Thanksgiving and the last singing of the Gloria in Excelsis

Yesterday, during the divine service, I had the nagging awareness that this would be the last time that we would be singing the Gloria in Excelsis (Glory to God on high) until Christmas Eve. This is the song of the announcement of the birth of the Savior that the angels shared with the shepherds in the region of Bethlehem. The words of the angels begin with the pastor chanting: “Glory be to God on high.” The congregation completes the announcement, chanting: “And on earth peace, good will toward men. . . .” It is the glorious announcement that with the birth of the Prince of Peace, peace now resides upon the earth in accord with God’s good will toward men, the great love of God that moved Him to provide Jesus as the Savior of sinful mankind.

The season of Advent is penitential and preparatory for the advent/coming of the promised Savior. Thus, the Gloria in Excelsis is omitted during this season to help us remember what is missing apart from being Baptized into the Holy Communion of the Christ. He is the one who comes to restore what sin has stolen away from mankind.

The Church Year is designed to carry us through the promises of the Holy Scriptures, beginning with the Advent of Jesus and ending with His return at the Last Day. Thus Advent is a preparatory time, reminding us that Jesus was promised as the cure for sin and its consequences and came to the world in the fullness of time, born of the virgin in Bethlehem. He continues to come to His Church on Earth with the healing of forgiveness and the renewal of reconciliation into His Holy Communion through the Holy Supper. And He will come again at the Last Day to bring to completion all that He began in the garden with the promise to the first two needy sinners, as He comes to separate those who refused His grace from those whom the Holy Spirit through faith has gathered into the Holy Communion of the body of Christ.

Therefore, though I always feel a bit of a sting with the departure of the Gloria in Excelsis from the liturgy, I benefit from what it teaches me concerning my great need and God’s greater fulfillment of that need, not only for me, but for all of mankind. It moves me to never ending thanksgiving and it reminds me that this proclamation for all the world needs to be proclaimed today so that those for whom God has provided His peace may be brought into it through the working of the Holy Spirit in connection with the Word.

Advent is a wonderful time as we prepare for the joyous announcement of “Peace on earth, good will toward men.”

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By the way, yesterday’s sermon has been posted.

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A Thanksgiving Story

Here is a Thanksgiving story that is new to me: Squanto–God’s Special Indian a Thanksgiving Story.

Upon reading this article I found two other accounts, each varying somewhat from the others, but relaying the same primary information regarding this man and his encounter with the European invaders and immigrants as well as his encounter with faith in Jesus. Here are the other two articles:

Squanto,

Biography of Tisquantum ("Squanto").

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Blessed Plumbing

I wonder how many people ponder the blessing of having a toilet.

Do people stop to think about the magnitude of the blessing of indoor plumbing?

I do. I find myself thinking of what it must have been like in the days when chamber pots were common. What a messy ordeal! Having to take the pot outside to dump it and clean it after it has been used. The smell that would be present until it was emptied. Yuk.

Yes, I find myself from time to time giving specific thanks to God for our toilet.

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A Blessed Thanksgiving Day

Today has been for me a very blessed Thanksgiving Day. It has been a day that has been jam-packed full of God's goodness. It has been a day of Gospel joy.

Thanksgiving is for me a wonderful excuse for spending a day wrestling with God to receive from Him the blessing of hearing from Him more fully what He has revealed in His Holy Scriptures. Sermon preparation usually takes me about eight hours. Sometimes I cut it a bit shorter. Sometimes it goes longer. It usually takes at least 4 to 6 hours before I am content with the outline that has developed. Then only another two or three or four hours are needed for actually writing the sermon, proof reading it, and printing it. Sometimes the outline is exactly the same as the last time that I preached the text, but the sermon content has expanded. My immersion into the text has become deeper. I have been richly blessed beyond measure. Then I am privileged to preach it and hear it yet again.

Today, after preaching today's text, I felt full and content. The meal that my wife prepared was waiting, but I felt full. She prepared a wonderful meal. It was truly delicious and I enjoyed it immensely. Yet it seemed unnecessary after the feast that the Lord had prepared and fed to me. Not only the message that flowed from the text, but also, and even more satisfying, was the Feast of the Eucharist (Thanksgiving).

The meal that my wife prepared was truly wonderful, too, but it was primarily for my flesh. It was truly cause for giving thanks, too, both to my wife and to the Lord. This year she purchased and prepared a free range turkey. The stuffing was organic, with her added fixings of mixed nuts, cranberries, homemade turkey stock, celery, carrots, onions, garlic cloves, and more! She made sweet potatoes, prepared apples and grapes, and more. The only junk food was the croissants that she purchased at Sam’s Club (with many scary ingredients, but tasty).

