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How can I repay the Lord for all his goodness to me? Psalm 116:12

This year Cheryl and I will gather with her family in Vernon for Thanksgiving Day. For this, we are very grateful to God. One less person will be at the table with us, because he has joined the marriage feast of the Lamb in His kingdom, and that also gives us reason to give thanks.

I know that scenes like this are being played out all over the country this week. I am also aware that there are lots of folks who are not able to be with family for holidays. And I know how that feels, too. There have been a few Christmases in recent years that Cheryl and I did not get to be with any of our children.

…give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Easier said than done, right? Sometimes we don’t feel all that grateful. Like the first holiday after the death of a loved one … or after a divorce … or if you just lost your job … or if you are in the hospital.  Our situations and circumstances can make it difficult to recall all the goodness the Lord has shown to us.

In this world, you will have trouble. There will be times that you are hurting. Because of all the sin that continues in this world, there will continue to be all kinds of problems. And our adversary, the devil, would like nothing better than for you to feel overwhelmed by sadness, grief, terrorism, loneliness, illness, or whatever other difficulty you are facing right now.

What I would encourage you to remember in your current situation is that Jesus Christ has already come into the world. He came to take care of sin for you. He came to defeat the power of sin over you. He came so that you could have life and have it abundantly. The death of Jesus was accepted by the Father as full payment for the sins of the world, including yours. That means all who have faith in Jesus already have forgiveness and the certainty of eternal life with their Lord. Remembering that is what helps me face every day.

I’m not saying I have it all figured out or am always successful in my thankfulness. But I am striving to get to the point Paul was when he wrote:

I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through Him who gives me strength. Philippians 4:11-13

When you learn to be content, you learn to be more thankful. I’m still working on it, but I am doing much better than I used to do in that regard. And this is mainly because I focus more and more on the cross and the empty tomb and what that means for me and all those who have faith in Jesus. When you have that gratitude, you are able more and more to be content and give thanks in all circumstances. So I am able to say with the Psalmist:

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

Is anyone else out there confused? I don’t understand how “the holidays” have become some kind of all inclusive package that stretches from Halloween to Christmas? It seems like they have all congealed into one big amorphous mess. I saw someone last month wearing a T-shirt that said “Happy Hallowgivngmas.” People in these parts take down their Halloween decorations and immediately set up their Christmas lights. I know  I have reached the stage in my life where I could be classified as a curmudgeonly old fuddy-duddy, but I just don’t understand why people have Christmas decorations on their homes and in their yards in mid-November. I understand the marketing strategy of the retailers – even if I don’t like it – trying to get people to shop early and shop often. But does having your Christmas tree up before Thanksgiving aid in celebrating the birth of Jesus or make it anti-climactic by the time December 25 arrives?

I’m really not trying to say, “Bah, humbug!” I’m all for celebrating on Holidays. But I try to remember what we read in Ecclesiastes 3: There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven. I also try to remember that traditions are manmade and not divinely instituted. I believe there is value in many of the traditions we have in this country. The one that occurs to me in particular right now is observing a National Day of Thanksgiving.

That is what prompted my little tirade at the beginning of this article. It seems to me that Thanksgiving is getting pushed into the background, almost to the point of being ignored. There is always plenty of talk about “Black Friday” and the new marketing strategy to get people to buy online – which started back in October this year! But you don’t see or hear much mention of Thanksgiving itself. Sure, we all enjoy having the day off, but has it devolved into nothing more than a day of football and overeating and getting ready for the big shopping sprees?  Do you take the time to be thankful?

For believers in Christ, every day is a day to give thanks. When you know the love of God that was willing to sacrifice Himself as the payment for your sin, opening heaven and life everlasting for you, you have reason to be grateful. Jesus Christ crucified and risen is my reason to rejoice and be thankful. And this is not just something for the future. Since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 5:1). We have peace already, a present reality. We know we belong to Him and He is with us in everything. We have reason to give thanks.

Having a special day to give thanks is a good thing. In 1863, Abraham Lincoln issued a proclamation that set the precedent for our National Day of Thanksgiving. In that proclamation, he encouraged everyone to “observe the last Thursday of November … as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens.” In other words, set aside a specific time to say “thank you” to God. Praise God from whom all blessings flow.

It is my prayer that the people of our nation adopt this kind of attitude and mentality. I think that would go a long way toward everyone getting along better. Even on “Black Friday.”

