Time for Thanksgiving

    Rush, rush, rush ... that is all some people do! Life is lived by going from place to place, from one task to another, and always on the job ... or eating, or sleeping. These rushing people are the ones that make us curse on the road (because they cut us off), are impatient, and issue rude comments and complaints. (Ephesians 4:32)

   God's antedote to all this wild activity is "Thanksgiving." The giving of Thanks is encouraged throughout the Bible. Thanksgiving is an activitiy that requires us to sloooow doooownnn and to observe the world around us. 

Turkeys spotted on the side of the road in Sleepy Hollow, NY

   What can you give thanks for?  

   At this time of year, the color in the trees! And you can also give thanks for the variety of trees, and plants, and turf to walk on. Give thanks for Gardeners ... and if it is a natural area, to the God of Creation who placed each object in its place: which means giving thanks for the terrain, including the rocks and streams. And don't forget the animals.  ... take time to smell the roses!

Take time to smell the roses!

     And now that you have taken time to enjoy the things the eye beholds, take time to Thank God (Yes, we do this one often ... although sometimes not in the detail that we should) for the tastes provided in the foods we eat. And not just the obvious (What meats, vegetables and fruits did you eat today ... that includes pies, and the dairy product known as Ice Cream), but also the small. Have you ever noticed how a touch of this spice or that enhances the flavor. And, while you are at it, remember the cook, the server, the grocer, and the farmer.  And God who provides the rain.

A Jazz Musician playing his tune

   And we need to thank God for the things we hear, like music, other people (and that other people can hear us), the leaves rustling, animals and activities nearby, and even our own breating (life is a miracle), heart beat,and noises made when we move. Pray for people who are losing their hearing (and be patient with them ... because most people, including you, will have hearing loss in old age). 

Israel's largest waterfall at Banias, which flows into the Jordan

   And we should give thanks for the things we can feel, like the water trickling under our feet in a cool mountain streem, over our heads from a waterfall or the rain, or on our bodies like the waves of the ocean, water from our morning shower, or the stream from the faucet over our hands. we can give thanks for different textures and surfaces. And we can also give thanks for the love we recieve and can give. Let us always recognize the feelings that come not just from our surroundings and other people, but the feelings that come from reieving God's care.

   Make sure to give thanks every day this season.

Spring: Connecting with God

     Praise the Lord, my soul.
     Lord my God, you are very great;
          you are clothed with splendor and majesty.

     In North Carolina, Spring is finally here. We have enjoyed, and will have enough days in the 60’s or above, along with frost free nights, that I have planted kale in the garden, and will trust the Lord for its growth (and the wire fence to keep the rabbits out, which I know observe hopping around!)
     This is the season God puts on a full display of beauty. The forsythia and daffodils are in full display with yellow coloring, early annuals are blooming and I have a camellia still showing its colors. Cherry trees are budded out and my redbuds have begun to pop, and there are other flowers which will soon show their colors.
      The weather outside goes from cloudy to sunny. Last night was a display of thunder … God’s power. Today is cloudy, yesterday overcast, tomorrow will probably be sunny. Every day is new and fresh, and the temperature is about perfect.

     He makes the clouds his chariot
          and rides on the wings of the wind.

     In the spring (and any time of the year) it is appropriate to give praise and thanks.

Spring: Connecting With God

     In the past week, I attempted an experiment. I brought flowers and left them at desks of people I see on a regular basis. One person put their flowers in a vase and displayed it. Two others totally ignored the flowers, one brushing them aside (because I put one flower on the keyboard), and was busy typing. It always amazes me when people brush aside the things of God and ignore, without so much as a look. Are we really like that with the things of God?
     We want God to answer our prayers, but we totally ignore the part of the relationship called Praise. We also often ignore Thanksgiving. Both are important aspects of our prayer life.

     He makes the clouds his chariot
          and rides on the wings of the wind.

     God wants us to notice! Especially this time of year, when everything goes on display.
     And then there are the festivals.
PURIM - a season of thanksgiving for God’s rescue of His people
PASSOVER - again a time of thanksgiving for God’s rescue
GOOD FRIDAY - ditto … Let us give thanks to God for what has been done!
     Jesus said, “Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.” (John 12:24-26)
EASTER - more than Easter lilies, God conquered death, and gave life
     “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (John 10:10) God takes care of us like a shepherd, and leads us to green pastures (Psalm 23).

