WATCHWORD:
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Colossians 3:15-17
I thank and praise you, God of my ancestors:
You have given me wisdom and power,
you have made known to me what we asked of you,
you have made known to us the dream of the king. Daniel 2:23
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
his love endures forever. Psalm 118:1
Meditation:
Let it Snow!
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow! I am a snow lover! A little snow is not enough, I want piles of it, a beautiful, glistening, white covering the whole country. A clean, fresh. white, reminding us of the purity of God’s blessings. For me, there is something about a snow fall that fits nicely into my comfort zone.
I was in my third year as Dean at the college, and the famous blizzard of 1979 had buried the town and this part of the state. We had ten or twelve students that had just returned from an experience in Europe that were stranded in Bethel Seminary, Chicago. Several of us adventurous souls organized a six-car caravan to “rescue” our stranded friends. So, with four-wheel drive vehicles in the front and rear of our column, and all of us connected with radios, we set out. Highway 13 was a tunnel, with 20-foot-high drifts on either side, and US 30 wasn’t much better. It was surreal and I was excited!
Well, we made it, and loaded our students and their luggage, and safely returned to the campus. In my car, the three students were exhausted, but excited to be returning “home”, and their talk was all about their experience. It was all good, but the thing that stood out for me, even after all these years, is the how they expressed the gratitude of “being rescued” and returning to the familiar, their comfort zone, the campus.
As I write this, my traditional stuffed snowman Christmas dolls adorn my window seat, and the white lantern with the cardinals, glistens on the pass-through, each attesting to the fact that the holiday season is coming, ready or not. With this morning’s snow, now melting, just outside my window, and a grey-day all around, it has the feel of a warm, lazy day, putting me in my comfort zone.
I think we all will have a homecoming of sorts when this pandemic eases up and our churches open up and we worship and fellowship together once again. While watching streaming church services in the comfort of our living rooms, with coffee in hand and maybe still in our pajamas, had a nice comfortable feel to it, it’s not the same. We miss the Communion of the Lord and the fellowship of worshiping God, together.
When we return to the more traditional worship of our Lord, it will feel a bit like being rescued and returning to our spiritual comfort zone. It will take some getting used to, what with having to get into our go-to-church clothes for worship, and seeing old friends face-to-face for the first time in a long time. That time apart was good and awful, at the same time. Return to the ‘old normal’ will feel different, strangely familiar and, so much better.
Our Lord calls us to worship, together. Church is us, together, praising Him. Church is the cup of communion and piece of bread or wafer, reminding us of the incredible gift that is ours. Just that thought should stir up the gratitude in our hearts for whose we are and what has been given to us. Thanksgiving was yesterday, but our thanks needs to continue long into the distant future. Even so, let it snow! Amen.
Bulletin Board:
Finally, the construction is complete for inserting Watchwords into the website, now polished and shined, all and cracks and flaws have, hopefully, been removed. So, here is the announcement TA TA!
As you may have noticed, today’s Watchword arrived early in the morning. This is our new schedule going forward – they will arrive in your mailbox at 7 EST. For you in other time zones, figure it out!
Closing Prayer:
Prayer of A Grateful Heart
Thank You, Lord Jesus, for loving me so much that You would come to earth and suffer and die so that I might be saved by grace through faith in You. Words cannot express the depth of gratitude and love that I have, knowing that You love me so very dearly.
As I look at the vastness of Your creation and realize the enormity of Your Person, I am astonished that You should care for me. How can it be that You died for me when I was dead in my sins and at enmity with God?
Thank You, that You provide for me day by day and that when I am weak and fearful You hold me up. Thank You that You have promised to be with me always. Lord Jesus, there is no end to Your goodness and there is no end to my love and gratitude for all You are to me. Praise Your holy name for ever and ever,