Thankfully, even more cause for thanksgiving, my wife understands fully what I mean when I say that the Lord’s banquet is what made the day. Even though I do not believe that I have ever had a more wonderful turkey and other culinary delights, the Lord’s banquet completely satisfied me.

Now, this blessed eventide, I am pleased that the sermon has been uploaded and the turkey has been put away in the refrigerator, and we will enjoy my wife’s labors for perhaps as long as a week. How wonderful to have these treasures upon which to feast our palates! Moreover, even regarding the Lord’s feast we have His marvelous promise:

     Then said he unto them, Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old. (Matthew 13:52)

Thanksgiving Plans

As I was working toward the close of the day Wednesday, the customer for whom I had been trimming trees asked me what plans we had for Thanksgiving. After asking this she turned to me and asked, “Do you have children?” I answered as I usually answer, “No, we have not been given any children.” She responded, “Oh, that’s too bad. You would be a very good father.”

I have often wondered about that myself. I have often thought that I would very much enjoy being a father. I have often thought that I would enjoy teaching my children the wonderful good news of the grace of God in Christ Jesus the Lord. I know beyond any doubt that I would relish playing with my children. I have always enjoyed playing with children and teaching the Gospel to children. I love to see the sparkle in their eyes when they realize how much God loves them. I love to hear their joyful squeals as I swing them in the air and push them on a swing and pull them in a wagon.

Yet I also have sometimes thanked God for His wisdom in not giving us children. I have not known His reasons, but I have seen the horrible anguish of broken families. I have seen the distress of dysfunction and abuse. I have seen the heartache of parents when their children turn to many harmful choices. I also know the persecutions that the Lord has led us into and through and have realized how difficult these times would have been with children in tow.

So I acknowledge that whatever His reasons are, His reasons are good and merciful and loving and I give thanks. Yet I also look upon those who have been blessed with children and I acknowledge that they are truly blessed by God. I don’t think that I envy them, but I do acknowledge the blessings. I enjoy watching them and sometimes having the privilege of interacting with them. Yes, watching others with their children, is a source of great joy.

Truly this day of national Thanksgiving is a day for parents to give thanks for their children and for children to give thanks for their parents. This is true at all ages of people. Together we give thanks for all of God’s blessings and share in the wondrous knowledge that God is not only God, but our gracious Father, who has redeemed us with the price of His only-begotten Son in order that we may give thanks without fear of judgment, rejoicing in His fatherly love and care, for Jesus’ sake.

My Favorite Thing!

My Favorite Thing!

I received an e-mail entitled “What Pets Write IN THEIR DIARIES..........” It has a photo of a dog with excerpts from what it would write in its diary, and likewise with a cat.

What Pets Write IN THEIR DIARIES..........

Excerpts from a Dog's Diary......

8:00 am - Dog food! My favorite thing!
9:30 am - A car ride! My favorite thing!
9:40 am - A walk in the park! My favorite thing!
10:30 am - Got rubbed and petted! My favorite thing!
12:00 pm - Lunch! My favorite thing!
1:00 pm - Played in the yard! My favorite thing!
3:00 pm - Wagged my tail! My favorite thing!
5:00 pm - Milk Bones! My favorite thing!
7:00 pm - Got to play ball! My favorite thing!
8:00 pm - Wow! Watched TV with the people! My favorite thing!
11:00 pm - Sleeping on the bed! My favorite thing!

Excerpts from a Cat's Diary......

Are the excerpts from the Cat’s diary really necessary?

I think that for this occasion I’d rather not supply what the cat wrote.


However, the dog supplies an helpful attitude.  I have encountered a few cats that display at least a somewhat similar attitude, but very few.

The dog stands as a lesson for life in this old world of sin and corruption.  Even in this fallen world God still blesses abundantly.  God has not stopped being gracious and loving and generous.  Yet I often find myself robbed of the rich and full enjoyment of His goodness on account of my ingratitude.  How often I have been less than truly happy, many times even miserable, even though God’s blessings are innumerable.  His goodness is too great and wonderful even to be rightly accounted.

Truly there is reason for sadness, too. The continual compromises amongst those claiming to be the Church are especially grievous. Yet, where the saints gather to the pure Word and Sacraments, God’s riches continue to flow without measure. His grace, mercy, and peace are abundantly supplied in His holy Church, wherever it is found. And in this especially I find myself responding like the seemingly silly doggie. In all of the activities of the divine liturgy I find myself saying, “My favorite thing!”

God grant that this carry over into my daily walk by faith.

Mental Gymnastics

“Mental gynastics,” this is what Paul McCain flippantly calls using a word according to its actual meaning and according to the actual usage in the Scriptures.

If it requires this level of mental gymnastics to explain how not ascribing praise to the Lord is a way of being repentant, I think my point is made.

