalm 134; Malachi 2:1-16

 

Mal. 2:1-16 (NRSV)

And now, O priests, this command is for you. 2If you will not listen, if you will not lay it to heart to give glory to my name, says the LORD of hosts, then I will send the curse on you and I will curse your blessings;  indeed I have already cursed them, because you do not lay it to heart. 3I will rebuke your offspring, and spread dung on your faces, the dung of your offerings, and I will put you out of my presence. 4Know, then, that I have sent this command to you, that my covenant with Levi may hold, says the LORD of hosts. 5My covenant with him was a covenant of life and well-being, which I gave him; this called for reverence, and he revered me and stood in awe of my name. 6True instruction was in his mouth, and no wrong was found on his lips. He walked with me in integrity and uprightness, and he turned many from iniquity.  

 Thought:  a set of verses that every ordained person should take seriously.  I did, and as soon as I applied it to me, a reason  a sinful pattern on my part – immediately popped into my mind.   Thank you, Lord, for delivering me.

Box Notes – 11/19/08, Wednesday in Proper 28

St. John’s Cycle using the BCP Daily Lectionary for 2008 through Advent 1, Year Two

at Morning Prayer – use the Venite; Psalm 101, 109; James 3:13 – 4:12

at Evening Prayer - use the Magnificat; Psalm 119; Luke 17:11-19

for End of Day (using Compline, or “At the Close of Day”)- use Psalm 134; Malachi 1:1,6-14

 

Thought:  this section from Luke is so packed:

“14 When he saw them, he said to them, ‘Go and show yourselves to the priests.’ And as they went, they
were made clean. 15 Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice. 16 He prostrated himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him. And he was a Samaritan.”

Yes, Jesus ministered to the non-Jew, the implications being extended by inference to ministry to the marginalized, although it should be said in this case that Jesus did not seek out the Samaritan.  The Samaritan – both as one of a group that looked for healing, and as the one who came back and praised and worshipped Jesus – sought Him out.

Of course, the Power of God through Jesus was enough to cause healing without Jesus’ physical touch.  That in itself puts us to shame in that Jesus said we should go and do likewise, and yet how often do we shrink back for whatever reason from even the physical laying on of hands and boldly pronouncing healing! – much less proclaiming it across the field.

More to the point is that the “marginalized” Samaritan, and all his leperous buddies received their healing by obeying Jesus when he said, “Go show yourselves to the priest…”  That is, they found their healing in obeying the Word of God.

challenge: Are you?

Obeying the Word of God?

Box Notes – 11/18/08, Tuesday in Proper 28

St. John’s Cycle using the BCP Daily Lectionary for 2008 through Advent 1, Year Two

at Morning Prayer - use the Jubilate; Psalm 97, 99; James 3:1-12

at Evening Prayer – use the Magnificat; Psalm 94; Luke 17:1-10

for End of Day (using Compline, or “At the Close of Day”)- use Psalm 95; Habakkuk 3:1-10(11-15)16-18

 

Thought:  In the reading from James today, there is the painfully obvious and self-convicting exhortation regarding the power of the tongue.  Where does the tongue get its information?  If the tongue were to be cut out, the damage to another person would not be done.  But that does not mean that what prompted the wagging of the tongue in the first place wouldn’t still be in operation.  And so James says at the end of the reading that fresh water does not come from a salty spring.  I think there is a matter of will and discipline that is of James’ first concern, and that not of the individual disciple’s overall spiritual, mental and emotional health, although the self-reflective part is very clear.  The matter is that you do damage to others, and your love for others is your faith in action.  If your tongue wags, thus, hurting and damaging others, bringing question by others to your obedience to God through the first four commandments (at the least), causing others to be less disciplined in their own walk with God and love for others, then you can rightly assume that your Faith is corrupted — or to be nicer about it, your Faith is less than it should be.  

Extension: But here is where James is quite realistic, not naive about human nature.   There is no command, there is no strong imperative in this section.   The tongue is such a loose thing even those of great discipline can fail in its wagging.   It is quite clear, still, that James is pointing out what the disciple of Jesus must guard against.  If there is no command as such (because such commands are so easily failed, perhaps?), then it becomes a sign.  That is, if you catch your tongue wagging, then you must also question your Faith in Jesus, and at the least, the resolve or strength of that Faith.   If you have to ask the question, “But what if I can’t tell?”, then you probably are in denial about what’s coming out of your mouth (although I would allow for the Christian with such personal holiness that they have no idea what it means for their tongue to wag in an evil manner).   

Challenge/Application: Will you pray about it, then?  And I mean specifically.   Not just, “God help me keep my tongue in check (if that’s a problem)”, but the harder prayer, “Lord, does my tongue wag?  (remember to pause for an answer!) I don’t want my Faith in Christ to be in immortal danger.  Show me what I have said that was obnoxious, snotty, hurtful, spiteful, unnecessary,  slanderous, disdainful, smug, a put down, overbearing, manipulative, lashing, false, a lie, unholy, faith deriding, and blasphemous.  And if not in word, then in tone and manner.  And while I’m working on getting a hold on my tongue, give me help, Lord, to know its okay just to keep my mouth shut.  In Jesus’ Name.  Amen”

Oh, how much better the Church, the Body of Christ, would fare if only to excercise this discipline.

RGE+