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Posts Tagged ‘thanksgiving’

Altar of God

Posted in Advent, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on December 8, 2014| Leave a Comment »

altarWhat is God’s altar today? Is it merely in a church, festooned in appropriate colors for the season of the year, adorned with extras like flowers and candles? What if there is no altar in the church; where then? Rarely do we find the traditional church table in contemporary churches. If anything, it’s the drum set that holds center stage, or perhaps the podium where God’s messenger/priest/pastor/hip guy in a Hawaiian shirt or Toms shoes speaks.

Let me come to God’s altar—let me come to God, my joy, my delight—then I will give you thanks with the lyre, God, my God!  [Psalm 43:4, CEB]

Back in the day of King David when this Psalm (song) was written, there were several altars in the Temple, one holier than the next, until the most sacred altar of all was reached, the one in the “Holy of Holies,” but it was totally inaccessible to the common person, and was only visited on high holy days by a single priest. Is this altar of God we should be imagining?

And by the by, when was the last time you heard a lyre? Here’s a lovely example of a re-created lyre of that time period:

It’s assumed that many of the psalms were songs accompanied by the lyre and that King David, as a young man was quite proficient at playing one. It has a very gentle and soothing sound, but not perhaps, what we might imagine as we stand before this “altar of God.”

Perhaps the real issue is not where or what the altar is or how we come or what instrument we’re playing; instead, perhaps it’s intent. If God is present at the altar, like a meeting place, a touch point, so that each and every time, we came to such an altar, we would meet God, wouldn’t we want to go there often? How much do you want to experience God, to give thanks, to admire and express wonder, to receive love and grace and acceptance.

Oh, God, let me come.

No, God does not need to give permission to attend to this altar. I must simply will it; desire it. Or are my days too full? Even this one. For my morning was whisked away from me and it is already past Vespers as they say, evening for sure. I did not attend the altar.

Are you still unsure where this altar lies? It is within, inside the silence, inside the joy, inside the ever-playing music of God.

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God Did This

Posted in Lent, tagged , , , , on April 4, 2012| Leave a Comment »

God is a parent for human and all of creation. God is light and energy; God is quarks and God is Ceres, quasar OJ287, and IC1101 super galaxy, some of the largest things in the Universe. Have we noticed?

Acts 17:27-28a
God did this [creation] so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’

We are no different. We build houses and gardens, cities and parks for our society and our world. But mostly, we create a life, an environment for our loved ones. We get jobs to make enough money to provide for them. And if we have a little extra, we do more: we decorate the playroom, we buy a flat screen, we create a deck, we buy a nicer car. And so on.

Does anyone notice? This is one of our biggest complaints as parents, isn’t it?

In my own house, I know, I’ve created little monsters by spoiling my children, determined to give them more than I had growing up. And yet, it never seems to be enough: the clothes are the wrong brand, the car is the wrong color, the food isn’t made to order. On occasion, I’ll get a genuine thank you for a meal or a purchase or a surprise. But generally, it all runs together for them.

But am I any different really? How often do I notice the gifts of God? It’s not like God needs my “high fives” for a job well done, but a little acknowledgment would be appropriate.

God, help me see your handiwork today with a mindfulness toward thanksgiving.

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Watchful and Thankful

Posted in Ordinary Time, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on January 21, 2011| Leave a Comment »

Intriguing instruction to be watchful and thankful in prayer. I mean, these aren’t two words one would normally put together for something as benign-seeming as prayer. And yet, it’s not the first time Paul speaks of danger in the prayer closet or the necessity for alertness.

Colossians 4:2
Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.

But is there danger in my prayers? Not hardly. At least, not at first blush. I rarely consider myself to be in deep spiritual battle. Or am I?

Is it possible that mere steadfastness, faithfulness, and consistency can make waves in the spiritual realm? Is it possible that I am part of the “transformational” by holding up my friends and family in the Light of the Christ? Is it possible that my quiet moments of deep connection to the Spirit have resounding impact? And if that is so, is it possible that there is push back that manifests in ways I do not realize?

Perhaps this is what it means to be watchful in prayer: becoming aware of the imprint of God. Watch for movement in the spirit realm. Allow the spiritual senses to become alive in prayer: not just seeing with the inner eye, but also hearing, tasting, smelling, and feeling.

One of my all-time favorite devotionals is You Set My Spirit Free: A 40-Day Journey in the Company of John of the Cross, arranged and paraphrased by David Hazard [1994]: “He creates in you the desire to find Him [the Spirit] and run after Him–to follow wherever He leads you, and to press peacefully against His heart wherever He is . . . Press, and keep pressing into His heart, until you have pressed the image of His invisible nature into the substance of your soul.”

Be watchful. When this happens, there could be fireworks.

We are told in various places throughout the New Testament to give thanks, from Romans 14:6 to I Thessalonians 5:18 to Revelation 11:17. Give thanks.