However, in order to force my post to “make his point” he had to change what I said, deleting portions and changing my words. This is very sad behavior, certainly not in keeping with honest communication. But this kind of contortion of the truth and torturing of words is common among those who desire to make their point regardless of clear reasoning and in spite of what is well intended and well thought out liturgical tradition.

What grieves me most is that McCain makes so much noise about issues like the theology of glory and enthusiasm and the thinking of the church growth movement and then deliberately divorces my comments from the clear connection that I made.

Who then is performing the “mental gynastics”?

Why make such a fuss over this? Why should I be concerned?

I am concerned regarding the false witness that is given through such abusive manipulations and dishonest presentations. I am concerned because the person’s personal opinion is elevated at the expense of the truth. I am concerned because gentle people who are daily confronted with the tomfoolery of the many schisms in Christendom are presented with still more tomfoolery and dishonesty paraded as wisdom and love. I am concerned because these things cause more confusion and often despair of finding true unity in the Church.

I also am concerned that truly helpful practices in the Church, ones that are not presented as anything more than beneficial and fine outward training, as Luther speaks of them in the Small Catechism under the Sacrament of the Altar, are turned into legalistic bondage. This is a tragedy.

For it is true, even as Luther rightly declares, although McCain and others quote Luther contrary to his intended meaning and context, “For the alleluia is the perpetual voice of the Church, just as the memorial of His passion and victory is perpetual.”

But in what context does Luther say this?

     Fourth, the gradual of two verses shall be sung, either together with the Alleluia, or one of the two, as the bishop may decide. But the Quadragesima graduals and others like them that exceed two verses may be sung at home by whoever wants them. In church we do not want to quench the spirit of the faithful with tedium. Nor is it proper to distinguish Lent, Holy Week, or Good Friday from other days, lest we seem to mock and ridicule Christ with half of a mass and the one part of the sacrament. For the Alleluia is the perpetual voice of the church, just as the memorial of His passion and victory is perpetual. Luther's Works (53:24)

Interestingly, Luther begins with limiting the gradual to two verses, and not only for Lent or Advent but for the entire Church year. He actually begins by omitting ascriptions of praise, saying that people can sing the rest at home at their leisure and in accord with the needs and desires of their hearts. Then he addresses the Alleluia that should not be omitted from the divine service.

What Alleluia is Luther holding as the perpetual voice of the Church? Is it not the same as St. Paul’s declaration in 1 Corinthians 11, especially verse 26? “For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come.”

Regardless of the season of the Church year, is this not the pinnacle of the divine service? Does not the entire service prepare us for this very thing, the holy communion in Christ’s body and blood? Is this not the part of the service called the Eucharist or Thanksgiving? Is this not the very praise concerning which Christ Himself says: “Do This!”? Is there any higher ascription of praise in the cosmos than this?

This is the life of the Church and her perpetual voice of praise! In this proclamation of the Lord is the perfect Hallelujah! This is the greatest Hallelujah in the Church, because it is worked by the Lord Himself for us.

And when this is counted as the perpetual voice of the Church, who can diminish Alleluia from the hearts and daily activity of the saints?

For example, yesterday, as I contemplated many things, including this one, the Triple Hallelujah (TLH pg. 20) began to resound in my heart and mind. Someone was singing it inside of me. Who could that have been? As I grieved over my deepened awareness of my sinfulness and my desperate need for the repentance that the Holy Spirit produces, inside from deep within this song began to reverberate, “Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!”

I thought, “Thank you, Lord. How marvelous!”

Omitting this in the divine service does not steal the Alleluia from the holy communion of the saints. The absence of this portion of the regular liturgical responses magnified my awareness of my need for the source of all alleluias. That source will not be silenced.

If someone wants to label as mental gymnastics the ongoing activity of the Holy Spirit to work His metanoia in my heart and mind, so be it. Surely I cannot deny that the Holy Spirit wrestles tirelessly within me to bring about the needed change of my heart and mind. Perhaps McCain is right after all in labeling this mind altering work of the Holy Spirit as mental gymnastics.

A Day of Public Thanksgiving and Prayer

Turkey Day? How far the mentality of the citizens of the United States of America has drifted from the time of the founding of the nation.

In 1789 both Houses of Congress voted to urge the president to proclaim a day of public thanksgiving and prayer. The text of President Washington’s proclamation along with some comments is posted here.

His proclamation, given at the urging of Congress, is worthy of reading again. The last full paragraph is of special importance.

It saddened me to see the extreme emphasis that has been made this year on “Black Friday.” It was reported that people were lining up outside of Best Buy on Wednesday to be ready for the store’s opening on Friday so as to be able to grab greedily the special sale items. Some people completely bypassed the National Day of Thanksgiving so as to be ready to grab Black Friday specials.

