Psalm 29
The voice of God upon the waters
Ascribe to the Lord,
O Heavenly beings!
Ascribe to the Lord
Glory and strength.
Ascribe to the Lord the Glory of His Name
Worship the Lord in holy splendor.
The voice of the Lord is upon the waters
The God of Glory thunders,
the Lord, over mighty waters.
The voice of the Lord is powerful;
the voice of the Lord is full of majesty.
The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars;
the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon.
He makes Lebanon skip like a calf,
and Sirion like a young wild ox.
The voice of the Lord flashes forth flames of fire.
The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness;
the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.
The voice of the Lord causes the oaks to whirl,
and strips the forest bare;
and in His Temple all say, "Glory!"
The Lord sits enthroned over the flood;
the Lord sits enthroned
as King forever.
May the Lord give strength to His People!
May the Lord Bless His People with peace!
Time for something new?
Worship the Lord in holy splendor
We once had a wedding for one of the now 23 yr old, adults of our High School Youth Group we hosted. About 50 people came. He, a Navy man, was marrying his High School and Prom Sweetheart. We had a BBQ in the early summer for 50 people. I called and asked one of the parents for mashed potatoes. About an hour later, they called the groom and said the parent/stepparent (the stepparent, a PhD with a college for placement counseling) had decided it was insulting to be asked for mashed potatoes for 50 people and decided not to attend. Therefore, the parent opted out of the wedding of the adult child with the stepparent. Then one of our sons decided not to attend for feeling grumpy.
Sometimes ... it is happier to shake the tree.
Dress in Holy Splendor, Thanksgiving.
We live in outrageous times. We can buckle up!
There is a call to Rejoice.
Have Joy in all circumstances. Even the challenging to see the immediate good. Hindsight of the wedding, we were better off. And the family in attendance was delighted for the Joy of the day.
A longtime Church friend of ours hosted Thanksgiving, with all their children, and one from far, far away had a tantrum in 2020 because the family is Republicans and voted Republican. It was... no new news.
How many party table games have you known?
We still have to find the Joy of the Day. Give us this Day!
No one usually has a perfect day. We can bring Light to the darkness. Have Joy.
Nehemiah 8
9 And Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people,
“This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn or weep.”
For all the people wept as they heard the Words of the Law.
10 Then He said to them,
“Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is Holy to our Lord.
And do not be grieved,
for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”
11 So the Levites calmed all the people, saying, “Be quiet, for this day is holy; do not be grieved.”
12 And all the people went their way to eat and drink and to send portions and to make great rejoicing,
because they had understood the Words that were declared to them.
Was this an unusual message for Thanksgiving. Probably. But when we work a puzzle, sometimes a new seat at the same table can be fruitful.
John 3:8
The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound,
but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes.
So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.
1 Kings 19:12-13
And after the earthquake
a fire
But the LORD was not in the fire
and after the fire
a still small voice.
3 For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: 2 a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; 3 a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; 4 a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; 5 a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; 6 a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; 7 a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; 8 a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.
We can all fairly easily agree. We are "there yet." Patience has answered a question and not everyone is pleased. But the question is very largely answered. And in preparations, concern, tempers can flare.
The discussions, the dog path, the deep philosophical questions. The Histories, all the intricacies of the layers. Boil down to the language of love. Can we speak the same Language of Love? We all have gifts. Teaching, Administration, Service, Compassion, Mercy, Law, Spirit, and the thousands of Gifts. Can we find the Love holding us all in the Body of Jesus Christ.
The Rock of Jesus. The Tree of Heaven. Cover us, we pray.
We will remember the Love more than the layers of knowledge. And in our hours of need, we need the most simple of God's Word. God is Love. God is Mercy.
Be the voice upon the waters.
Abba, Father,
Help us seek and find
and bring,
to become,
more Heaven
to this earth.
With Your Help
We will act justly
and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with You, our God.
Dwell in me,
Dwell in us,
Dwell in those we Love,
Help us to seek You first.
And we will finish well,
in Jesus Christ.
Please pray for us
our shower is in
pray for this mode.
We pray for the healing Nation!
And in Jesus - this Hope,
Faith and Love - we will rise up believing Jesus.
Amen.
for
The Lord!