"Praise the Lord! Praise the name of the Lord; give praise, O servants of the Lord, you that stand in the house of the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God. Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good; sing to his name, for he is gracious."
Psalm 135:1-3
Do you say grace? Many households observe the tradition of pausing before a meal to give thanks for the food and other good things in their lives and on their tables. As a child you may have learned: “God is great & God is good, let us thank Him for our food.” Sometimes each person says their own grace, which could be a verse from Scripture such as: I was glad when they said unto me let us go into the house of the Lord, or The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want; or (the shortest one on record and the one that my brothers would rush to say first) Jesus wept.
Grace is our way of thanking God for provision, for always being there for us. And during this time of a global health crisis, economic crisis, and political crisis, it can lead to an emotional crisis and even a crisis of faith. But what I know for sure, is that Christ is bigger than the crisis. Faith conquers fear. And God’s love always wins. These are not just platitudes, but declarations of our belief system.
The more gratitude we squeeze into our lives, the less room there is for resentment and despair. So this Thanksgiving, why not say "grace" for everything that God has blessed us with...for family, friends, jobs, your church...for peace, joy, love, and mercy...for God's unconditional love and Jesus' sacrifice on the cross...for all these things and more, we say grace!
Worship with us online this Sunday at 10:00am, at www.umcgt.org, as we celebrate Thanksgiving by Saying Grace. And may you and your family have a safe and blessed holiday in Jesus’ name, Amen!
Blessings,
Pastor Linda
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