Saturday, November 20th, 2022
“Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come into his presence with singing. Know that the Lord is God. It is he that made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise. Give thanks to him, bless his name. For the Lord is good; and his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.” Psalm 100: 1-5 NRSV
Here it is, the last Sunday of the Christian year; Thanksgiving Sunday or the Sunday before Thanksgiving, if you prefer. Psalm 100 is a psalm of thanksgiving so therefore it is appropriate that we reflect on it today. In essence, it is to God that we should give thanks on this week, especially Thursday. He created and sustains us and all that we have is a gift from him.
In reality, we should give thanks every day, not just on special holidays. If we are honest, everything is a gift, that we should be grateful for. Which is why I advocate for participating in a “gratitude practice.” This is where at a set time, usually in the evening, we sit down and list 3-5 things from our day that we are grateful for. By engaging in this exercise, we open ourselves to a higher frequency of energy, and therefore we end up developing a more positive attitude. Try it and see what difference it makes.
By giving thanks on this, the last week of the Christian year, we are setting ourselves up for a remarkable experience in the coming year. In fact, all of the holidays of this season, Thanksgiving thru New Year’s, serve as a transition from the past and going into the future. So, enjoy, and set yourself up for a glorious future.
Meditate on that for a while,
Go in God’s grace.
Pastor Yancy