Giving Thanks in Worship

As this week comes to an end we hear the story of the Flood come to an end. Noah finally sets foot on “dry” soil after months of floating around in a huge boat with a bunch of stinky animals. What the first thing Noah did? He built and Altar and gave thanks to God in worship. In this act Noah set the tone for how we should give thanks to God. As Orthodox Christians we “build churches” and worship God by offering God some of the very animals that God saved in the Ark. Imagine that! After months of keeping the animal safe, Noah turns around and offers them to God as an expression of thanks.

What do we have to be thankful for in the first place? Let’s start with the Holy Cross which we are going to honor this Sunday. Through the Cross we are saved from death. Through the Cross God converts suffering to salvation. Through the Cross we are taught the proper way to express our love for others. This weekend is a chance to rediscover the love that God has shown to us in His Cross. I invite you to take the time to go to Church and worship Him and give thanks.

Here are today’s Old Testament Readings:

Isaiah 13:2-13 (RSV) -  On a bare hill raise a signal, cry aloud to them; wave the hand for them to enter the gates of the nobles.  I myself have commanded my consecrated ones, have summoned my mighty men to execute my anger, my proudly exulting ones.  Hark, a tumult on the mountains as of a great multitude! Hark, an uproar of kingdoms, of nations gathering together! The LORD of hosts is mustering a host for battle.  They come from a distant land, from the end of the heavens, the LORD and the weapons of his indignation, to destroy the whole earth.  Wail, for the day of the LORD is near; as destruction from the Almighty it will come!  Therefore all hands will be feeble, and every man's heart will melt, and they will be dismayed. Pangs and agony will seize them; they will be in anguish like a woman in travail. They will look aghast at one another; their faces will be aflame.  Behold, the day of the LORD comes, cruel, with wrath and fierce anger, to make the earth a desolation and to destroy its sinners from it.  For the stars of the heavens and their constellations will not give their light; the sun will be dark at its rising and the moon will not shed its light.  I will punish the world for its evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; I will put an end to the pride of the arrogant, and lay low the haughtiness of the ruthless.  I will make men more rare than fine gold, and mankind than the gold of Ophir.  Therefore I will make the heavens tremble, and the earth will be shaken out of its place, at the wrath of the LORD of hosts in the day of his fierce anger.

Genesis 8:4-21 (RSV) -  And in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, the ark came to rest upon the mountains of Ararat.  And the waters continued to abate until the tenth month; in the tenth month, on the first day of the month, the tops of the mountains were seen.  At the end of forty days Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made, and sent forth a raven; and it went to and fro until the waters were dried up from the earth.  Then he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters had subsided from the face of the ground; but the dove found no place to set her foot, and she returned to him to the ark, for the waters were still on the face of the whole earth. So he put forth his hand and took her and brought her into the ark with him.  He waited another seven days, and again he sent forth the dove out of the ark; and the dove came back to him in the evening, and lo, in her mouth a freshly plucked olive leaf; so Noah knew that the waters had subsided from the earth.  Then he waited another seven days, and sent forth the dove; and she did not return to him any more.  In the six hundred and first year, in the first month, the first day of the month, the waters were dried from off the earth; and Noah removed the covering of the ark, and looked, and behold, the face of the ground was dry.  In the second month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, the earth was dry.  Then God said to Noah,  "Go forth from the ark, you and your wife, and your sons and your sons' wives with you.  Bring forth with you every living thing that is with you of all flesh - birds and animals and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth - that they may breed abundantly on the earth, and be fruitful and multiply upon the earth."  So Noah went forth, and his sons and his wife and his sons' wives with him.  And every beast, every creeping thing, and every bird, everything that moves upon the earth, went forth by families out of the ark.  Then Noah built an altar to the LORD, and took of every clean animal and of every clean bird, and offered burnt offerings on the altar.  And when the LORD smelled the pleasing odor, the LORD said in his heart, "I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; neither will I ever again destroy every living creature as I have done."

