A DIFFERENT THANKSGIVING BIRD
November 24, 2013 by Ken Dale
Preaching this morning posed an interesting dilemma. Today we celebrate Thanksgiving Sunday but on the church calendar it is Christ the King or Reign of Christ. The scriptures for today focus on the reign of God in Christ. The gospel lesson is the conversation between the crucified Jesus and the thieves who hung on crosses to either side of him. The church calendar would have us sing Crown Him with Many Crowns instead of We Gather Together. I was totally lost for a topic – even after Bible study on Tuesday morning where something usually clicks for the sermon. But then something wonderful happened Wednesday night as I was fixing myself some supper. Hold on?.
The two texts before us this morning are wonderful. The epistle lesson from Paul?s letter to the Colossians speaks of the centrality of Jesus Christ for Paul. Paul says that Jesus is the image of the invisible God, the first born of all creation, in whom all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell and through whom God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things. Paul says in him – all things hold together. Powerful images of how central Jesus is for Paul?s thinking and faith. Of course I agree with Paul on that – I hope you do too – or at least give it some good thought. It?s really powerful.
The Psalm before us, Psalm 46 – is the one Martin Luther based his hymn A Mighty Fortress is Our God on. It too has some wonderful images. Within that Psalm is the word Selah – it comes after verses 3, 7 and 11. It is a difficult Hebrew word to translate or understand — in part it is a place where there could be a musical interlude. But the essence of the word is captured in this phrase: Stop – and think about that – Stop and think about what you?ve just heard. Speaking of God as our refuge and strength, a very present in trouble, so we will not fear – even though the earth should change – though the mountains tremble with its tumult. STOP – and ponder that! God is OUR refuge – our safe haven, our sanctuary – our shelter. The Psalm then speaks of where God dwells – in the midst of the city – Jerusalem – and because God is there the city shall not be moved – God will help it when the morning dawns – the nations are in an uproar, kingdoms totter – God utters the voice of God and the earth melts! God is with us – the God of Jacob is OUR refuge – STOP and think about that! And that last section of the Psalm speaks of the works of God – bringing desolations to the earth – making wars to cease – breaking the bow, shattering the spear, burning the shields with fire – notice those are all weapons and they are offensive and defensive. And immediately following we hear these words: Be still, and know that I am God! Rick Floyd had a wonderful devotional on that this past Friday noting that one scholar says that ?be still and know that I am God? is not a good translation as it sounds like an invitation to meditation or relaxation. It is better understood STOP and throw down your weapons. In the Psalm God then says, I AM EXALTED AMONG THE NATIONS, I AM EXALTED IN THE EARTH. It is that God who is with us – STOP and think about that.
Tuesday evening as Kathy was busy with a friend – I had a lovely dinner and conversation with Kim Hoare across the street at the Public House. We were in the dining room but in the pub section they had trivia night going on. At one point they started playing small sections of Beatle songs which had to be identified. Having been a big Beatle fan in my younger days our conversation was frequently interrupted by my naming the song – We were chatting and all of a sudden I?d say ?Lady Madonna? ?Nowhere Man? – I think I got all but the last one. The next night Kathy was at a meeting so when I got home I was fixing myself some supper and the tv was on in the other room and 207 was on. They begin and end the show with musical selections. That night it was a group that played Beatle songs – and the first song they played was Blackbird. One of my favorites. That?s when the sermon came.
The reign of God is accomplished in surprising ways. That Palm Sunday entry into Jerusalem by Jesus on one side of town was very likely matched by Pilate?s entry with a full cohort of troops and armor and warhorses – military might on the other side of town – showing who was really in charge. On the other hand was Jesus? entry – a parade that began not with proud, strong legionnaires in the lead – but with a rabble of ordinary folk and little children – palm branches – all followed by a rabbi on a donkey. The week that followed we know ended in a crucifixion – and it looked like all was lost – but then there was that first Easter morning and then a new faith came into being as more sought to follow Jesus and experience and share the love of God that was revealed in his life. Through his life, death and resurrection as Paul says, ?God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things? – ALL THINGS!!
Can there be a greater thing to be thankful for at Thanksgiving than that reign of Christ – that kingdom of God – however you want to word it? It is the grace of God! It is a victorious faith that touches all the other things for which we may be thankful at Thanksgiving. Is there anything greater to be thankful for than the God in whom we believe – that can bring life out of death, hope out of despair, and new possibilities out of the fragments left by human destruction? This past Friday many of us remembered and perhaps relived in some ways the events of 50 years ago when President Kennedy was assassinated – a time that changed history in many ways. No doubt those of us who were here at that time do remember where we were and what we were doing when we heard the news. This nation experienced great grief but then rallied around the visions of that president that lead to things like putting a man on the moon and the civil rights movement. The nation was shocked but focused. New life came out of brokenness.
In our lives as individuals and families there are those times of brokenness. Just as example I think of our entering the holidays and how difficult it will be for those who have lost family members during the past year – the holidays will be painfully different and difficult. But there is a greater love that will enable them to get through – and live on – and maybe even in some way be stronger for the experience. That is the reign of God – the grace of God revealed to us in Christ – at work in so many ways and at so many levels in life?s journey.
The different Thanksgiving bird? (Thank you Lucy for the title!) Well of course it is Blackbird. Do you know the song? It very well could speak of God?s grace. A wonderful gentle tune with words that say:
Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these broken wings and learn to fly
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to arise
Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these sunken eyes and learn to see
all your life
you were only waiting for this moment to be free
Blackbird fly, Blackbird fly
Into the light of the dark black night.
Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these broken wings and learn to fly
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to arise
Blackbird fly, Blackbird fly
Into the light of the dark black night.
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to arise
May the blessing of the faith we share be high on your list for Thanks -giving this year and always.
Amen.