Thanksgiving has given us the opportunity to gather and to give thanks to God. I want us to reflect today on lessons learned around the table. Gathering around a table with family and friends is a wonderful blessing. We pass our favourites and savour the flavours and the memories evoked. We hear the latest news of what has been happening with each person. We generally feel full and recognize that God really has been good to us. Thanksgiving is usually about tried and true recipes. These are what we anticipate and are happy to see there on the table ready to enjoy. Now let me ask what happens when there is something different than the usual Thanksgiving menu? How do we feel about a different dish with different seasonings than what we have had before? Sometimes we may feel reluctant to try something new, to have something prepared in a different way. We really liked what we’ve always had. What will it take for us to at least sample the new dish? If we refuse to do that, we may miss something that really could be delicious. Consider with me James 1:17, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” I am reflecting that in this last while we have been given some different and unfamiliar dishes to taste. There have been unfamiliar ways of doing things during this pandemic. We have had to adapt both at home and at church. Our inclination is to want to gather around the table and to keep up the same traditions and to have the same menu. What if God is offering us something new and different out of all this? This Scripture from James assures us that God does not change. Our faith in God and the saving power of His Son Jesus does not change. Yet, there may well be blessing available in the good and perfect gifts that God makes available through something very different to our taste. Our willingness to try the something new that God is offering can grow in us as we pray. Will you plan to join us for our WEDNESDAY PRAYER TOGETHER tomorrow October 13th at 1 pm?
Praying for our willingness to try something new and unfamiliar that God prepares for us, Pastor Lola
Thank You God that You are a loving God who does provide us with good gifts from above. Thank You for those we gathered with over Thanksgiving and all that was shared. We are grateful for the gifts of family and friends, each person unique and special to us. Thank You for the abundance of good wholesome food and the richness of conversations and love that was exchanged. Many memories of times past come to our minds when we are seated around a table. And God remind us that if we find ourselves alone at the table without others there, that You are there with us. Our God today we want to be willing to learn lessons that You are prepared to teach us around a table. We admit to You that our tendency is to want to follow the usual traditions and to have the same food we always have. Sometimes we are a bit more adventuresome and when we are there is the possibility of sampling something that we discover really is good. We are praying today that in our faith relationship with you we will be open to something new that You want us to taste. We pray that we will not insist on always following the same patterns and doing things the exact same way. God how is it that You are inviting us to encounter You in new ways? What are the different flavours that you are inviting us to experience? We recognize God that You are infinite and have an infinite number of ways for us to experience You. Forgive us for limiting what You are prepared to do in us and through us. God please remind us that if what we have always done becomes stale that You have fresh flavours for us to taste. God every day we want to be tasting and seeing that You are good. We have tasted and seen Your goodness and we do give thanks. We pray that our faith in You will grow as we grow more willing to receive what You are offering to us. Thank You God that the risk of trying something new from You is a risk that we can take together. Please show us how to encourage each other in the gift of trusting You. God You are a Master Chef whom we can rely on to prepare what will be good. Sometimes our first reaction to something different will be uncertainty. Today we pray for courage to receive what You have prepared with us in mind. Your awareness of what will be good for us is reassuring and we thank You that You do prepare good gifts for us with our personal needs in mind. Thank you God that when we gather and pause to give thanks for what we are about to receive that You are there waiting to see if we will receive the blessing of what You have arranged for us. Oh God, please continue to reveal Yourself at the table with us and longing for us to take what You have prepared for us, longing for us to know you more. We thank You and commit everything of who we are becoming into Your hands. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.