     How many are your works, Lord!
          In wisdom you made them all;

     This season, let us take time to give thanks … and let us take time to bring thanksgiving to the heart of others. 

     May the glory of the Lord endure forever;
          may the Lord rejoice in his works—

      The book - Spring: Connecting with God is about our relationship with God, noticing. I would commend it to you at this time of year. It is available in paperback, on kindle, and it can be read for free through Amazon Prime.

Christmas is Coming!

Christmas Tree

     November marks a season of change. Gone are the months of September and October that mark the beginning of the school season. Gone is the season of shifting from summer’s vacations to a normal schedule (whatever that might mean). Gone is the season when we can depend on warmth to return after every cold snap. We have come fully into the season called autumn, when leaves are either colored or gone.
     November marks the beginning of the holiday season. It is a time for making Thanksgiving plans and thinking about what items to purchase on Black Friday. The time of Indian Summer is upon us and we all begin to realize that Christmas is just around the corner.

     For me personally, November marked the time when the organization of a new church year came to an end, and things were beginning to run smoothly. November for me, and for the Pilgrims, and for many farmers marks a time of rest, when recovery is possible after a hectic year. But it was not time to stop planning completely, the busy month of December was just ahead.

Advent Calendar

     November was the time I planned for December. I placed the multitude of church activities, parties, school programs and community events on my calendar. But I did not stop after these plans were input into my calendar. I went on to plan something much more important: My children’s Christmas (Advent) celebration.
     Soon after my first daughter was born, it came to my awareness that there is something more important than events and more eternal than presents, Jesus’ birthday. I could not and should not forget to plan family events that would help my children understand my faith. I set an agenda to share a Bible verse with my family each day at breakfast, and also a special seasonal event every day.

Children's Christmas Activities

     All these plans are included at www.KosherCopy.com under the Advent tab. I have produced a pamphlet of ideas to share with your children, and also an advent calendar. Many of the ideas do not take long to accomplish, but set one by one, each day of december, they have a profound effect on faith (and greed). Through providing an activity every day of Advent, the emphasis is taken off the giving of presents and placed on the celebration of Christ’s birth.
     With the free resources at my website, www.KosherCopy.com, it does not take long to plan a great Christmas. It only takes a decision and a couple hours of time. There is a great reward when your children find joy in Jesus rather than “what’s in it for me.”

Over the River and Thru the Woods

Over the years I sang “Over the RIver” with my family.  At first I sang the song as we drove over Biscayne Bay to spend Thanksgiving with my grandmother.  Later I sang this song with my children as we traveled to either grandparents in the east across the James River; or the grandparents in the west across the Arkansas River.  Our trips wer fun, the food was great, and it is always fun to be with family.

Thanksgiving is a festival which calls us to remember our God and our faith. Traditionally we remember our Pilgrim forefathers on this holiday.  These English Puritans and separatists crossed the river called the Atlantic Ocean to find religious freedom in the colonies.  When you read the story of hardship as these colonists settled in New England you can really understand why they would gather with the Indians in gratitude to worship God and give thanks for their first rich harvest season.

Our Pilgrim forefathers looked to the people of Israel as they talked about faith.  The people of Israel also crossed a river, the Red Sea, as they crossed out of Egypt and set the foundation for their harvest festival, Sukkot or the Feast of Tabernacles.  Every year this festival is celebrated to remember how my ancestors were cared for by God during forty years in the wilderness before crossing a river (the Jordan) into the promised land.

Thanksgiving is a festival for people who launch out in faith, departing persecution in order to find a new home.  This Christmas we will remember how Joseph and Mary took Advent Journeys to pay taxes in Bethlehem and to escape the intended murder of their Son at the hands of King Herod.

Many in our world still travel over the river and through the woods because of religious persecution.  We must pray for them, care for them as God said, “Do not oppress a foreigner; you yourselves know how it feels to be foreigners, because you were foreigners in Egypt.” and give thanks to our God that we have been cared for and enjoy bounties of this life because of His Giving.

Amidah 18 – Thanksgiving for God’s Unfailing Mercies

As the Amidah Prayer begins, so it ends. In the beginning of the Prayer we looked at the Greatness of God. The first three Benedictions are: Avot = Ancestors; Gevurot = Powers; Kedushat Ha-shem = The Name. We will compete this prayer with Thanksgiving looking to God.