Proverbs 10:31-11:12 (RSV) - The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom, but the perverse tongue will be cut off.  The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable, but the mouth of the wicked, what is perverse.  A false balance is an abomination to the LORD, but a just weight is his delight.  When pride comes, then comes disgrace; but with the humble is wisdom.  The integrity of the upright guides them, but the crookedness of the treacherous destroys them.  Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death.  The righteousness of the blameless keeps his way straight, but the wicked falls by his own wickedness.  The righteousness of the upright delivers them, but the treacherous are taken captive by their lust.  When the wicked dies, his hope perishes, and the expectation of the godless comes to nought.  The righteous is delivered from trouble, and the wicked gets into it instead.  With his mouth the godless man would destroy his neighbor, but by knowledge the righteous are delivered.  When it goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices; and when the wicked perish there are shouts of gladness.  By the blessing of the upright a city is exalted, but it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked.  He who belittles his neighbor lacks sense, but a man of understanding remains silent.

Only Some will be Saved

When Ten Lepers (Luke 17.12-19) approached Christ and begged for help, they were told to return to the priests and show themselves. As they turned, they were instantly healed, but only one returned to Christ to thank Him and worship Him. All nine were healed, but only was saved when Christ said, “Your faith has saved you.” (Luke 17.19) When we ask for God’s blessings and then do not return to Him to properly give thanks, we turn our back on Him and go about our day, we are no better than the nine. They should have known better. We should know better. There is a proper way to thank God, through proper preparation and participation in the Divine Liturgy which includes receiving Holy Communion every Sunday. If we come to Church and return home without receiving Holy Communion, then we are no better than the other nine. When Jesus asks “where are the others,” He is speaking about us!

When You Thank God

It happens all the time. You realize that you need God for something so you call out to Him in your prayers for that one moment of mercy. You pray that He would look at you and cause your trouble to fade into the distance, and for a brief moment you forget your struggle. For that brief moment, your life is totally in focus and all you realize God has never forgotten you. You smile to yourself knowing how much God loves you, and you have two choices.

At that moment when everything is perfectly clear, you feel empowered by God’s blessing and you “charge full steam ahead” with your plans for the future. You forget that just moments ago you were calling out to God for mercy. You forget that just moments ago you weren’t sure where your life would end up. You forget that moments ago all you could think about was the struggle that consumed you. You forget that it was God that blessed you.

or...

At that moment when everything is perfectly clear, you suddenly realize that it wasn’t an accident that you can see clearly. You suddenly realize that just moments ago you didn’t know how you would solve the problems that consume you. You suddenly realize that just moment ago you were calling on God. You suddenly realize that God has blessed you.

There isn’t much difference between forgetting that God blessed you, and realizing just how much He has blessed you because He blesses you whether or not you remember Him. He blesses you whether or not you give Him credit. He blesses you whether or not you return to thank Him. But when you thank Him, you get an additional blessing. When you thank Him you are made well; you are healed from what really affects you.

When you thank God, rather than just receiving His blessing and going about your day, you are raised up to heaven to participate in God’s great joy. When thank God, you are able to continue on your journey to heaven free from the burden and temptations of the world. When you thank God, you are no longer a foreigner, but a member of God’s family, His chosen people.

Today I want you to know that God has reached out and healed you just because you asked. You now have two choices. When you go home, will you forget that it was God had made everything clear, or will you realize how much God loves you? Will you charge ahead or thank God? It is your choice to make, but you should remember that it is only those who remember to thank Him who are made well. It is only those who return to God after He blesses who hear the word, “Your faith has made you well.” 

Every Good and Perfect Gift is from Above

It is tempting to think that our success has everything to do with our hard work. It is even more tempting to think that the fruit of our success are meant for our pleasure. Neither is true. In fact no matter what our vocation, whether we are fishermen or farmers, our only part in our success is a bit of hard work. Everything else is a gift from God and that gift has a purpose. When we were married the priest asked God to bless us so that we could help others. Thanksgiving is a wonderful opportunity to thank God for the blessings He has given to us by reaching out and helping other this year.