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. (Colossians 3:15)

Cheryl and I were able to visit Gettysburg on the 150^th anniversary of that terrible Civil War battle. Today marks the 160^th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg address (November 19, 1863). One of the shortest speeches ever made established Lincoln as a great orator, evidenced by how often that speech is recited and quoted: “Four score and seven years ago…”  The speech was at the dedication of the military cemetery, and Lincoln reminded the crowd that this nation was “conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal…” Powerful words that went right to the heart of the matter. Less than two years later, that President was assassinated.

This week marks another sad event in our nation’s history, the 60^th anniversary of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in Dallas. He is also remembered as a gifted orator. “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.”

Both of these presidents were important figures in the history of the United States. They were killed by individuals who disagreed with what they stood for, what they believed.

Some things never change. More than two thousand years ago there was a man who was proclaiming a message that was contrary to what many believed. He was not a political leader, but a man that wandered from town to town sharing God’s love and a message of forgiveness and reconciliation. He was calling people to renewed spirituality and honest, sincere worship of God.  The religious establishment was threatened by Him and His message, so they made arrangements to have Him killed. He was put to death by those who disagreed with Him.

At least, that is how it looks from the human perspective. In actuality, He came here to die. God knew that we could never get ourselves out of the problem caused by our sin. Even though He gave us His Law, we were powerless to keep it well enough to merit anything. He had said as much: Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law.  (Romans 3:20) So God sent His Son to make the payment for the sins of the world and accomplish our forgiveness. Jesus would do that by offering His life for ours.

In dedicating that “hallowed ground” at Gettysburg, Lincoln asked those gathered to “highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain.” Those who follow Jesus should have the same resolve about His death. When you live as though you must earn whatever eternal reward there is, you are rejecting the salvation Jesus earned for you and making the death of Jesus “in vain.”  …if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing! (Galatians 2:21)

However, with trust in Jesus as your Savior, you make sure that for you, His death was not in vain. I hope you will join me in praying that for more and more people in our world His death was not in vain. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. (1 John 2:2)

Growing up in the 60s and 70s, I sang the words of “The Offertory” from The Lutheran Hymnal almost every Sunday.

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from Thy presence and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation; and uphold me with Thy free spirit. Amen.

 These words, based on Psalm 51:10-12, were sung immediately after the pastor finished his sermon. Do you remember that there were two different melodies, one found on page 12 for the service without Holy Communion and one on page 22 for the service with Holy Communion?  The words were the same, but the tunes were not!

When you trust God and His promises, when you believe that Jesus is your Savior, you have the JOY of knowing you have been set free from sin’s power and death’s grip. You have salvation.

But too often we live our lives as if we had sung “REMOVE from me the joy of Thy salvation.” We have a tendency to wallow in the misery of the moment. We shackle ourselves and others with the rules and regulations of traditions. We live as though we have no hope and there is no hope. That is because we forget what we already have in Jesus: forgiveness. The JOY of God’s salvation as a gift. It needs to be restored day after day, week after week, month after month, until we see Him face to face.

That restoration takes place when you spend time in God’s Word. It happens when you remember your Baptism. You are restored in the fellowship of other believers, especially when you receive the Lord’s Supper for the strengthening of your faith and reminder that your sins have been forgiven.

My father-in-law used to restore old cars, mostly Model A Fords. It seemed like the more he worked on a car, the more he found that needed to be done. He was striving for perfection, which was unattainable. But he kept working on those cars in an almost never-ending process.

You and I are an ongoing restoration project as well. Jesus has claimed us as His own, buying us back from sin and death by His sacrifice on the cross. With faith in Him we know we belong to Him from now on. We know we won’t reach perfection this side of heaven, but Jesus keeps working on us and in us. He wants us to be restored in the certainty of our life and salvation. So when we ask Him to restore the joy, He will do so.

One of the hallmarks of Lutheranism is the encouragement of all Christians to be in the Word of God, reading and studying it themselves, not simply being content to have “the church” tell them what it says or what it means. Luther translated Scripture into the language of his people for that very reason.

I think people need to be reminded of that on a regular basis. The first president of our church body, C.F.W. Walther, did just that in a book entitled “From Our Master’s Table.” He spoke of the importance of lay people who know and study God’s Word (Acts 17:11, 1 Peter 3:15-16).