As I post below, the true Black Friday treasures are available every Lord’s Day, and those who want them can partake of them freely. Black Friday, the day when retailers say that they move from the accounting status of Red to Black, is a minor reflection upon the one true and great Black Friday of history when Christ paid the world’s debt of sin so that by faith forgiveness is received of all debts everlastingly.

Is this not worthy of standing in line to receive, far and above any specials offered at Best Buy or Sears or Walmart? Once upon a time in this country such appears to have been the focus of Thanksgiving. For some, it still is.

Thanksgiving Day

Yesterday was a wonderful day. It was like having an extra Lord’s Day in the week. It was another glorious opportunity for partaking of the wedding feast that the Lord has instituted for our renewal and strengthening in His grace.

While my wife prepared the turkey and other fine foods for the Thanksgiving meal, I had another time of feasting in the text of the Holy Scriptures preparing for another sermon. Then the Divine Service and the Holy Supper. Then a bit of discussion and study. Then the wonderful meal of Turkey and other delights for our tastebuds and bellies, as well as more discussion and reflection.

Sunday we enter into the season of Advent. How wonderful!

The First USA Thanksgiving Proclamation

The day is October 3, 1789. The Constitution of the United States of America has been ratified. The excitement and jubilation of this event moved the members of both houses of Congress to take action. By the power of Congress, in accord with the intentions of the newly ratified Constitution, they established “a day of public thanksgiving and prayer” on Thursday, the 26th of November, and requested it to be proclaimed by President George Washington.

Among the many places on the internet that his proclamation is available, two such sites are: Encyclopedia Smithsonian: Thanksgiving in North America: From Local Harvests to National Holiday and Rediscovering George Washington . Multimedia: First National Day of Thanksgiving. It is also quoted at Lutheran Carnival LXIII – Thanksgiving Edition.

It certainly seems appropriate to provide it also here as we prepare yet again for a National Day of Thanksgiving this year.

Transcription of George Washington's Proclamation:

By the President of the United States of America--

A Proclamation

Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor--and Whereas both Houses of Congress have by their Joint Committee requested me "to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness."

Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be--That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks--for his kind care and protection of the People of this country previous to their becoming a Nation--for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of his providence, which we experienced in the course and conclusion of the late war--for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed--for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national One now lately instituted, for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and in general for all the great and various favors which he hath been pleased to confer upon us.

And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions--to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually--to render our national government a blessing to all the People, by constantly being a government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed--to protect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shown kindness unto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord--To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and Us--and generally to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best.

Given under my hand at the City of New York the third day of October in the year of our Lord 1789.

Go. Washington

These events give cause for wondering whether the houses of Congress, the President, the Supreme Court, and the people of the nation realized that they were in violation of the Constitution that they wrote, ratified, and celebrated. How amazing it is that some 170+ years later the Supreme Court would rule that such prayers and calls for prayer are unconstitutional.

Perhaps a closer review of President Washington’s proclamation will explain the difference in understanding and interpretation of the intent of the Constitution.

Then, of course, those who know the true meaning of Thanksgiving don’t need a decree from Congress or a Presidential proclamation anyway. Moreover, no decision of the Supreme Court of the United States of America will overturn what lives in their hearts nor will it keep them from fulfilling it in their lives.

Nevertheless, it is a wondrous thing to have this example laid before us by the first members of Congress and the first President to govern by the Constitution that has been handed down to us from that time. That in itself is a cause for marvel and to give thanks.

Thanksgiving

“I am sooooo thankful.”

Yesterday I heard a lady on the radio, a college athletics coach, announce that as she and her team traveled that one of the planned activities is to list at least 50 things for which they are thankful.


Other people often say “Count your blessings.”

What do these generic statements of thankfulness mean?

The thing that is curiously missing from these statements is “thankful to whom”?

Both the religious and the irreligious make these statements of thankfulness. What does this mean?

One observation would be that even those who say that they do not believe in a divine being and especially not in the Lord, still realize in their innermost being that the good things that they enjoy cannot be attributed solely to their own accomplishments. Some things even the most determinedly self-reliant still cannot take credit for according to their own efforts. Thus the rather spontaneous statement, “I am sooooo thankful.”

For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another; In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel. (Romans 2:14-16)

Is this general sense of thankfulness among people of all races and religiosity really evidence that the Lord has built into our being a natural knowledge of His divine presence and providence?

One time that this seems to be an irresistible response is in the case of an unexplainable and “miraculous” rescue from danger or a “medical miracle.” Even doctors who imagine that healing is something that they make happen, ordinarily giving credit only to the science and procedures of medical expertise, will let slip the words, “I have no explanation for your recovery. It’s a miracle.” And of course, the person and/or family respond, “I am sooooo thankful.”

So what does this mean for you? Do you really know why you give thanks? Do you really know the one to whom your thanksgiving is directed?

Psalm 136

1 Thessalonians 5:18