The Reason for Blessings

When we consider our accomplishments it is very easy to be filled with pride. Whether we arrived from the old country with twenty dollars in our pocket or rose up through the ranks of corporate America, our normal point of view is to say to ourselves, “You have done a great job! Congratulations!” Unfortunately we tend to forget that we didn’t accomplish it on our own, but I’m not talking only about the other people who helped us in our accomplishments. Even more than the people who helped us are the other gifts and opportunities provided by God.

Today’s Gospel begins with the words, “The ground of a certain rich man yielded plenty...” (Luke 12.16) In this case God provided the soil, the rain, the sun, the minerals, even the very seeds he used. There was nothing the man used, to plant and harvest his crops that were not provided by God. This is why in the Divine Liturgy we pray, “Every good and perfect gift comes from above, coming from You the Father of Lights.” The rich man in the Gospel forgot this singular truth about his accomplishments.... “If it is good, it comes from God.”

The problem isn’t in accomplishing good things, but when we forget where those good things come from. When we think we are the source of goodness, we also tend to think we are in control of our circumstances. The rich man said, “I KNOW what I’ll do....” as if he was in control of the sun, the soil, the rain and minerals in the soil. His eyes weren’t on thanking God but praising himself. He lost sight of why God has blessed him with such a great crop in the first place. “Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?” (Luke 12.20)

God doesn’t bless us so we can praise ourselves. He blesses us so that we can bless others and lift others up. We run the risk of being a fool if we think our blessings are for us to enjoy ourselves. Such is the opportunity of holidays like Thanksgiving. This week we have a unique opportunity to come to Church on a day dedicated to thanking God. What would be the result if we spent this week focusing on thanking God for the blessings He has given to us, and THEN using those blessings to help others?

The fool is the one who stores up treasurers for his own pleasure. “So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God." (Luke 12. 21) This week I would like to challenge each of you to consider the blessings that God has given to you and thank Him by helping someone else. Here are just a couple ways you can thank God this week...

Bring food to a local soup kitchen or emergency pantry

Donate supplies for the local Thanksgiving “give-away” (every town does something this week)

It doesn’t have to be complicated or over the top, but it does have to come from your heart. You can’t focus on yourself when you are helping others. Let’s face it, there is a reason for the blessings that God has given you. This year for Thanksgiving, start with helping someone else.

Is there ANYTHING to be Thankful for?

Life can be tough. In fact, it WILL be tough as God said to our ancestors in the Garden:

To the woman He said: "I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception; In pain you shall bring forth children; Your desire shall be for your husband, And he shall rule over you." Then to Adam He said, "Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, 'You shall not eat of it': "Cursed is the ground for your sake; In toil you shall eat of it All the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, And you shall eat the herb of the field. In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread Till you return to the ground, For out of it you were taken; For dust you are, And to dust you shall return." (Genesis 3.16-19)

With a guarantee from God Himself of struggle and pain, it can be difficult to find something for which we are thankful. Day after day we go to work (not surprisingly called ‘the grindstone’) and we are faced with unrealistic challenges from management, self-serving competitiveness in our coworkers, and we all know at least one of the ‘can’t follow the rules’ type of customers who take their bad day out on us. Everywhere we turn, life continues to throw us a curve ball, so we ask ourselves, “Is there ANYTHING to be thankful for in this life?”

Tomorrow is Sunday, and the Church celebrates the Divine Liturgy, during which time we are invited to receive the Holy Eucharist (Holy Thanksgiving) and live in communion with God. Divine Liturgy is the ultimate expression of thanks we offer to God as Orthodox Christians. But when we can’t find something for which we are thankful, Divine Liturgy can become a thankless experience. And nobody enjoys a thankless experience. No wonder so many people are bored during the Divine Services of our Church. To help you be thankful tomorrow I have offered this VERY limited list of things for which you might be thankful. During the Divine Liturgy we give thanks for blessings seen and unseen, so I will list a few ideas (just to start you off) in both categories.

