Opus 2018-277: Thanksgiving, Really?

I wonder how many people sit down to a big feast today and never seriously think about being thankful.  Of course one of the reasons is that since they don’t really believe in a personal God, whom do they thank?  I guess some might ask, “What do they thank?”  Can you picture a thanksgiving day in the Empire of Star Wars?  How would you thank the Force for your blessings?  Which side of the Force?  Or both?  I know that some people might thank the wind for blowing but it seems kind of empty unless you believe the wind is aware of your thanks.

There is a reason that some refer to Turkey Day.  That is the center of their festivity.  They don’t seem to be aware that you can buy turkeys at other times of the year.  And what do you do if you can’t afford a big turkey and all the trimmings?

To me Thanksgiving Day is just another day in some ways.  I have a morning ritual that begins with looking at a description of the Last Supper.

(1 Corinthians 11:23-4 KJV)  ...the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread:And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.

Part of what I do is remind myself that if Jesus could be thankful knowing that the cross was coming, how much more could I be thankful living in America in the 21st century.  I am aware of the forecasts of doom and gloom.  I know that the socialist goons are doing everything they can to disrupt our society.  I am aware of the cesspool of public entertainment.  But I have a context.  My context is not this week or even this century.  My context is eternity and the Big Picture.  I know that there is a God who is in charge and has a plan.

In addition to that my life is swamped with blessings.  I think that those of us who are aware of the big picture are also more aware of our blessings.  I am enjoying the day.  I have blessings of family and friends.  The heater works and the roof does not leak.  My pacemaker is still working and no one has refused to accept my credit card. 

And I know the One who I am thanking.

Rejoice and enjoy the day.

homo unius libri

Opus 2017-269: Thanks Thoughts: Degrees

As I was celebrating communion this morning I was remembering what the two elements of the Lord’s Supper represented:  The body and blood of Jesus.  In my mind there are two focal events represented:  The incarnation and the crucifixion. 

This morning I was asking myself which one caused more suffering.  I know that the theologians focus on the cross and so does the apostle Paul.  The thought of...

(2 Corinthians 5:21 KJV)  For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

is humbling, to say the least.  Jesus took on the sins of the entire creation.

But what kind of shock was it for Him to become a man?

(Philippians 2:6-8 KJV)  Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:  But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:  And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

Just as I cannot comprehend eternity or understand the trinity, this is beyond me.

But, I remember.

(1 Corinthians 11:24 KJV)  And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.

homo unius libri

Opus 2016-265: Thanks Thoughts: Old Dog, New Trick

We were visiting the church that one of our auto mechanics attends.  We figured that if he went there it would be a solid church.  The music was typical boring praise team stuff but the preaching was excellent.  I was also communion Sunday.  One of the tweaks put on the service was when the pastor led of in a repetition of one reason Jesus gave us for this moment:

(1 Corinthians 11:24 KJV)  And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.

He had us repeat, “Lord, I remember.”  I had never thought of that.  It seemed so obvious.  Now as I do my daily Eucharist I have begun to develop the habit of repeating, “Lord, I remember.”

It isn’t magic.  It isn’t an eleventh commandment.  It does add meaning.

homo unius libri

Opus 2016-262: Thanks Thoughts: Grandfather Clause

As I worked through my daily Eucharist the words “new covenant” stood out to me. 

(1 Corinthians 11:25 NAS77)  In the same way He took the cup also, after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me."

As much as I consider myself a child of the new covenant, old contracts are not always voided by new ones.  We have some grandfathered in. 

We see it in technology.  When the rotary dial was phased out in production it still worked for the old phones around.  USB 1 still works in new computers with USB 2.

Jesus made a specific statement that applies to this.

(Matthew 5:17 KJV)  Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.

So think of the Old Testament (covenant) as being a rotary dial.  It worked and worked well.  It was also slow and inflexible.  Things have changed.  We now have buttons and smart phones.  Some people have special ring tones to tell them who is calling.  We have call forwarding, texting and voice mail.  The wires have even changed but the general concept of phone numbers and communication remain the same. 

God is waiting to communicate with His people. 

homo unius libri

Opus 2016-227: Thanks Thoughts: Think Thanks

As I was going through my morning breakfast ritual over bread and coffee I again looked at the Last Supper.

(1 Corinthians 11:23-4 KJV)  For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread:  And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.

At this point Jesus knew that He was to be betrayed.  He still gave thanks.  That set me back on my heals a bit.

How often do I complain because I have been wronged or something has gone wrong?  Too many to count?  I was reminded that part of the reason God came to earth as a man and went through all the trials that we go through is to demonstrate how we should live.  Since I claim to want to be like Jesus there is a lesson for me here.

I need to be thankful in all situations.  It doesn’t take long to think of blessings in my life.  All I really need to do is check the headlines and be glad I wasn’t in a certain airport or shopping mall.  Even closer to home I can look up and see someone having a hard time standing straight or walking.  I am sure that those people would be able to find something to be grateful for if they would look.

I am not a Pollyana.  I am aware that my “problems” are all first world.  That doesn’t do away with the principle.

homo unius libri

Opus 2016-159: Thanks Thoughts: The Last Breakfast

Part of my morning routine is pausing to give thanks based on the example of Jesus at the Last Supper.

(1 Corinthians 11:23-5 KJV)  For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread:  And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.  After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.

It occurred to me today that this was the Last “Supper” not the Last “Breakfast”.  Jesus was not demonstrating how to start the day but how to pause the day.  Too often we allow our worship to be limited to Sunday, and Sunday morning at that.  When we think of devotions, or daily worship, we tend to think in terms of the beginning of the day.

