November Letter

Tucked away in the Old Testament book of Psalms is one of the most wonderful and potent of the Psalms, as well as, one of the shortest. Yet the words of Psalm 100 have been the basis for numerous homilies, classical renditions, worship songs, and poems.

Many people have committed the Psalm to memory because to focus on one verse alone is to do injustice to the message of the Psalm overall. The Psalm proclaims the sovereignty of God and an acknowledgment of His goodness. A reminder that one is too enter worship with a thankful heart.

Psalm 100
A psalm. For giving thanks.

1 Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.
2 Worship the LORD with gladness? come before him with joyful songs.
3 Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his? we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise? give thanks to him and praise his name.
5 For the LORD is good and his love enduresforever? his faithfulness continues through all generations.

The Psalm reflects the character of God and our response to His goodness. There is also a practical element here for you and me. It is that recognition that I need to praise God for my many blessings. In a world today that can be rather cynical, focuses on the negative and lacks in grace (especially on the highway at rush hour)? this Psalm is a refreshing reminder of why we exist and the spiritual attitude adjustment that is needed.

Likewise, perhaps the best thing about November in the United States is a reminder that we have a National Day commemorating a day of giving thanks. For over a decade I lived in China & Hong Kong and I learned to appreciate a lot of significant holidays as I traveled throughout Asia. Chinese New Year is probably the largest celebration. In mainland China it can last up to 15 days and it is much like Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day celebrations rolled up into one where one gathers with family, gives gifts and wishes everyone a prosperous new year as you watch the fireworks show. As I write this the sounds of firecrackers, red banners, Dragon Dancers, red money packets (gifts), small oranges and candy on trays offered to visitors, and large fireworks displays flood my mind as I recall the joy in the air as I visit with my Asian and International friends. Our holiday season has a striking uniqueness in that the focus is an acknowledgement and praise for what we have been giving from God Almighty. We praise God for the freedom we enjoy in this prosperous land. We praise God at Christmas for the birth of the Savior of the World that is come to lighten our dark path. Psalm 100 is also a reminder and a proclamation that the earth is to rejoice with “gladness” because we know who our God is and He knows His sheep.

The greatest joy I have every night is when I am greeted by my lovely wife and wonderful children as they shout “Dadddddy’s home! I missed you” as they shower me with hugs and kisses as I enter the door.” It is the official greeting as I arrive and it signals the beginning of the nightly routine of getting caught up on the activity of the day, reading books, reviewing homework, and thanking God for another day as children get tucked into bed with prayers of thanksgiving and prayers of supplication. When the routine is broken because I have a late night meeting (which often happens) it seems something isn’t right with the world. My wife and children seem to hate my job, fight more with each other and I get a cold shoulder from my wife.

Why? Is it because they long for the deep relationship we share as family? Is not also because we desire to sing praise more than we long for more tension? Of course it is. The bottom line is this? we were created to worship God. If we don’t worship the Creator, we will make something else an idol of the heart. God reminds us that our trueNorth compass is accurate and calibrated
when we praise God simply for who He is and what He as done individually and corporately with joy in your hearts.

That same joy will spill over into to every walk of life. This holiday season stop and reflect on what you have and not on what you DO NOT have (Wall Street has given us enough to think about what we don’t have anymore). No, let your focus be on praising God for family, life, friends, and a country with freedom to worship. Then maybe what will be the result of this is the recognition that there are a lot of people around us that are less fortunate than us. Maybe
this is the year that you make someone else’s Thanksgiving or Christmas a little brighter.
Maybe this is the year you go without one of your presents to give to someone else around the world that is struggling to count their blessings because of a recent tragedy. Or maybe as you are driving to visit family or friends this Thanksgiving you just sit back and say, “I am blessed! I am not going to let the stress of this holiday season get to me. I am going to be a Psalm 100
Thanksgiver.”

“Wheresoever you go, go with all your heart.” Confucius, Chinese Philosopher

Blessings,
Pastor Randy