Email from Church of the Redeemer

Morning Devotion for the Season after Pentecost

November 25, 2022

Invitatory

Grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son: and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness: Come let us adore him.

Reading - Psalm 34:1-8

I will bless the Lord at all times; *

his praise shall ever be in my mouth.

I will glory in the Lord; *

let the humble hear and rejoice.

Proclaim with me the greatness of the Lord; *

let us exalt his Name together.

I sought the Lord, and he answered me *

and delivered me out of all my terror.

Look upon him and be radiant, *

and let not your faces be ashamed.

I called in my affliction and the Lord heard me *

and saved me from all my troubles.

The angel of the Lord encompasses those who fear him, *

and he will deliver them.

Taste and see that the Lord is good; *

happy are they who trust in him!

Meditation - Winnie Smith

Most of us celebrated Thanksgiving yesterday. This is one of my favorite holidays for so many reasons: I love to cook, and this day is the Olympics of food preparation. I enjoy my family’s traditions of a long walk in the woods with our dogs followed by casual viewing of the Macy’s parade and then a serious focus on the non-sporting group of the National Dog Show (always rooting for the standard poodle!) The day takes work. Preparing to host a dozen or fifteen friends requires ample cleaning and planning in addition to all the cooking, but it is in the truest sense a labor of love. Once the meal is served and we sit around the table, my overwhelming feeling is one of gratitude. How appropriate for a day about giving thanks!

In one of our regular staff meetings last week, Rebecca and I noted that teenagers often claim Thanksgiving as their favorite holiday of the year. This is not because they go somewhere exotic or do something particularly extraordinary; in fact, most we have spoken to love that they get to be in their own houses, often with extended family visiting. So why the enthusiasm about this day?

We surmised that it is because Thanksgiving is truly a day of sabbath. Even with the work involved, this is a day marked by an overwhelming sense of togetherness, of presence. It is about being, working, and relaxing together. It is one of the very few days in our busy lives that encourages us to ignore homework, practices, and email. Thanksgiving is a day that reminds us of the very joy and privilege of being alive and encourages us to stop and revel in that.

Psalm 34:1-8, appointed for this morning, is a hymn of praise. “I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth…I sought the Lord, and he answered me, and delivered me from all my fears. O taste and see that the Lord is good; happy are those who take refuge in him.” Thanksgiving is a day set aside specifically for giving thanks, but for Christians, every day should be a mini Thanksgiving. Our constant posture towards God should be one of gratitude. For “our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life” (from the General Thanksgiving, BCP p. 101), we owe our thanks to God. Let today be not the day after Thanksgiving, but another day to wake up and bless the Lord.

The Lord's Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven,

hallowed be thy Name,

thy kingdom come,

thy will be done,

on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our trespasses,

as we forgive those

who trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom,

and the power, and the glory

for ever and ever. Amen.