"First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior..." I Timothy 2:1-3
It's always a challenge to preach around the holidays, to try to say something new about a subject we know so well. So, here in the U.S., Thanksgiving Day is coming up, and I ask myself: What's a new way to say, "Be thankful"? Or, What is a new thing to be thankful for?
Well, here's one that is almost sure to be unpopular. Those yahoos on Capitol Hill, for whom I did not vote, and with whose policies I disagree? I am to offer prayers of thanksgiving to God for them!
Try this, when it comes to the big Turkey Day meal: If it is your custom on that day to go around the table and have everyone tell what they are thankful for, blurt out that you are thankful for government officials--even the ones you don't like, and whose agendas you oppose! I mean, after all, Paul is talking about the Roman emperor here! That's not a guy who reflected the values of the fledgling church a lot of the time, and there was no chance that they could vote him out of office!
What are your least-favorite things to give thanks for--even though you know you should?
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My non-believing, often obnoxious to the point of self-mutilation, family.
I should be thankful for them, especially my mom. But it's...painful, to say the least. Thanks for cleaning out wounds we don't like to think about, Allen. Really.
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