Seen Blessings

• New Job you’ve been waiting for
• Good health report
• Healed from a sickness or disease
• A family member or friend was ‘saved’ from a tragedy
• A long-term argument/feud with a family member or friend was healed
• The birth of a new child in your family
• The engagement or marriage of a family member or friend
• You got engaged or married
• You discovered you’re pregnant and you and your husband are happy

 
Unseen blessings (these can be difficult to find)

• You survived another week in a dead end job – at least you still have a job
• You don't have a job - at least there is still food in your pantry 
• You have a job interview next week 
• You received a poor health report, but the prognosis is good
• You survived another week of chemotherapy
• You were delayed leaving the house on errands – when you passed that dangerous intersection you realize you would have been ‘that car’ if you left on time
• Your home burned down – your entire family is safe and staying with friends
• You discovered you’re pregnant and you’re not married – your decide the give birth and your boyfriend is willing and able to help with raising the child 

In a world so preoccupied with physical and emotional comfort it can be really difficult to be thankful for struggle, but struggle reminds us that we are sinful and in need of repentance. What I pray you understand more than anything else with today’s post is that we should be thankful for the chance to repent before it is too late. No matter what the struggle, at least we are still alive and can repent from our sins, even though our sins may not have caused the exact suffering we endure. Every day God allows us to live is a day He allows us to repent, and THAT day is worth giving thanks for during the Divine Liturgy.

Maybe this list can give you an idea about how you can be thankful to God. So find the closest Orthodox Church and make plans from now to be in Church Sunday morning. You can give thanks to God in person for the blessings seen AND unseen in your life.

A Perfect Gift for God at Christmas

Today’s Epistle Reading: St. Paul's Letter to the Hebrews 10:1-18 -  BRETHREN, since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices which are continually offered year after year, make perfect those who draw near. Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered? If the worshipers had once been cleansed, they would no longer have any consciousness of sin. But in these sacrifices there is a reminder of sin year after year. For it is impossible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sins. Consequently, when he came into the world, he said, "Sacrifices and offerings thou hast not desired, but a body hast thou prepared for me; in burnt offerings and sin offerings thou hast taken no pleasure. Then I said, 'Lo, I have come to do thy will, O God,' as it is written of me in the roll of the book." When he said above, "Thou hast neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings" (these are offered according to the law), then he added, "Lo, I have come to do thy will." He abolishes the first in order to establish the second. And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when this one had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, then to wait until his enemies should be made a stool for his feet. For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are sanctified. And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us; for after saying, "This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put my laws on their hearts, and write them on their minds," then he adds, "I will remember their sins and their misdeeds no more." Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.

In the Old Testament, when someone wanted to thank God for a blessing they had received, they went to the temple and made an offering. There were many sorts of offerings which you can read about in the Old Testament. But with the coming of Christ, all these offerings were replaced with one perfect offering. The Eucharist, the Body of Blood of Christ, has replaced any and all offerings made in the Old Testament as the perfect offering, the perfect way to say thank you to God, the perfect way to seek His blessings, the perfect way to be in Communion with Him, the perfect way to Live A New Life In Christ. Do you have a reason to be thankful this year at Christmas? Attend Divine Liturgy, the sacrifice of all sacrifices, the Precious Body and Blood of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It is the perfect gift for God at Christmas.

Back to fasting

With yesterday’s 24 hour respite from fasting (in America) for the only day nationally set aside to thank God for our blessings in the rear view mirror, we return today to the Christmas Fast. The Christmas Fast, meant to prepare our soul to encounter Christ at His Nativity in a few short weeks, is rarely practiced in America, at least from so-called cradle Orthodox. With “the holidays” and “holiday parties” at every corner, it has become increasingly difficult to fast for the forty days before Christmas.

