Ensign: All Appreciation

All ye inhabitants of the world, and dwellers on the earth, see ye, when he lifteth up an ensign on the mountains, and when he bloweth a trumpet, hear ye. Isaiah 18:3

AN ENSIGN ON THE MOUNTAINS                                       3 October 2014

Really, you don't need a special month, or even a whole month, to do this.

I tried to find out when Pastor (or Clergy) Appreciation Month was first celebrated. Hallmark first offered clergy Appreciation Cards in 2002. Clergy Appreciation Day is the second Sunday of October. A layperson seems to have first established it in the early 1990s -- heck, I don't remember hearing of it when I was growing up in the 80s! -- and according to Hallmark's website (you know, the greeting card company that's probably established quite a few celebrations to give you a case of the guilts, "The celebration was established in 1992 with a mission of uplifting and encouraging pastors, missionaries and religious workers." So it's not only pastors who get October attention.

"The laborer is worthy of his hire." "I thank my God upon every remembrance of you." I could cut and paste Scripture in here, but I agree with my pastor -- if it doesn't work, don't try to squeeze it in. Besides, if I really needed divine appointment to be thankful, what I lack (as far as I can tell) is a sense of compassion, not religion. More than once I've referred to James 1:27 as the closest Scripture comes to a definition of religion: "... To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, to keep himself unspotted from the world." But any English teacher will or should tell you that is NOT a definition, those are characteristics of, a religion. And if you have paid attention to our recent history, not even of every religion.

It seems from my reading, which is by no means exhaustive, that whenever thanks is mentioned in Scripture it is never mentioned in a vacuum. It can't be. Thanks has to be given, hence phrases such as "give thanks", "giving thanks", or even "thanksgiving"; thanks has to be given to someone else in order to have any meaning. And more often than not, whenever thanks -- expression of gratitude -- is given in the Bible, it is given to God, not to another human being. Does than mean you and I are supposed to never say "thank you" to others in our lives? Of course not. But it does mean that when we are giving thanks, even when we don't realize it, that we are giving thanks to God for what we has done and Whom we recognize in another person.

Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I HAVE SAID, YE ARE GODS?

Hm. Thank You, God. For years, the psalm that Jesus quotes in John 10:34 (Psalm 82:6) has tripped me up. But as I'm writing this I'm getting more of an inkling of what that means. There must be other gods, little g, or the First Commandment (Exodus 20:2-3) would not have ... well, verse three, "Thou shalt have no other gods before me." Perhaps most of us don't build idols or graven images today (that's covered in the Second Commandment, verses 4-6; it's a no-no), but anything or anyone, even those whom we are thankful to have in our lives, can ultimately become those idols when we presume they have all the answers we need and don't go to the source -- I mean, THE Source -- of our faith.
    
I appreciate that,

David

P.S. I write this weekly devotional to keep in touch, and I hope to encourage you too! If I'm not or you want me to get lost, please tell me -- thank you!

I praise and I thank You, Lord, that we can come to You in prayer and that You provide for all our needs, even when we don't always know what they are. We pray as You ask for the peace of Jerusalem on both sides on the fence and all around the world.

I praise and I thank You, Lord, for all who are in leadership and service both here and abroad. Thank You for the opportunities we have along with the promise of new life in You! AND I pray that we are all seeking and are preparing to have the most blessed and blessing week ever! Amen.