I have always thought of this as something I must do willfully and consciously, but today I imagine what it would be like to be overcome with a spirit of thanksgiving. To give thanks out of a heart overflowing with an appreciation for the presence of God.

So then, the essence is to “be watchful” in order to experience the fullness of the Spirit which automatically leads to thankfulness. That’s good.

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For Everything

Posted in Ordinary Time, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on November 13, 2010| Leave a Comment »

This is pretty straightforward: give thanks for everything. But, over the years, I have lost the context of this phrase and as a result, it has become cliche. Why do I give thanks? To be filled with the Holy Spirit–to experience relationship with the Holy Spirit.

Ephesians 5:20
. . . always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Giving thanks is a type of submission, an agreement with the giver. When I give thanks, I am in partnership with the God who I have invited to guide my life. I may not understand what is happening, but this mandate insures I enter my life with open eyes.

This is my life today. These are my burdens. This is my joy. This is my sorrow.

And when I scorn these gifts? I grieve the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit was given to me to “have my back.” There is nothing in my life that cannot be faced with the Holy Spirit–it’s God within, for heaven’s sake. That’s the promise. That’s the whole point.

So, now the real challenge: God teaches and I am asked to practice this day. Not in any fake way, but truly, with understanding, I give thanks for this day.

(FD 7)

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Wild Olive Shoot

Posted in Lent, tagged , , , , , , on March 6, 2010| 1 Comment »

Consider this: all of us, unless descended from a Jewish heritage, are wild olive shoots. And yet, most believers are quite complacent about their place in the olive tree as though we are entitled. This attitude can lead to cheap grace.

Romans 11:17-18
If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root, do not boast over those branches. If you do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you.

It’s hard to keep appreciating something wonderful. I live a pretty easy life: middle class with upper class taste. I don’t get to eat whatever I want, but I still treat myself to expensive ice cream, craisins, pistachios, and dinner in a restaurant several times a month. We have 4 cats, 2 dogs, and three fairly spoiled teenagers. We are a two-income family. I don’t dress from Nordstrom’s, but I do refresh my closet pretty regularly. We have 5 computers and two TV sets. (Ok, so we don’t have a flat screen yet, but it’s on the list. It’s expected.) We have three cars, all used, but still, each teen expects his/her own car and when that time comes, we’ll have five. Oh, I forgot, we actually have four cars, Mike has a “collector” car (a 1962 Valiant – don’t get me started on that one). We live on a street where most of the houses look the same, in other words, a subdivision. We have 4 bedrooms and 3.5 baths. We have heat when it’s cold and we have air conditioning when it’s hot. Our yard has trees and flowers and a view of the woods. It is a life of relative safety.

But grace is better than all that. Grace is better than winning the lottery.

And yet, I lose sight of this gift. I am wrapped in my comforts and forget about the wonder of my soul’s relationship with the God of the Universe. I forget I’m a wild shoot.

Give me a spirit of thankfulness this day.

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Supposing Him the Cable Guy

Posted in Ordinary Time, tagged , , , , , on September 14, 2009| Leave a Comment »

John 20:15
“Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing Him to be the gardener, she said to Him, “Sir, if you have carried Him away, tell me where you have laid Him, and I will take Him away.” [New American Standard]

When I finally started going to church after becoming a Christian, I ended up at a Pentecostal Church called the Rock Church on East 62nd Street in Manhattan. At that time, the service time suited me quite well, 3:30 in the afternoon. The pastor, whose name eludes me now, was from Norway. He brought this scripture from John 20:15 to light for me one Sunday and it’s stayed with me ever since.

Mary didn’t recognize Jesus because he looked ordinary. And this is the message for us today. Jesus is among us in the ordinary. So often, we hope for the extraordinary: a miracle, a healing, a transformation. And these are all fine to pursue, but we must remember Jesus in the commonplace. He is the person on the road holding the “Slow” sign; he is the person at the toll booth; he is the bus driver; he is the cable guy.

Life is a gift. Each day has its mysteries. But let us not forget the every day occurrences and people.

Today, Rabboni, make me mindful of your presence in the things and people I take for granted… in the things and people I have relegated to “unimportant” or “insignificant.”

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Genuine Praise

Posted in Ordinary Time, tagged , , , , , , on June 6, 2009| Leave a Comment »

John 5:41-42
I do not accept praise from men, but I know you. I know that you do not have the love of God in your hearts.

Praise can be given but has no value if it is not accepted. Genuine praise must come from the depths of the heart. It is grounded in truth and love for the other. Anything else is self-serving.

It comes back to motive. Why do we praise others unless we really want them to be lifted up? Genuine praise comes from genuine humility.

And so, it is really quite simple: we are challenged to get the heart right before we give out from there. Praise that comes from the heart is full of power. It is truly about the “other” and not about self. Once we can tap into this authentic love, praise will come naturally.

Lord, fill my heart so that praise becomes a natural expression… for you and for others. This is my prayer.

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