Notice that the cup was taken after He had “supped.”  That would seem to imply that the bread was taken at the beginning of the meal and the cup at the end.  Both were done at a time other than morning. 

This is a reminder that we need to pause frequently during out day to “be still and know that He is God”, to paraphrase Psalm 46:10.

Daily and all day should be our pattern.

homo unius libri

Opus 2015-428: Bread

Historically bread was a primary food, a staple.  When there was nothing else, there was bread of some kind.  Every culture had some kind of bread:  tortillas, pita, bagels, biscuits, saltines, won-ton, and the list goes on.  Only in modern times has our wealth and plenty made it an accompaniment to other foods, almost a condiment.  Only in modern health food culture does it become the enemy because of carbohydrates and gluten. We take it for granted.

I came across a statement that gives an idea of the place that bread played as late at the French Revolution.  In France, 1789, “Bread constituted three-fourths of an ordinary person’s diet and cost one-third to one-half of his or her income.”1

Forget the potatoes.  Don’t even dream about meat.  Hope you can get enough bread.

One Sunday the congregation was reciting the Lord’s Prayer together and we came to the line that says,

(Matthew 6:11 KJV)  Give us this day our daily bread.

That got me to thinking about communion and its reference to bread.

(1 Corinthians 11:23 KJV)  ...That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread:

We do not understand the historical importance that this is declaring.  Not only is Jesus to be a daily part of our lives but He is to be thought of as our primary sustenance.  This is the context of His reminder.

(John 6:48 KJV)  I am that bread of life.

If you are a Christian you are to take communion.  When you do, you are to remember the sacrifice Jesus made.  You are to remember that He died for your sins.  You are also to be reminded that He is to be at the core of your nutritional needs, not a condiment.

1Massie, Robert K.  Catherine the Great.  New York:  Random House, 2011, page 534.

homo unius libri

Opus 2015-10: Thanksgiving Daily

One of the habits I try to get into on a normal morning is to look at my breakfast as a time of Communion.  Technically Communion is a Christian sacrament that is almost universal across the spectrum of Christianity.  It is also called The Lord Supper and the Eucharist.  It is the center of every Roman Catholic act of worship from Sunday morning to weddings.  It involves unleavened bread and a cup of wine or grape juice.  Since my breakfast usually consists of bread and coffee ,it goes well with the idea of bread and the cup.  Sure, the bread isn’t unleavened and coffee isn’t made from grapes but, it is a focus.

As Paul starts to teach on the Lord’s Supper in I Corinthians 11 he points out that Jesus began by giving thanks.

(1 Corinthians 11:24 KJV)  And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.

I will take the bread I am going to eat in my hand and spend a few moments in thanks to God.  My mind wanders into the many areas of blessings in my life.  Today I looked at what I held and was impressed by the numerous people and processes that brought a simple piece of bread to my hand.  You had the original farmers who cleared the land and prepared it.  You have the people who developed the wheat and provided the seed.  How about the people who mined the ore that was processed to make the farm machinery.  You see where I was going on this.  Just a simple piece of bread with thousands of highly skilled and hard working people that placed it in my hand.

Truly miraculous.  Truly a blessing.  Truly an object of thanks.  Whom do you thank?  I thank God for His bounty.

And then we get to the cup and coffee.

It isn’t November but we have ample reason to give thanks.

Happy Thanksgiving Day.

homo unius libri

Opus 2014-276: A Pre-Thanksgiving Moment

There are times I treasure the rush hour traffic and crazy drivers.

This morning I found myself with my anger rising and was reminded of a passage of scripture that I spend time considering on most work days.

(1 Corinthians 11:23-4 KJV)  For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread:  And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.

As you can see this is part of the tradition of communion that is celebrated by most Christians around the world.  I read over and meditate on this each morning as I get ready to eat my bread and drink my coffee.  I have a mini-communion moment, if you will.

What hit me as I was driving was that Jesus paused before He even broke the bread and had a moment of thankfulness.  He did this knowing that Judas was sitting at the table preparing to sell Him.  He was thankful knowing that Peter would deny knowing him in a few hours.  He gave thanks knowing that the cross was coming.

With that in mind, can I really get upset by people driving like bats out of Hell?  I began to be thankful for the time I had to prepare for my day.

That brings to mind another scripture that explains why this can happen.

(Psalms 119:11 KJV)  Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.

If it ain’t stored, it can’t be recalled.

Spend some time reading the word and some day reap the benefits.

homo unius libri

Opus 2014-257: Monday Pulpit: Communion

Last Sunday was World Wide Communion Sunday.  It is a day that is set aside for believers in all denominations to join together remembering the last supper and crucifixion.  Some churches take communion daily, some weekly, others at different intervals.  The idea is that all would join together on this day.

I remember Jesus every morning when I literally “break bread.”  This morning I had a thought, based on the passage in I Corinthians.

(1 Corinthians 11:23-24 NAS77)  For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it, and said, "This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me."

Jesus gave thanks before He taught us to remember Him with communion.  He gave thanks  knowing what was ahead of Him.  He was thankful facing the cross.

We have a lot of issues and difficult moments but I don’t think any of them come close to what Jesus faced.  He gave thanks knowing.  We should give thanks not knowing what is ahead of us.

We should give thanks for the same reason He did, all of life and all of eternity are in God, the Father’s, hands.  We can trust Him with the responsibility.

homo unius libri