PastorTim

THE DUTY OF GRATEFULNESS…

Another year another Turkey. Its Thanksgiving time again and we all with one accord as a nation pause and give thanks for God’s bountiful blessings on our great land. From the young to the old, rich & poor, Republicans, Democrats, Independents and all political parties along with every denomination come together in one great harmonious chorus to give thanks to our Dear Heavenly Father and.... ”Tim, Tim…..WAKE UP TIM!!!!”Uh, what? OH sorry, I kinda dozed off there. Just writing about turkey makes me sleepy.  I know it’s been tough lately on many in our country. And yet the season again calls us to be a thankful people. Scottish minister Alexander Whyte was known for his uplifting prayers in the pulpit. He always found something for which to be grateful. One Sunday morning the weather was so gloomy that one church member thought to himself, "Certainly the preacher won't think of anything for which to thank the Lord on a wretched day like this." Much to his surprise, however, Whyte began by praying, "We thank Thee, O God, that it is not always like this." Aren’t you glad that it’s not always like this? It’s good to know that our God is the God that is real not just when things seem to go our way but specializes in being a present help in time of trouble. I think it’s good to be reminded that our worst day in this country the last year or so is better than many countries have experienced in their entire history.

Speaking of history, I find myself drawn to the Thanksgiving proclamation by two of our greatest Presidents who reminded us of our need to be thankful as a nation. President Abraham Lincoln’s is probably the most noted but I was looking this week at the First National Thanksgiving Proclamation by President George Washington in the year 1779. “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; Whereas, both the houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me "to recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness!" Now therefore, I do recommend next, to be devoted by the people of the states to the service of that great and glorious being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be, that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country.” I don’t know if you caught it or not, but President Washington called it a duty to do three things.

First to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will which is very scriptural. Listen to the Psalmist, “Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance.” He also mentioned as a duty to humbly to implore His protection and favor. That as well finds validation in the Scriptures… “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” Lastly President Washington reminds us of our duty “to be grateful for His benefits” To be grateful by definition means: Appreciative of benefits received; thankful, expressing gratitude. Gratefulness seems to be a lost art today. Warren Wiersby illustrated this problem in his commentary on Colossians. He told about a ministerial student in Evanston, Illinois, who was part of a life-saving squad. In 1860, a ship went aground on the shore of Lake Michigan near Evanston, and Edward Spencer waded again and again into the frigid waters to rescue 17 passengers. In the process, his health was permanently damaged. Some years later at his funeral, it was noted that not one of the people he rescued ever thanked him. To be appreciative of benefits received does sound like more of a duty than an option don’t you think? The psalmist underscore this thought with these words, “Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:”

As I begin the trek into this Thanksgiving week I’m thinking, “When it comes to gratitude it’s not to late to start”. What would your week be like if you gave great effort not only to being grateful, but expressed it to everyone you see. Just what would the store clerk do this Friday of you told her how much you appreciated her and all she does? Or how about the McDonalds waiter who serves you a cup of coffee, who you have just wished a Happy Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas to? “Which by the way we will be discussing the subject of Merry Christmas in the weeks to come.” It’s not to late to be grateful! That great theologian Erma Bombeck once wrote… “Every time I forget to feel grateful to be among them, I hear the voice of an eight-year-old named Christina, who had cancer of the nervous system. When asked what she wanted for her birthday, she thought long and hard and finally said, "I don't know. I have two sticker books and a Cabbage Patch doll. I have everything!" The kid is right.  HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

RAMBLINGS

I think I feel like rambling a bit. Hey this is my column, I’ll just ramble if I want to, besides Andy Rooney did it for years and CBS paid him good money. I think I’d like to give it a try. So here goes.

 I see the Battle for Christmas has already begun… WASHINGTON, D.C. You better watch out. There is a new combatant in the Christmas wars. Ads proclaiming, "Why believe in a god? Just be good for goodness' sake," will appear on Washington, D.C., buses starting next week and running through December. The American Humanist Association unveiled the provocative $40,000 holiday ad campaign Tuesday. In lifting lyrics from "Santa Claus is Coming to Town," the Washington-based group is wading into what has become a perennial debate over commercialism, religion in the public square and the meaning of Christmas. "We are trying to reach our audience, and sometimes in order to reach an audience, everybody has to hear you," said Fred Edwords, spokesman for the humanist group. "Our reason for doing it during the holidays is there are an awful lot of agnostics, atheists and other types of non-theists who feel a little alone during the holidays because of its association with traditional religion." Last month, the British Humanist Association caused a ruckus announcing a similar campaign on London buses with the message: "There's probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life." In Washington, the humanists' campaign comes as conservative Christian groups gear up their efforts to keep Christ in Christmas. Best-selling books by authors such as Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens have fueled interest in "the new atheism" — a more in-your-face argument against God's existence. Yet few Americans describe themselves as atheist or agnostic; a Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life poll from earlier this year found 92 percent of Americans believe in God. So if 92% believe in God, it seems to me the 8% who don’t are getting pretty good press coverage don’t you think?