From my perspective the difficulty is what brings the benefit. Fasting in and of itself doesn’t bring much blessing. It in fact is the very willingness to depart for the secular trends that nourishes our soul. Think about it this way; if every time we were faced with the choice between the Church and ‘society,’ we chose society, our soul would sink deeper and deeper into the pit. On the other hand, when we are willing to at least attempt to choose the Church’s way of life over the society, we have already won the first battle, if not the entire war.

When I teach fasting to teenagers I often say, “If you can’t say ‘no’ to a hamburger, what makes you think you can say ‘no’ to sex on a Friday night?” Likewise, if we can’t for a few short weeks care more about our soul and fast in preparation for Christmas rather than attending every holiday party we can fit into our schedule, what makes us think we will be able to choose other holy options in our path? Once we have accepted that society is the way we choose, what chances do we have to be generous rather than greedy, sharing rather than selfish, honest in business rather than shrewd, content rather than contemptuous?

These are the real battles of a Christian in society, and fasting trains our body and soul to choose the holy life of the Church, which has been guided by the Holy Spirit, rather than the secular life of the world, which is guided by sin and evil. So today, the day after Thanksgiving, having given thanks to God, we return to fasting....for the good of our soul.

Have a blessed remainder of the Christmas Fast.

Give thanks to the Lord for He is good! for His mercy endures forever!

Psalm 135 (136)

1. Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.
2. Oh, give thanks to the God of gods! For His mercy endures forever.
3. Oh, give thanks to the Lord of lords! For His mercy endures forever:
4. To Him who alone does great wonders, For His mercy endures forever;
5. To Him who by wisdom made the heavens, For His mercy endures forever;
6. To Him who laid out the earth above the waters, For His mercy endures forever;
7. To Him who made great lights, For His mercy endures forever --
8. The sun to rule by day, For His mercy endures forever;
9. The moon and stars to rule by night, For His mercy endures forever.
10. To Him who struck Egypt in their firstborn, For His mercy endures forever;
11. And brought out Israel from among them, For His mercy endures forever;
12. With a strong hand, and with an outstretched arm, For His mercy endures forever;
13. To Him who divided the Red Sea in two, For His mercy endures forever;
14. And made Israel pass through the midst of it, For His mercy endures forever;
15. But overthrew Pharaoh and his army in the Red Sea, For His mercy endures forever;
16. To Him who led His people through the wilderness, For His mercy endures forever;
17. To Him who struck down great kings, For His mercy endures forever;
18. And slew famous kings, For His mercy endures forever --
19. Sihon king of the Amorites, For His mercy endures forever;
20. And Og king of Bashan, For His mercy endures forever --
21. And gave their land as a heritage, For His mercy endures forever;
22. A heritage to Israel His servant, For His mercy endures forever.
23. Who remembered us in our lowly state, For His mercy endures forever;
24. And rescued us from our enemies, For His mercy endures forever;
25. Who gives food to all flesh, For His mercy endures forever.
26. Oh, give thanks to the God of heaven! For His mercy endures forever.

Since today is the ONLY day in our Nation’s public life that has been set aside to give thanks to God for our blessings, seen and unseen, I offer this prayer from Be Transfigured Ministries. Have a blessed Thanksgiving.

Holy and Great Thursday – The Eucharist

Just before Jesus offered Himself for His creation, He made a new covenant with us. We call it the Eucharist, which means Thanksgiving, since it is modeled after the Thanksgiving Offering of the Old Testament. I have discovered that many people don't realize that there were SEVERAL covenants which made up the Old Testament. Take a few moments this afternoon and read Genesis, which we have been reading throughout Great Lent. Pay attention for the practice of offering God a sacrifice AFTER He had rescued His people from danger. You will find something quite interesting....It may just bring a new appreciation for the Eucharist.

When Politics Becomes Spiritual

There is a temptation in American politics to separate our spiritual lives from our political lives. It is growing ever popular to hear self-proclaimed devout Christian politicians championing policies theoretically in opposition to their personal spiritual beliefs. There is no limit, politically speaking, to this trend as it exists “on both sides of the aisle” of Washington, D.C. But have you ever wondered what would happen if politics DID become spiritual?

