Recollected connections

Happy New Year! We made it to 2008. Well into the second half of the first decade of the 21st century. The holiday season was filled this year and now it’s back to the reality of our task. Hopefully with a new spring in our step having been refreshed. For my first blog of the new year, I am going to quote some classic C.S.Lewis.

From the book, “Miracles” by C.S.Lewis
Written in 1911

“It is always shocking to meet life where we thought we were alone. “Look Out!” we cry, “It’s alive!”. And therefore this is the very point at which so many draw back….. and proceed no further with Christianity. An “impersonal God”- well and good. A subjective God of beauty, truth and goodness, inside our own heads- better still. A formless life force surging through us, a vast power which we can tap- best of all. But God Himself, alive, pulling at the other end of the cord, perhaps approaching us at an infinite speed, the hunter, King, husband- that’s quite another matter. There comes a moment when the children who have been playing “Burglers” hush suddenly: was that a real footstep in the hall? There comes a moment when people who have been dabbling in religion (Man’s search for God) suddenly draw back. Supposing we really found Him? We never meant it to come to that! Worse still, supposing He found us?”

A major fact to remember and ponder on in 2008 is that we are not alone. There is a wonderful connection with humanity that we need to keep before us. We are part of the global community each with our unique place. I received a phone call yesterday from a friend that I had not been in contact with in 36 years. This man had a huge impact on me in my life at the time I surrendered my heart to God and the call to ministry. I had the opportunity yesterday to thank him for that influence and to recall common friends that we had both not thought about in many years. I recommend you take some time this year to think about those who have impacted your life and get that “Thank You” off to them. It will bless their lives and bless yours at the same time.

Singing Thanks

Many of our hymns were written in celebration of a victory of some sort. The heart is ready to sing at moments filled with emotion. Like a bird, we begin to sing because that is what we are designed to do. Some people are blessed with the creativity to write lyrics as their expression. Adrianus Valerius penned the words to perhaps the most common Thanksgiving hymn we have. Thousands will stand tonight and tomorrow in church services and sing together these words that were written in 1597 in celebration of a dutch victory in a time filled with war and turmoil.

We gather together to ask the Lord’s blessing;
He chastens and hastens His will to make known.
The wicked oppressing now cease from distressing.
Sing praises to His Name; He forgets not His own.

Beside us to guide us, our God with us joining,
Ordaining, maintaining His kingdom divine;
So from the beginning the fight we were winning;
Thou, Lord, were at our side, all glory be Thine!

We all do extol Thee, Thou Leader triumphant,
And pray that Thou still our Defender will be.
Let Thy congregation escape tribulation;
Thy Name be ever praised! O Lord, make us free!

It’s good to know that now 400 plus years later, God still cares for His own and is still our defender. He still chastens and hastens to make His will known. I think as I sing it this year, I will use the pause between verses, however short, to whisper an extra prayer of thanks.
To all my blog readers, Happy Thanksgiving 2007 !

The Priority of Thankfulness

It is Thanksgiving week. We are seemingly on the downhill roller coaster to the end of the year. I am going to start my week of blogs by incorporating the four main points from my sermon yesterday entitled “Always Thankful”. Gratitude needs to be ongoing in our lives. If you are a person of faith in Jesus Christ, you have the following list of things to place as priority one on your list of things to remember.

We have been forgiven of our sins
(Matthew 26:28)
“This is my blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”

We have right standing before God through His grace
2 Corinthians 5:21
“God made him who had no sin to be sin offering for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

We have been adopted as children of God.
“For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of Sonship.”
(Romans 8:15).

We are unconditionally loved by the Father, the Maker of heaven and earth
“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
(Romans 5:8).