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Thanksgiving

 


As we near the Thanksgiving holiday, I can’t help but think of David’s prayer of praise. We find that in the Old Testament.

 1 Chronicles 29:10-19, “David praised the Lord in the presence of the whole assembly, saying, “Praise be to you, Lord, the God of our father Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, Lord, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all. Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all.  Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name.” 

As we gather with friends and family around the table for our Thanksgiving meal, I pray that we will be reminded of the greatest Thanksgiving of all. However, I am not speaking of the holiday in November! 

The greatest thanksgiving, for most Christians, is celebrated during the Sunday worship services at various times. For some, it is once a month and for others it is once a quarter or even every single Sunday and special occasions. 

What am I talking about? Holy Communion. The Lord’s Supper. Some just call it simply, “Communion.” There is yet, another word, for this sacred meal. That word is “Eucharist.” I actually prefer this word over all the other names. 

The word “Eucharist” is a transliteration of the Greek word “Eucharistia.” The translation literally means “thanksgiving” or “the giving of thanks.” It also notes gratefulness. So, the interesting thing is that it implies that “thanksgiving” is shown to God, and God alone, with a reverent heart in the act of worship. 

There is a phrase that is similar to the meaning of “Eucharist” that usually begins most Hebrew prayers. It is “Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheinu…” which means “Blessed are you, Lord our God.”

 May we never forget those words that remind us of the greatest Thanksgiving of all: The Lord our God who lavished His redemptive love upon fallen humanity to offer salvation from our sins through the atoning sacrifice and blood of His only Son Jesus Christ, and to adopt us back into a loving, intimate relationship where we are His children and He is our Father and our God. 

John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” Let us always be thankful and live our lives in vibrant faith and gratefulness for the body and blood of Jesus. That, indeed, is our “Eucharist” as well as our thanksgiving.

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