Realistically speaking it is impossible for our spiritual journey NOT to interfere with our politics, but political hypocrisy may not be as rampant as some may think. Every human struggles with the same fallen reality, and the temptation to please the self rather than God and others. It is why Jesus Christ commanded us to deny ourselves if we desired to follow Him. Until we can stop the focus on ourselves, we cannot begin to focus upon Him. The “self” is where ALL POLITICS is spiritual.

Politicians are nothing more than a skilled sales force, and the product they are selling, is power and control. Everyone seems to want it, and will do anything to get it. So, when a politician offers it, the votes just come rolling in. Who could blame a sales force for altering the sales pitch if product isn’t moving off the shelves? And who would blame a manufacturer for making changes to a product to keep it “fresh” in front of the consumer. Shoe styles change, so why shouldn’t political styles. Sales is sales.

Over the years certain products “go out of fashion” and are ultimately removed from the marketplace. When was the last time you saw a LeCar driving down your street? The consumer is in total control over what product remain popular. The more the consumer wants to buy, the more items are made. They call it supply and demand in business school. THAT’s where you and I come in...

You are I are the consumers of politics. If the sales force is successful in moving product, it is because we are the ones buying it. Consider the last the political movement that you purchased. Was it not in some way a bit of control and power over something or someone? And this is why politics is spiritual...

Since we continue to struggle with our fallen condition, and serving our selfish desires, what we “buy” in politics is integral to our spiritual journey. If we seek power and control, we will purchase more of it from the “sales force” offering more of it on the ballot. Every candidate is selling it, so what brand we purchase makes little difference to the sales force. Of course, every sales pitch comes with incentives. Power and control with a bit of “cash back” thrown in, and the shelves empty - the trifecta of politics.

As Orthodox Christians currently in the Nativity Fast, and with Thanksgiving just a few days away, we should take more seriously our spiritual struggle of selfish desire. This is the perfect opportunity, through increased prayer and fasting and serving to poor, to work to defeat our selfishness rather than sell it to the nearest politician. Something to think about during the Fast.

Greed is Spiritual Cancer

In the parable of the Rich Fool, Jesus teaches us the deadly result of a greedy heart. Faced with full barns and a banner crop, the Rich Fool panics because he has no place to store his growing wealth. “I will do this,” he says, “I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods.” (Luke 12.18) Unfortunately for the Rich Fool, that was the night he would die and face judgment for the condition of his heart.

Greed is a cancer that eats away at our heart, one dollar at a time. Each of us has been blessed with material gifts from God. Each of us is faced with considering how we will make use of the wealth that God has given us. Will we panic and attempt to store our wealth for tomorrow thinking we will enjoy comfort for years to come? This was the mistake of the Rich Fool when he said, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.” (Luke 12.19) Will we be grateful for the blessings that God has given to us and use them for His glory helping and serving others?

 

Greed is a cancer that turns the heart inward toward darkness rather than upward toward the Light of God. Once our heart has been affected by this cancer, it begins to spread to every other part of our body. A greedy heart fills our minds with hate for our fellow human beings. A greedy heart recognizes only cold, hard cash rather than the warmth of fellowship. A greedy heart sends the cancerous poison of selfishness to our minds, hands, feet, and eventually our very soul dies in darkness.

“So is he who lays up treasures for himself, and is not rich toward God.” (Luke 12.21) Lucky for us...we still have time to be thankful. Something to consider this year for Thanksgiving.

If you need it, buy it; if you can’t afford it, WAIT FOR IT!

Today’s topic for the 40 Days of Blogging is avarice, which is the love of money. I guess the topics fits well with Black Friday. Today is “Black Friday” which was originally designated because it represented the day on which most retails stores FINALLY were in the black for the year. The holiday sales continues to be the “make-it-or-break-it” for most retails centers.

