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Thoughts of the Dei - "Extended Thankfulness" |
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Sunday, 27 November 2011 |
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Extended Thankfulness
When I think about this time of year and all of the holidays and the wonderful meals that will be shared with friends and family, I can't help but think of leftovers. That's right, leftovers. Leftover Halloween candy, leftover turkey and pumpkin pie, leftover Christmas cookies… I simply love holiday leftovers. And the reason I think that I love leftovers so much, is that they are the glue, the mortar that holds the holiday season together. They help to connect and extend the holiday cheer as we laugh and share together "little thanksgivings" over kitchen counters and TV trays, in lunch boxes, and waiting for us after late night meetings. Leftovers remind us that the joy of the holiday season can go on far past a one night celebration...and I like that.
In her article for the December 2010 Lutheran Magazine, Sue Edison-Swift reflects on the sustaining thankfulness of leftovers. She writes: "Just as leftovers extend the deliciousness of Thanksgiving dinner, extending the thankfulness of the holiday is especially satisfying."
I wonder if in some ways, we live today in a time of leftovers. With worship attendance in most mainline Christian churches continuing to decline as American congregationalism wanes, I wonder if instead of wishing it was the glory days of years past, we could instead embrace the opportunities we have today to still share what it means to be the church. Instead of wishing everyday could be Thanksgiving or Christmas, perhaps we could enjoy the leftovers and...extend the thankfulness.
It seems to me, that the call to faithful discipleship is the challenge to share the leftovers of God's grace. Grace that was made available to us in and through the cross and that was made real for us in and through Jesus the Christ. And although this was a one-time event, it provided leftovers so wonderfully rich, so decadent, that the sharing of it continues to satisfy and sustain us...even to this day. So before you turn up your nose at Mom's turkey casserole a week after Thanksgiving, remember that we gather, week after week, around the Lord's Table and share in the extended thankfulness of God's leftovers.
May God bless you and your family this holiday season...and long after!
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