Psalm 100 - A psalm of thanksgiving
Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth.
Worship the Lord with gladness; come
Into his presence with singing.
Know that the Lord is God, it is He that has made us,
And we are his, we are his people,
And the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
And his courts with praise.
Give thanks to him, bless his name.
For the Lord is good; his steadfast love
Endures forever, and his faithfulness to
All generations.
There are some great words in these few verses: joyful, gladness, singing [no masks here], The Lord is God, He made us, we are his, we are his people, sheep of his pasture, thank him, bless his name, his love endures. When we want some encouragement, think on the reasons we are called to make a joyful noise.
Times are tough, and I certainly acknowledge that fact. However, we have a lot to be thankful for [conventions are over being one]. One of the things we can be most thankful for is the ongoing, continuing opportunities we have to witness to our faith and our relationship to our loving God. There are people all around us that do not have the realization that God loves them. We can help them with that.
We had river fast boats come to our area after Florence from Louisiana, and now we can give something back. Food banks are being supported, children are getting things they need for school [virtual or not] from people they don’t know and will probably never meet. Companies are helping with flexible hours and leave times. Are they all, nope but some are, and we should support them. An example I just learned is that Harris Teeter will make a donation to the school of your choice from a portion of any store brand items you purchase. All you need to do is let Customer Service know the school you want to receive the money. I understand that has been going on for a while, but it’s new to me.
People are coming together in support for one another; even with social distancing and mask requirements. Is everything sweetness and light; of course not. Is everything doom and gloom, of course not. One thing is that more people are trying to be positive than are insisting on being negative. We can encourage one another, and I am thankful that we have those opportunities. Don’t let them slip by without a response.
Help Us Accept Each Other
Help us accept each other as Christ accepted us;
Teach us as sister, brother, each person to embrace.
Be present, Lord, among us, and bring us to believe
We are ourselves accepted and meant to love and live.
Christ Jesus has made us his own. Press on toward the goal
of knowing Christ and the power of his resurrection.
May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord
be kind and gracious to you; and look upon you with favor.
May the Lord grant you peace. Amen.
Pastor David Brosnan