I’m not a big fan of “Black Friday” madness, especially with the many riots and chaos lately at area malls. Having said that I won’t begrudge someone for taking advantage of a sale price for an item that he needs.  I’ve already blogged about my feelings on Thanksgiving Day shopping and on rushing out to buy more stuff the day after we are supposedly thankful for the stuff we already have. So, today I won’t beat that bush. Rather I will presume you already have made up your mind to shop today. That probably also means you will be reading this AFTER you return from a long day of shopping.

For me the issue isn’t whether or not we can get a good price on something, but whether or not we need the item in the first place. I’m sure most would agree that the Christmas frenzy has achieved irrational levels lately. I remember a day (that expression makes me feel old) when getting new socks, a pair of pants, a couple of shirts, and new pair of shoes make the bulk of our gifts, along with a few toys. We needed the clothes as children. Our parents took advantage of Christmas to “bulk up” our present count by wrapping each item separately. NOW, parents wrap countless toys and throw in a token article of clothing. Long before our children return to school in the New Year, the new toys are either already broken, lost, or they have grown bored of playing and go digging for last year’s toy.

So this year, go ahead and take advantage of store sales – they’re there for a reason – and find the best sale on the items you NEED. That new pair of shoes your son has needed since soccer season ended; those new socks to replace the hole”y” socks your daughter wore out at gymnastics practice. Put them away and wrap them up for Christmas. Then sit back and take inventory of your finances before going back “out there” to the mall. What else does your family REALLY need this year? Don’t allow the sales to talk you into purchasing something just because it’s a good deal. A good deal is no longer a good deal when it sits abandoned in the corner collecting dust.

I want to add one more thing about Christmas shopping. Americans are more in debt now than ever before. It seems we cannot discern the difference between needs and wants. If anything, I think it shows a society that has grown more and more impatient. We would rather pay HUGE amounts of credit card interest than wait a few months to purchase our stuff. That is where a simple dose of fasting would help, by the way. It would help us learn to do without and tame our urges. I’ve written on fasting and its benefits to cure just this very problem before.

So I invite you to adopt a new slogan this Christmas shopping season…

“If you need it, buy it; if you can’t afford it, WAIT FOR IT!” You’ll be much happier, and a much less in debt. You can thank me later.

This post is written for the 40 Days of Blogging Challenge sponsored by the Preachers Institute. You may find other blogs participating in this challenge. I hope you enjoy this year’s Advent journey.

Giving Thanks to God as a Nation

If you have followed my blog for any length of time, you will know there is no love lost between myself and politicians. I don’t trust them. I don’t believe their motives are pure. I don’t think they have the best interest of our nation in mind. They care about themselves above the nation. I do pray for them. That’s just how I feel, so when the question of giving thanks to God as a nation is given as today’s 40 Days of Blogging topic, it causes me to pause………..

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Ok, that’s long enough. To be brutally honest, I don’t believe our nation understands the meaning of the word thanks. We use the word, but I don’t see the action in the society that correlates to gratitude, to anyone, let alone God. I also, by the way, don’t believe America has EVER been a Christian nation, but that’s for another blog.

I believe thanks is a concept that rests (literally) in contentment. If you are thankful for anything, then you understand that things can be much worse and someone has helped either hold you up or lift you up to a higher level than you were before. But if you are constantly not satisfied with where you are or what you have, are you really thankful? Or is it more of an acknowledgement that someone has helped you achieve something? And is your “thanks” really just a calculated act to secure future benefits?

In fact, many treat their relationship with God in that way. “If I don’t say thanks to God, then He won’t bless me with more of what I say I want.” My evidence for this theory is the popular phrase, “God answered my prayers!” But this NEVER means He didn’t give me what I ask for. I’ve NEVER heard, “Praise God! I didn’t get that job promotion and raise!”