The eighteenth benediction begins (Avot) “We give thanks to You for You are the Lord our God and God of our fathers forever and ever.” In so praying we recognize we are not the first to pray this prayer, and will not be the last. There is a heritage of men and women who precede us who were prayer warriors. The author of Hebrews writes, “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for.” (11:1-2)

The prayer continues (Gevurot) “You are the Rock of our lives, the Shield of our salvation through every generation.” We pray to God because of His greatness. His name is above every name. He is omnipotent. The Psalmist writes: “The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” (Psalm 18:2)

We praise God because He is our salvation. We thank Him for his benefits, His miracles, and His wonders. His mercies fail not.

God is (Kedushat Ha-shem) the merciful Being whose lovingkindness never ceases. To Him all praise belongs.

Paul concluded His prayer, “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.+ (Ephesians 3:20-21)

Thanksgiving Day

Forty years of wandering … Just as the Feast of Tabernacles symbolized a time of hardship for the Hebrew people, the Pilgrim movement was a period of hardship for a group of English Separatists. Both groups of people searched for a place where they could practice their faith without hindrance from government opposition. Opposition for the Hebrew people came in the form of slavery. The Egyptians feared rebellion from this “foreign” people. They forced them into hard labor, and refused to allow them to gather for true worship. God sent Moses to Pharaoh with this request: “The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has sent me to say to you: Let my people go, so that they may worship me in the desert.” (Ex 5:1; 7:16) Pharaoh refused, and a struggle resulted. A struggle resulted, where God fought for His people. Following ten plagues, the nation was freed.

Following their freedom, the Hebrew people still struggled. First from lack of water (which God provided), then from lack of food (God gave Manna), and then from ignorance of their faith (God called Moses up to Mt. Sinai). Rebellion among the Hebrew people resulted in forty years of wandering in the wilderness. God used the crucible of hardship to forge a faith that would endure for centuries.

The Pilgrim movement was born out of a struggle in England. In unsettled times, The Church of England was formed to allow King Henry to divorce his wives. A battle ensued between Catholic and Reformed factions to determine the doctrines and worship of the church. The religious settlement emerged in the reign of Elizabeth I which resulted in a Church that consciously retained a large amount of continuity with the Church of the Patristic and Medieval periods. Catholic creeds, its pattern of ministry, its buildings and aspects of its liturgy (a rite prescribed for public worship). Embodying Protestant insights in its theology were all used in the overall shape of its liturgical practice. The way that this is often expressed is by saying that the Church of England is both 'Catholic and Reformed.'

Not all were pleased with this resolution. Within England there were some who desired to practice their faith in the Calvinistic tradition of the Reformation. They sought to remove some of the liturgical enslavement forced upon them in the form of Episcopal Church government and required readings from the Common Book of Prayer.

At first these men sought to practice their faith from within the church. As this met resistance, some clergy separated from the church. In 1602 one such minister, John Smyth was dismissed by the Bishop of Lincoln and moved to Gainsborough, where his group of 60 or 70 Separatists were allowed to worship secretly in Gainsborough Old Hall. The number of Separatists grew. In late 1606 a second Separatist church was founded at Scrooby Manor. Some of the men who joined this movement were John Robinson (a Cambridge professor who was forced to resign because he got married), William Brewster (worked for the government), and William Bradford.

In 1603, the Millenary Petition was presented to the new King James I by a number of Puritan ministers. King James convened the Hampton Court Conference in January 1604. Through the conference the Puritans established their strong belief in the words of the Bible, resulting in King James commissioning a translation of the Bible into the English vernacular. Following Hampton Court, King James sought to enforce ceremonial conformity and the use of the Book of Common Prayer within England.
Because of arrests in 1608, both congregations moved to Holland. While there, the Separatists struggled with the culture and language, so in 1619, they decided to immigrate again, this time to America. They obtained passage on two ships, the Mayflower and the Speedwell. Leaving from the Dutch port of Delfshaven, they met others in Southampton. The Speedwell was determined not to be seaworthy and returned. The Mayflower was blown off course and arrived at Cape Code in November, 1620. Actual landing did not take place until December.

Forty five of the 102 emigrants died the first winter. Additional deaths during the first year meant that only 53 people were alive in the fall of 1621. Friendly relations developed with the Indians who were invited to celebrate the harvest feast which modern Americans know as "The First Thanksgiving.