Happy Thanksgiving

I will give you thanks, for you answered me;
you have become my salvation. The stone the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone; the Lord has done this,
and it is marvelous in our eyes. The Lord has done it this very day;
let us rejoice today and be glad. Lord, save us!
Lord, grant us success! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
From the house of the Lord we bless you. The Lord is God,
and he has made his light shine on us.
With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession
up to the horns of the altar. You are my God, and I will praise you;
you are my God, and I will exalt you. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
his love endures forever. (Psalm 118:21-29 NIV)

Thanksgiving and the Eucharist

If you've read my blog at all, you probably know of my appreciation for the church calendar. I think that it is a fantastic way to create regular spiritual rhythms throughout the year. The church year is actually about to begin with the first Sunday of Advent on November 27. Before Advent begins, however, there is another holiday that is not a church holiday. This Thursday is Thanksgiving, a day packed with food, football, family, and afternoon naps. It is supposed to be a day of being thankful for what we have and what we've been given. Thanksgiving is not a church holiday, but I believe that it ought to be.

Since Jesus instituted it, the church has had it's own Thanksgiving feast. This feast, however, is not celebrated only once a year. Many churches celebrate this thanksgiving every week. The celebration that I am talking about is the Eucharist. The Eucharist is now know to many as the Lord's Supper or Communion. The name "eucharist" is a from Greek word and means "thanksgiving." The celebration of the Lord's supper includes a time of giving thanks to God for what he has done for us.

I find it oddly appropriate that before the church calendar begins, millions celebrate a day of thanksgiving.  Before we begin the church holiday cycle again, it seems providential that we set aside a day of thanksgiving and give thanks one more time for what God has done this past year. I would encourage you to be intentional about what you are thankful for this thanksgiving. I'm not saying that everyone should celebrate communion on Thanksgiving day, but we should be remembering what we should be the most thankful for, the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus on the Cross. No matter what has happened in the past year, we can thank God for Jesus' sacrifice. We should regularly give thanks like we should regularly discuss Christ's birth, death, and resurrection. But just like Christmas and Easter, the church should set aside a day to throw a large party to give thanks to God for what he has done. So before we enter the season anticipation, give thanks to the Lord for what he has done.

"Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever." Ps. 106:1

Thanksgiving Week + my Sermon

So I had a four thanksgiving dinners this past week. It all started a week ago with the Mahannahs. I went over there to enjoy a thanksgiving meal with their family. It was a wonderful meal with lots of food and about 5 or 6 different pies. I really enjoyed the night, even though most of the time my upcoming sermon the next morning. I got back later that night and ran over my sermon a couple of times.

The next morning I got up and was nervous like CRAZY about preaching. This was the first time that I have ever preached on a Sunday morning. The services went really well, the second service than the first. I had a great time doing it. Once I got on stage to start speaking, it just kind of flowed out. I'm so glad that I got a chance to do that. Everyone gave me good reviews of my sermon, so apparently it was decent. If you want to listen for yourself it's here: http://www.eastpointecc.com/sermons/2008/20081123.htm

That night was my second of 4 thanksgiving dinners. It was a potluck thanks giving dinner, which means there was lots and lots of good food to be had. It was a fun time to hang out with my small group from church.

The next thanksgiving dinner was on wednesday night. I ate thanksgiving dinner with the family that I'm living with. I was another traditional thanksgiving dinner with all the fixins. I stuffed myself with lots of food. It was wonderful, although, there was not pumpkin pie that night.

My last thanksgiving meal was back with the mahannahs on thanksgiving day. We ate ham, since we already had turkey. Then I ate 4 pieces of pie that night. Then I stayed up late that night to play video games with Chris and Ryan. I stayed for the next day and played more video games. It was a great way to celebrate the holiday and getting all of my school work done for my internship.