Sunday is Coming, and we will give thanks!
Last week I asked you, what is your favorite part of Thanksgiving Dinner?
This week I want you to consider, what is your favorite Thanksgiving Tradition?
Traditions repeated year after year have a way of connecting the past to the present, and reminding us of what is most important and timelessly true.
This weekend, we will conclude our series on the Prayers of the Psalms with what may be the most repetitive passage of Scripture in the Bible—Psalm 136. It reminds us of the value of things like repetition and consistency in our prayer life.
1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
His love endures forever.
2 Give thanks to the God of gods.
His love endures forever.
3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords:
His love endures forever.
4 to him who alone does great wonders,
His love endures forever.
Psalm 136 goes on like that for 26 verses, reminding us over and over again that God’s love endures forever.
We see the key ingredient for Thanksgiving is found by remembering God’s own Enduring Love
The Reason we can Give Thanks is because of God’s Enduring Love.
The reason God’s Love does not change, is because God Himself does not change.
The word A. W. Tozer uses for God’s Changelessness is “Immutability” saying, “He never differs from himself.”
A. W. Tozer prayed, “Chance and change are busy in our little world of nature and men, but in Thee we find no variableness nor shadow of turning. We rest in Thee without fear or doubt and face our tomorrows without anxiety.”
Charles Wesley sang, “And all things as they change proclaim, the Lord eternally the same.”
Charles Spurgeon wrote,"When all else is changing within and around, In God and his mercy no change can be found."
And Yogi Berra quipped, “The future ain’t what it used to be.”
I personally love Old Quotes… I try to read a lot, but I don’t usually read trendy new books. The latest bestsellers don’t usually interest me.
Maybe it means I’m getting old, but I have really come to appreciate tradition and familiarity…
While we do need to find fresh ways to keep our pray and worship personally uplifting and welcoming for new generations, and new ways to meet the needs of present problems, and strive to make our worship and our ministry relevant to the world we now live in, we must continue to hold on to certain things that are time-tested.
One of the reasons symbols and traditions and repetition of the same trusted scriptures and themes and songs over and over again is so valuable is because they add weight to our worship. They remind us of our Changeless God in a world that is always shifting. This can be done both through historically rich styles, as well as fresh, contemporary art and worship. Regardless of the style, what matters most is holding on to the changeless truths of God, and the stories that connect us to the people of faith who have gone before us.
Psalm 136 reminds us:
- The Same God who created the heavens and filled the universe with light, and who established life on this earth,
- is the Same God who personally called people into relationship with Himself, and delivered them from oppression,
- and the Same God of the Exodus is the Same God who continues to remember us in our low estate (Psalm 136:23)
- and the Same God who continually gives food to every creature (Psalm 136:25)
Our God can certainly be trusted to continue to be forever loving, providing for us, even as the world around us changes. Let us constantly give thanks to the Lord, for he is Good and his love endures forever!
This Sunday
- This Sunday morning as part of our prayer time, we will dedicate the shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child. We are also collecting boxes all week long at the Annex.
- Sunday Afternoon, November 19th at 4:00pm, there will be an outdoor Community Thanksgiving Worship Service at the neighboring Grace Place Gardens (next to the Annex). All are welcome to gather with our community members to give thanks to God together.
Upcoming Events & Opportunities
- There will be no Community Night events next Wednesday, November 22.
- On Wednesday December 6th we will have our annual “Service from the Heart” during Community Night. This is a fun night of testimonies & talents. Our children and youth will share some things that they have learned, and we would like to invite people of all ages to consider participating on this evening as well.
àIf you have a story, a song, or something else that you would like to share, please contact Pastor Rodney by November 26.
Christmas Celebrations and Giving Opportunities
- Our annual Christmas Market will be held on December 2 from 4:00-9:00 in connection with the Shippensburg Christmas Parade. The Christmas Market will happen at the Annex before and after the Shippensburg Christmas Parade. Stop by for cookies, craft vendors, food trucks, and fellowship with our church family and community neighbors!
- The Circle of Love ministry will be collecting some special items for families with needs this holiday season, including Giving Tree items and certain Paper Products. See the Gathering Place for more information.
Prayer Updates
Pastor Gary is home again, after another brief visit to Hershey to replace a clogged NJ tube.
Mick Martin has asked for prayer for Kevin Clever, whose family recently discovered that he has a very advanced cancer throughout his body.
Please be in prayer for Donald Uglow Jr. who has been hospitalized and is facing some tests.
Please prayer for our Church Elder team, as we spend a day together on Saturday, praying and planning for the year to come.
I am giving thanks for all of you, and what God is doing in and through us together as a church family.
See below for a few photos of some special opportunities we had this week to serve the next generation!
Happy Thanksgiving!
Pastor Rodney Bistline
Shippensburg First Church of God
seniorpastorbistline@shipfcog.org
Helpful Links:
Online Messages (shipfcog.org)
Care Groups & Sunday School Classes
Weekly Order of Worship and FYI Newsletter (updated over the weekend)
shipfcog.net/site/shipfcog/shipnews/index.html
Photos of the SU Choir Concert
Youth Group Friendsgiving (30+ in attendance!)
No comments:
Post a Comment