I see also that protesters have decided to go to church this past weekend. Not in the way we would like though. Homosexual activists recently attacked a Michigan church during its worship service. The attack occurred at Mount Hope Church in Lansing, Michigan, by a group of self-described homosexual anarchists called "Bash Back!" Susan Fani describes what happened. 
 
"Outside they were chanting 'Jesus was a homo' on a megaphone. They were beating on buckets, presumably to drown out what the pastor was saying inside the church, and carrying an upside-down pink cross," she explains. "They set off the fire alarm. They unfurled this big banner because they apparently were hiding in an unused part of the church, like the balcony area."
 A Catholic League article also notes the "gay fascists" stormed the pulpit and shouted obscenities at church members. The protesters carried a banner that read, "It's okay to be gay! Bash Back!" Fani contends the group's activities were illegal. "The police did show up and, as far as we can tell, no one was arrested, which we also don't understand because apparently most of the 30 or so people in this group fled before the police got there, but some were still there," she adds.
President of the Catholic League Bill Donahue laments the refusal of the biased, mainstream media to report on what he calls one of the most disturbing events this year. "If an organized group of gay bashers stormed a gay church, there is not a single person in the United States who wouldn't know about it.” I am sure this was simply an oversight by the major news outlets. They were probably doing a feature on moral values or something such as that…… Do ya think?

I see that the weather is a changin. The snow has come early this year. So much for global warming in McDermott! It’s 5:30 in the morning and I can hear the wind howling outside our little abode. As I sit here rambling I am reminded of the words of two wise men. Solomon and Paul. Solomon reminded us that there are seasons in life. It’s just the way it is. To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace. Election season, post election season, “My Personal Favorite!”.  There are seasons that appear carefree, and seasons that are earmarked with worry. Yet God’s Still God, am I right?  The wisdom of Paul is revealed as he reminds us how to face the changing tides of life and country. After telling his readers that though many may not believe, Jesus Christ has indeed risen from the dead and one day will return, he then shuts the door on the fifteenth chapter of his letter to the Corinthian church with these words “therefore my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.” He reminds us that when we do what we do for Jesus, it’s not for nothing. Regardless of opposition, protesters, unfair media coverage, or the weather……. It will be worth it!  

A FULL MEASURE OF THANKFULNESS…

I never tire of this time of year and the celebrations that ensue. Thanksgiving and of course Christmas New years and such. But long before we get there we stand before November the 11^th. U.S. President Woodrow Wilson first proclaimed an Armistice Day for November 11, 1919. The United States Congress passed a concurrent resolution seven years later on June 4, 1926, requesting the President issue another proclamation to observe November 11 with appropriate ceremonies. An Act approved May 13, 1938, made the 11th of November in each year a legal holiday; "a day to be dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be thereafter celebrated and known as 'Armistice Day'." In 1953, an Emporia, Kansas shoe store owner name Al King had the idea to expand Armistice Day to celebrate all veterans, not just those who served in World War I. King had been actively involved with the American War Dads during World War II. He began a campaign to turn Armistice Day into "All" Veterans Day. The Emporia Chamber of Commerce took up the cause after determining that 90% of Emporia merchants as well as the Board of Education supported closing their doors on November 11, 1953 to honor veterans. With the help of then-U.S. Rep. Ed Rees, also from Emporia, a bill for the holiday was pushed through Congress. President Dwight Eisenhower signed it into law on May 26, 1954. Each year at Plymouth Heights we have a celebration of thankfulness for all Military personnel past and present, which I believe is one of our biggest days of the year. What an encouragement it is to me to witness this expression of appreciation for our National Freedom and our Spiritual Freedom as well. A week or so ago as I was preparing for this great day I came across the remarks made by President Ronald Reagan in France on June 6, 1984. The President made two speeches that day commemorating the 40th Anniversary of the D-Day Invasion, one speech was delivered at the site of the U.S. Ranger Monument at Pointe du Hoc, France, where veterans of the Normandy Invasion, and others, had assembled for the ceremony. Later during the day, President Reagan spoke at Omaha Beach, France. Here are some of his remarks… “Mr. President, distinguished guests, we stand today at a place of battle, one that 40 years ago saw and felt the worst of war. Men bled and died here for a few feet of--or inches of sand, as bullets and shellfire cut through their ranks. About them, General Omar Bradley later said, "Every man who set foot on Omaha Beach that day was a hero." No speech can adequately portray their suffering, their sacrifice, and their heroism. President Lincoln once reminded us that through their deeds, the dead of battle have spoken more eloquently for themselves than any of the living ever could. But we can only honor them by rededicating ourselves to the cause for which they gave a last full measure of devotion. Today we do rededicate ourselves to that cause. And at this place of honor, we're humbled by the realization of how much so many gave to the cause of freedom and to their fellow man.”… “These are the boys of Pointe du Hoc. These are the men who took the cliffs. These are the champions who helped free a continent. These are the heroes who helped end a war…Gentlemen, I look at you and I think of the words of Stephen Spender's poem. You are men who in your "lives fought for life . . . and left the vivid air signed with your honor.'' Those words aptly apply to all who have bravely served this great nation. May we never find ourselves suffering from “American Amnesia” which moves us dangerously close to forgetting our Godly Heritage. A nation that forgets it’s past has a distorted vision for the future.