That being said, what about Thanksgiving Day? Watch the parking lots tonight and tomorrow and you will see just how many are truly thankful or just wanting more. The evening news will likely report riots and violence over that “perfect toy” or other sale item. Is the action of a nation filled with thanks for the blessings from God? Or is a nation that just wants to “cover its bases” and acknowledge the loot will only keep coming if “someone” is given credit? Time will tell….

This post is written for the 40 Days of Blogging Challenge sponsored by the Preachers Institute. You may find other blogs participating in this challenge. I hope you enjoy this year’s Advent journey.

The Giving of Thanks

Since the beginning of humanity, we have made an offering to God to show our gratitude for His blessings. From the first harvest and first flock of sheep recorded in Genesis, the practice of bringing an offering to God was established.

“Now in the process of time Cain brought a sacrifice to the Lord from the fruits of the ground. Able also brought a sacrifice from the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. The Lord respected Abel and his offering, but He did not respect Cain and his sacrifices. So Cain was extremely sorrowful, and his countenance fell.” (Genesis 4.3-5)

And from that moment human beings have been offering to God, some with a pure heart, some with a selfish heart.

Fast forward to Noah and the Flood…The FIRST thing Noah did after leaving the Ark was to make an offering to God.

“The Noah built an altar to God, and took of every clean animal and of every clean bird, and offered whole burnt offerings on the altar.” (Genesis 8.20)

Fast forward to Abraham and his victory over the king of Sodom…The FIRST thing Abraham did was celebrate the Divine Liturgy with Christ.

“Now Melchizedek the king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was the priest of God Most High. He blessed Abram and said, ‘Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth; and blessed be God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hands.’ Then Abram gave him a tithe of all.” (Genesis 14.18-20)

Fast forward to the reunion of Jacob and his brother Esau…The FIRST thing Jacob did once he pitched his tent was to make an offering to God.

“He then bought a parcel of land where he pitched his tent from Hamor, Shechen’s father, for a hundred male lambs. There he set up an altar and called on the God of Israel.” (Genesis 33.19-20)

Fast forward to Moses and the Temple…You get the idea, right? With a tradition of making an offering to God to express gratitude for blessings and salvation, it was only natural that Moses would establish a beautiful system of sacrifice offerings in the Temple. You MUST understand; each offering was made AFTER God had blessed or saved the offerer. The offering was NOT made to secure God’s loyalty, NOR as payment on some grand deal.

Fast forward to Jesus Christ on the night of “The Last Supper”…Jesus turned to the Holy Tradition of our Fathers and made an offering of Thanks and combined it with an offering of communion, thus sealing what we call Holy Communion (Holy Eucharist from the Greek Θεία Ευχαριστία) in which WE combine our thanks to God for the blessings AND salvation while uniting ourselves to Him.

And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, "Take, eat; this is My body."  Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. (Matthew 26.26-28)

So when the Holy Apostles, in the manner of Moses before, established the Way of Life for the early Church, and building upon the Holy Tradition of their Fathers, established the Eucharist as the weekly and ULTIMATE way to give thanks to God.

Now concerning the Thanksgiving (Eucharist), thus give thanks. First, concerning the cup: We thank you, our Father, for the holy vine of David Your servant, which You made known to us through Jesus Your Servant; to You be the glory forever. And concerning the broken bread: We thank You, our Father, for the life and knowledge which You made known to us through Jesus Your Servant; to You be the glory for ever. Even as this broken bread was scattered over the hills, and was gathered together and became one, so let Your Church be gathered together from the ends of the earth into Your kingdom; for Yours is the glory and the power through Jesus Christ forever. But let no one eat or drink of your Thanksgiving (Eucharist), but they who have been baptized into the name of the Lord; for concerning this also the Lord has said, Give not that which is holy to the dogs. Matthew 7:6  (Didache Chapter 9)

So how will you give thanks to God tomorrow on Thanksgiving Day? Will your heart be pure or selfish?

This post is written for the 40 Days of Blogging Challenge sponsored by the Preachers Institute. You may find other blogs participating in this challenge. I hope you enjoy this year’s Advent journey.