Give thanks with a grateful heart.

Give thanks to the Holy One.

Give thanks because he’s given Jesus Christ, his son.

And now, let the weak say, “I am strong…”

Let the poor say, “I am rich,”

Because of what the Lord has done for us.

(Give Thanks, Don Moen, 1986)

Yes you are.

Rich

Oh, your car may be falling apart and your dishwasher may be dying and you may be checking the sofa for enough change for a Del Taco run, but you are rich.

First, in this world you are rich. Beloved, there are people out there who pray for shoes so they won’t have to walk barefoot

who pray for clean water to wash the dishes with

who pray for dishes…and food to put on them.

And in the spiritual world…are you kidding?  You’re the beloved child of the King of, you know, Everything.

You are in possession of the greatest treasure the universe has ever known:

the love of God.

Baby, you are rolling in it.

Bask in your wealth today, Beloved.

Happy Wednesday.

Give thanks with a grateful heart.

Give thanks to the Holy One.

Give thanks because he’s given Jesus Christ, his son.

And now, let the weak say, “I am strong…”

 Context is really important.

This line from Don Moen’s song is found in the Bible in Joel 3:10.  Of course, those of you who look it up will find that the Lord is actually speaking to the enemies of Israel, the nations who have plundered and destroyed his people.  God is essentially telling them to “Bring it on,” to prepare to fight, because God is going to turn them to powder.

Not exactly the same feeling Mr. Moen was looking to engender in his song.

Why am I telling you this?  Well, for one thing, I want you to be Biblically literate.  If we’re going to use Scripture, we should at least know what it really says.  

Also, even with the contextual confusion, this remains one of my all-time favorite worship songs.  And the message is true, even if the reference is a bit askew.  The Bible is full of the truth that God gives strength to the weak.  He offers–may I be so bold as to say that he longs–to show his strength in our feebleosity.

Do you feel weak?  

Well, you are…you know… in and of yourself.

But in Christ…oh, baby!

In Christ you are mighty.  In Christ, you have the power to do battle with whatever comes against you today.  In Christ, your weakness is transformed into his great strength.

So now, though you are weak, say, “I am strong!”

Happy Tuesday, Beloved.

Before we say goodbye to Thanksgiving, I’m going to take a look at one of my favorite worship songs.  It’s written by Don Moen.  Part of it is Scripture; all of it is scriptural.  Feel free to sing along!

Give thanks with a grateful heart.                                                      

Give thanks to the Holy One. 

Give thanks, because he’s given Jesus Christ, his son.

Are you thankful today, Beloved?  Do you even have time to stop and think of all you have to be thankful for? Or are you so busy preparing your house or your travel plans that preparing your heart has slipped down the list? Even worse–has your Christmas to-do list leapfrogged Thanksgiving entirely?  Look, I’m not judging; I know you’ve got a lot to do.  Myself, I’m looking at a garage that needs to be cleaned–I’ve been putting it off for eighteen months now–just so I can get to the Christmas lights, most of which are broken, if I remember correctly.  I have a vague memory of an entire string of lights falling from the roof last January, resulting in a string of mini-explosions and a decision that I would replace all the lights “Next year,” when finances would undoubtedly be better, except they’re not.  So I’ve probably gotta buy lights, and garland, and maybe a lawn elf–but no inflatables, I’m passionately against inflatables–before I can even start decorating, and some of the neighbors are done already…

Yeah, so I get it.

But, for those of us in Christ, the One we gave thanks for last Thursday is the same One we celebrate at Christmas.  It’s pretty much the same holiday; you just have to swap funny hats.

Of course, you know that already…you’re a bright one.

So, hey, take time this week–like today, like right now–to stop and breathe and give thanks.  

For him

For you and him

Happy Monday, Beloved.

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

Are you still thankful today, Beloved?  Or has the Christmas to-do list already kicked aside your “Things I am thankful for” list?  Look, I’m not judging; I know you’ve got a lot to do.  Myself, I’m looking at a garage that needs to be cleaned–I’ve been putting it off until next Saturday for eighteen months now–just so I can get to the Christmas lights, most of which are broken, if I remember correctly.  I have a vague memory of an entire string of lights falling from the roof last January, resulting in a string of mini-explosions and a decision that I would replace all the lights “Next year,” when finances would undoubtedly be better, except they’re not.  So I’ve probably gotta buy lights, and garland, and maybe a lawn elf–but no inflatables, I’m passionately against inflatables–before I can even start decorating, and the neighbors are pretty much done already…

Yeah, so I get it.

But, for those of us in Christ, the One we were thankful for yesterday is the same One we celebrate at Christmas.  It’s pretty much the same holiday; you just have to swap funny hats.

Of course, you know that already…you’re a bright one.

So, take time during the craziness–like today, like right now–to stop and breathe and give thanks.  

For him

For you and him

Happy Friday, Beloved.

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever (1 Chronicles 16: 34).

Busy day today.

You’ve got a turkey to burn, cranberries to sauce, potatoes to mash, tables to set, dishes to break, shards to sweep up, relatives to enjoy/endure/escape…

Beloved, take a moment, right now, before the craziness descends.  Offer your heart and your mind and your day and your life to Him in thanksgiving.  If you don’t do it now…

Breathe deep, and thank him that he chooses to be good

That he chooses to love you

That he chooses to love you forever, not until he gets bored with you or until you mess up in some way and displease him

Because…no offense…but I’m sure that’s already happened.

He could choose to stop loving you, but he won’t.

It’s in his power, but it’s not in his nature.

His love endures forever.

You are his Beloved.

You are his, Beloved.  

Forever

Happy Thanksgiving

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever (Psalm 107:1).

God is good.

He doesn’t have to be.

He chooses to be.

God loves us.

He doesn’t have to.

He chooses to.

Look, we can get into a theotechnical debate about whether God is bound by his own nature to be what he is, or whether he possesses self-determinative power

and that would be fun

but until you convince me otherwise, I’m gonna go with the fact that God is…you know…God, and he could have done it any way he wanted to.

There is an image that comes to my mind as I write these words.

It’s Calvin and Hobbes.

Not the theologian and the sociopolitical philosopher, although…

No, I’m talking about the kid and the tiger.

If you aren’t familiar with the famous comic strip by Bill Watterson, I weep for your ignorance and encourage you to avail yourself of the great riches to be found before you continue here. For the enlightened among you, I’m thinking of the strip in which Calvin imagines himself as God, “but Calvin is no kind and loving god…and the puny inhabitants of Earth displease him!”

What follows is destruction on ohsomany levels.

Beloved, we need never ever even for a moment fear that God will decide to stop being good, or stop loving us, or restructure the foundation of the Universe to reflect darkness rather than light.

He has chosen to be good, and it is so.

He has chosen to be kind and loving and giving and gracious and merciful.

And it is so.

Forever.

Give thanks, Beloved.

Happy Monday