“Teachers must not rule over the consciences of their hearers and hearers must not follow their teachers like blind puppets. In the church there must be no spiritual masters. The knowledge of the mysteries of the religion must not be a monopoly of a special class of people, a priestly caste. Every Christian must wear the Urim and the Thumim of truth upon his chest as a spiritual priest. The layman himself must also, therefore, delve into the Scripture, draw out of the well and, by his own freely being convinced, believe, without building on human authority; he must not, like an inanimate machine, say, as did that coal merchant: “I believe what the “church believes,” without having learned, tested and proven the faith of the church. The layman must be sure of his relation to God without human, priestly mediation and be able to speak and give answer for himself for the hope that is in him, without having to call upon the better insight of his teacher. Yes, the laity must be fit and always become more competent to judge the doctrine of his teacher, to distinguish the truth from heresy and, thus, to keep watch over those who watch over him. Christians must be children with respect to evil but mature in their understanding. Only when the church is so established does she have the form which her eternal founder has given her, who said: “Therefore, only one is your Master, Christ. But you are all brothers.” That is why the prophet had foretold of the church of the New Covenant: “No one will teach another, but they will all be taught by God, both small and great.” (Jeremiah 31.34; John 6.45)”

I grew up with that encouragement. The church is stronger when we are in God’s Word. One of the prayers that has been used regularly in our worship services is known as “The Collect for the Word.” This is how it appears in “The Lutheran Hymnal” from 1941.

Blessed Lord, who hast caused all Holy Scripture to be written for our learning, grant that we may in such wise hear them, read, mark, learn and inwardly digest them, that by patience and comfort of Thy holy Word we may embrace, and ever hold fast, the blessed hope of everlasting life, which Thou hast given us in our Savior Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

Lord, help us to truly be people of Your Word.

When we travelled to Greece in September, we flew on Lufthansa. As we were returning home on our transatlantic flight, the stewardess walked down the aisle with a huge basket full of small chocolate bars. I have always had a sweet tooth, so I asked if I could have more than one. She smiled and said, “Sure, take three if you want. ‘Alle guten dinge sind drei!’ All good things come in threes!”

I had never heard that expression before, so I asked her about it. She said it is a very common saying in Germany, a light-hearted way of justifying doing something a third time. I did some more checking on it later, and the expression is used many ways. It can also mean “third times a charm.” All good things come in threes.

Isn’t it interesting that the Germans have a saying that GOOD things come in threes, but in this county we talk about BAD things coming in threes.  It has to do with looking for patterns, and I have to admit I much prefer the German attitude on this one.

Something that occurred to me almost immediately when she said “All good things come in threes” is the Trinity. God has chosen to reveal Himself to us Triune, three-in-one. The only true God is Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Deuteronomy 6:4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.

Matthew 28:19 “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”

This is what God tells us about himself, that He is one God but three persons.

He is a loving Father, who made everything and still takes care of us.

He is also the one who came down here as the Son of God, took on flesh, became one of us, so that He could keep the Law for us and offer His sinless life as the payment for the sins of the World.

He is the Spirit who works in us to bring us to faith and continues to work in us to keep us faithful.

All good gifts come to us from the one who reveals Himself as the three-in-one.

A friend of mine recently told me the story of a pastor leading a children’s message. The theme of the sermon that day was fellowship, so he asked the children if any of them knew what fellowship was. A little boy sitting right next to pastor immediately raised his hand. The pastor called on him, and because he was sitting right next to him, the pastor’s mic broadcast his response to the entire congregation: “I’m pretty sure that is what my mom and dad were doing in the shower this morning.”

This kind of response from a child is not surprising. My wife taught preschool many years and she would tell me some of the things her students revealed to her about their parents. She told the parents she would not believe what their children said about them if they promised to do the same!

The thing is, children tend to be honest and forthright. They speak their mind. I saw it in my three daughters and am seeing it again as I watch my grandchildren. Witnessing the power of simple, childlike faith continues to amaze me. And our Lord encourages us to be like that.

Matthew 19:13–14 Then little children were brought to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked those who brought them. Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”

I have heard my grandson speak with absolute conviction about Jesus and His love. He knows what His Lord has done for Him and is not shy about vocalizing that. That is the kind of faith and confidence we all need.

Matthew 21:15–16 But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple area, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they were indignant. “Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked him. “Yes,” replied Jesus, “have you never read, “ ‘From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise’?”

A friend of mine who just recently entered heaven was fond of saying, “Did you know that God doesn’t have any grandchildren? We are ALL His children!” Because we know and believe who Jesus is and what He has done for us through His life and the cross and the empty grave, the kingdom belongs to us. We need to be those declaring His praise.