Now and Again

Home. Feels good to be back home after enjoying Thanksgiving with my North Carolina family. The season of Advent began before the last of the turkey turned into Chris's soup. So, now what? It feels like the squeeze is on. But like my friend, Maggie Rowe, wrote, "I'm making a To-Don't List." She's Norwegian and tough enough to make that happen. Or in this case, not happen.

Each day presents us with choice moments of what to do and what is better left undone. Or, if you're indecisive, like I can be, you just add it to tomorrow's list. Some day I'll learn to just let some stuff go.

Well, probably more than a few of you sang the hymn, Now, Thank We All Our God, at a Thanksgiving service. The one who wrote it was a minister in Eilenberg, Germany, during the Thirty Years War. Because Eilenberg was a walled city, people came from all over Germany to seek a safe place. During that war, Germary went from 16 million to 6 million. I read about this in William and Randy Petersen's One Year Book of Psalms, published by Tyndale.

Hard to imagine such catastrophic loss. But it got worse. In 1637 the plague slithered in and during one year, Rev. Martin Rinchart, held funerals for 5000 people, including his wife. Yet, and this is a big YET, it was during this time he wrote, "NOW, thank we all our God, with hearts and hands and voices. Who wondrous things hath done, in whom his world rejoices." I suspect that many a song has been sobbed out, more than scribbled, at first.

To thank God, when Pastor Rinchart wrote under those conditions, makes no earthly sense. But the Psalms are filled with men, women and children who chose to sing anyhow. And like the men and women of faith in Hebrews 11, they encourage us to do likewise. Now! To praise God, now, when the prodigal doesn't return. And to thank God, now, when the miracle of healing didn't happen. Now, thank God, as an act of faith and trust, when we lost our job, or SNAP benefits and Christmas is coming. And when the relationship seems too broken to be mendable.

Your pain, disappointment, and fear may be different from mine, but we have the same choice. To thank God NOW, in the middle of the muddle. When the heavens seem made of brass and our prayers seem to bounce back,unheard, this is when we choose to trust in God's timing. Like Hebrews 11:1 reminds us, "Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see."(New Living Translation)

And Advent reminds us of the coming of Christ more than two thousand years ago in Bethlehem, but also that Jesus keeps coming! He comes to us now, when we've lost our song and too much hope. Christ comes now when we're sick and tired of being sick and tired. And Christ comes now when we struggle to make ends meet and feel as if no one cares. Or feel all alone and unseen.

Well, that's when we get to offer our mustard seed of faith to Jesus. And it's just enough to sing a note or two. And God only knows what can happen when those notes start rising in praise and thanksgiving from all over the world, for no earthly reason.

But here's the hard part for all of us, going from trusting God in the dark, and wanting to be grateful to actually trusting and thanking God .

Are you ready to sob or sing out a note or two?

Now?

NOW thank we all our God with hearts and hands and voices.

Heaven's on tip-toe, loving listening to faith singing its heart out.

Now.

And again.