         This principle also finds appropriate application to the walk of a Christ Follower. Listen to the words of Paul’s letter to the church in Galatia.

“Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.”  Freedom in Christ must never be taken for granted either. Paul reminds us in this verse of Freedom’s Cause….. Remember it was Christ, not us that gives us this freedom! Freedom’s Joy…… There is no other joy in life like true freedom in Christ! And lastly notice Freedom’s Call. There is clear warning to not return to the lifestyle that preceded your relationship too Christ…… DON’T DO IT! Don’t go back; stand firm where you are thankful for where God has brought you from!

It was Peter Marshall who prayed before the United States Senate, “Lord Jesus, thou who art the way, the truth, and the life; hear us as we pray for the truth that shall make all free. Teach us that liberty is not only to be loved but also to be lived. Liberty is too precious a thing to be buried in books. It costs too much to be hoarded. Help us see that our liberty is not the right to do as we please, but the opportunity to please to do what is right.” In this hour of our nations history we can none afford to forget our heritage and those who so valiantly served this Nation. As well we must stand fast in the Freedom given us in Christ. Thank you all, each and every one who has served or is serving in our Military, and Thank you Jesus….. For Freedom!

BEAUTY IN MY OWN BACKYARD….

       

  I have been blessed in my lifetime to see swells in the Atlantic Ocean and watch whales swim in the Pacific. I’ve beheld the wheated plains, looked longingly at purple mountains majesty, stood under cypress trees in the old south and walked in the midst of evergreens in Maine. Why, I’ve even driven through Kansas…and driven and driven and driven…. wow was that ever fun! But I have to say that the beauty right in my own back yard is unsurpassed. I mean no matter where I’ve been there is nothing more breathtaking than what lies just outside my McDermott backdoor here in Southern Ohio especially this time of year as the fall foliage comes into full bloom. According to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources forester Casey Munchel. Some trees are going dormant early and dropping their leaves to protect themselves from the dry weather. Ohio has several popular fall color spots including the Appalachian foothills and Hocking Hills in the south and the Cuyahoga Valley National Park in the north. Leaves are changing earlier than normal and falling in the some areas of the Wayne National Forest in southern Ohio. Whenever they peak is just fine by me, it’s just beautiful. Now I could ramble on about the handiwork of God here, but instead let me focus for a second or two on the beauty that is right before our eyes and is often overlooked.

As I recently re read the story of the prodigal son from Luke’s Gospel I was drawn not so much to the fathers quest for the son or even the welcome the wayward son received when he finally came to his senses and came back home. What I want draw your attention to here are the things he remembered as he longingly looked homeward and remembered what he had left behind. What was there all along that he hadn’t even considered until he was far away and all alone.  Jesus tells us the story…“And he said, A certain man had two sons: And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living. And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living. And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want. And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him. And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants. And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.”  Just like us isn’t it? Some of the most precious things in life are overlooked until they are far removed from us. Notice as his heart looked homeward how he missed the Fathers Presence. He knew there was safety and protection there. He missed his Fathers Provision, there was more than enough to spare in fathers house. Lastly he missed his Fathers Love. Something he knew yet rejected was still cradled in hope deep in his heart as he journeyed home remembering it was there all the time while he remained at home. So what’s in your backyard that you are overlooking right now? The blessings of God? His help and strength? His Love expressed for you in more ways that you can count? Years ago, Russell Conwell told of an ancient Persian, Ali Hafed, who “owned a very large farm that had orchards, grain fields, and gardens... and was a wealthy contented man.” One day a wise man from the East told the farmer all about diamonds and how wealthy he would be if he owned a diamond mine. Ali Hafed went to bed that night a poor man—poor because he was discontented. Craving a mine of diamonds, he sold his farm to search for the rare stones. He traveled the world over, finally becoming so poor, broken, and defeated that he committed suicide. One day the man who purchased Ali Hafed’s farm led his camel into the garden to drink. As his camel put its nose into the brook, the man saw a flash of light from the sands of the stream. He pulled out a stone that reflected all the hues of the rainbow. The man had discovered the diamond mine of Golcanda, the most magnificent mine in all history. Had Ali Hafed remained at home and dug in his own garden, then instead of death in a strange land, he would have had acres of diamonds. Again my I ask, What’s in your backyard?

 William Randolph Hearst invested a fortune collecting art treasures from around the world. One day Mr. Hearst read the description of a valuable art item, which he sent his agent abroad to find. After months of searching, the agent reported that he had finally found the treasure. To the surprise of Hearst, the priceless masterpiece was stored in none other than the warehouse of William Randolph Hearst. The multi-millionaire had been searching all over the world for a treasure he already possessed. Had he read the catalog of his treasures, he would have saved himself a lot of time and money. Is there anything you are overlooking? You can afford to overlook some things, but you cannot afford to overlook God and His Love. It’s right there, in your own backyard!