Author Archives: reveds

Unknown's avatar

About reveds

Occupation: Pastor, Ebenezer Presbyterian Church, Lennox, SD Education: BS - Christian Education, Sterling College; MDiv. - Princeton Theological Seminary Family: Married, with Four children. Hobbies: Running (will someday run a marathon), Sci-Fi (especially Doctor Who and Sherlock), Theater, and anything else my kids will let me do.

Things to be Thankful For

Posted on by
Reply

Oh come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!
Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise !
Psalm 95:1-2

Once again Thanksgiving is upon us, and I’m not ready for it.  For me as a Pastor, Thanksgiving tends to get overlooked.  The fall is so busy in the church with the start of all the new programs and classes.  Even in October I start looking ahead to Advent, Christmas, and the start of a new year.  If it wasn’t for Thanksgiving, I don’t know if I’d ever stop to think about the things that I am really thankful for.  Just for tomorrow’s big day I thought I’d share some things for which I am truly thankful.

  • My Family – I know it sounds cliché, but I am very thankful for my family. 
    • I have four wonderful children.  They can try my nerves, they’ve given me gray hairs, and sometimes I wonder how much I could get for them on eBay.  But the joy they bring and the pride I have in them far outweigh anything else.  I love watching them grow and learn, to see their unique personalities emerge.  Thank you God for these wonderful blessings.
    • I have a wife who knows me and still loves me, and for that I am eternally grateful.  She gets me, and that’s quite a miracle.  I wake up every morning and she’s still there – and I’m the luckiest guy on earth.  I know I don’t deserve her, I often take her for granted, but I do thank God for bringing us together and giving us the love we share.
  • My Job – I have the opportunity to do what I love for a living, and that’s something rare.  I am blessed to be called to the ministry; I get to share on a daily basis the Good News of God’s love; I get to witness the grace of God changing lives; I’m called Pastor and I am trusted and respected as a teacher of God’s Word.  Some days I am overwhelmed by the calling, but I am thankful that God has led me here to serve Him and His congregation.
  • My Nation and those who defend her.
    • I thank God that I get to live in a nation where Liberty and Justice are the foundation of our society.  Some might say that those great ideals are being eroded, but the fact that we can say that without threat of violence or repercussion is evidence that we are still a free nation.
    • I am truly grateful for those men and women who volunteer to serve this nation in the Armed Forces.  Every day they offer themselves in defense of our freedoms, they fight to protect our way of life.  They don’t hear it enough, so I’ll say it again, “Thank You!”
  • My Salvation in Christ – Most importantly, I give thanks to God for the gift of Salvation He has given in Jesus Christ.  I am constantly aware of how little I deserve God’s love and favor, how far from Him I strayed.  Left to my own ways, I would never earn God’s forgiveness, nor would I even care.  But God, who is rich in mercy and love in Jesus Christ, has made me alive with Him, has washed me of my sin, has called me to walk with Him, and has filled my heart with hope.  Thank you, Father, for your love for me in Jesus my Lord!

Have a great Thanksgiving, and may you find many things for which to be truly thankful!

SDG

A Wake Up Call

Posted on by
Reply

If your dentist is like mine, you usually receive a reminder in the mail just a week or so before your next scheduled visit.  I really appreciate the reminder, but it never comes soon enough.  Immediately following a visit to the dentist, I’m really good about flossing and rinsing on a regular basis.  When I get the card a week or two before the next appointment, I start rinsing and flossing with a renewed passion and commitment.  It’s those 6 to 12 months in between visits, however, that I really need to work on (please don’t tell my dentist). 

The postcard comes as a warning, too little too late.  I’ve been blessed so far with relatively healthy teeth (only a couple of cavities so far).  That’s not the problem.  For me the problem is the shame and guilt that comes with the visit, having to confess to the hygienist that I haven’t been flossing, rinsing, or brushing as thoroughly as I ought.  I go through the same cycle of emotions.  The postcard tells me to get my act together so I can avoid the critical reproach of my beloved dentist.

And that is what Advent is all about.

We struggle to manage the busyness of our lives.  Seasons come and go.  We plan for tomorrow and tomorrow’s tomorrow.  Eventually we get lulled into a sense of complacency and comfort, never really thinking about the meaning behind what we’re doing.  Then Advent comes along.  In the middle of our Christmas preparations, the presents, the decorations, the family visits; Advent stands out like a postcard from heaven saying, “Get it together, Jesus is coming back.”

For the longest time I struggled with the fact that the recommended lectionary readings for the first Sunday of Advent every year are all about the Second Coming of Christ.  Jesus tells us that there will be signs and omens, persecutions and catastrophes, wars and rumors of wars; all of this would take place before the coming of the Son of Man.  I wondered how this was a Christmas message at all.  Now I realize that Advent is not a “countdown to Christmas,” and Christmas isn’t just about the birth of our Savior.  Advent is a blaring alarm, calling us out of the monotony of our spiritual lives, reminding us to keep watch and be ready.  Christmas is a celebration of the birth of our Savior, of God dwelling with us; just as much as it is a reminder that if Christ came once to save us, He will return to bring us home.

Jesus is coming back, are you ready?  I don’t want to be caught unprepared, with a crushing sense of guilt and shame for having not lived up to His calling.  Advent reminds me to get back to the work at hand, to live for Him so that people will see that He lives in me.

Consider this Advent your wake up call.  Be ready, keep watch for you never know – our Lord is coming soon.  It might just be today! 

SDG