Over the past week, we’ve looked at ways Nature reminds us to be Grateful to God for God’s action in our lives. I hope you’ve had a chance to glance at some of the Facebook images that inspired me to think about God in Nature and to give thanks.
We also celebrated the Feast of All Saints, and on Saturday the church remembered ‘All the Faithful Departed’ (those who haven’t been made saints, but who are dear to us). It made me think about my mother, who would have turned 89 last month. Even though she died 24 years ago, her life still impacts me. This week, I suggest looking at your Heritage and your History (personal or corporate) for ways to be Grateful. Join me on Facebook and post words, images, or insights of your History or Heritage that remind you to be grateful
We are all inter-related, and so my history and heritage make a difference to me, and to those I encounter and relate to. In the same way, their history and heritage effects how they relate to me. If we took time to learn one another’s stories, we would discover that we have similarities, as well as differences. Despite religious differences, skin color, nationality, or politics we are made in the image of God and every one is called ‘beloved’ by God.
As you look at your History and Heritage, you may want to think about ways that your past has made you God’s “servant and the child of your handmaid.” (Psalm 116) In my own case, my mother was instrumental in my being baptized and ultimately identifying as an ‘Episcopalian’ when fellow High School students asked me what my religion was. In my youthful naivete, because I was baptized in the Episcopal church, that’s where I belonged. Looking back, there were, of course, other options. I could have made my paternal grandmother joyful by becoming a Seventh Day Adventist. I might have joined the Baptist church because a couple of friends went there. Instead I began attending, and was welcomed into, the Episcopal church.
The Psalm for the Remembrance of All the Faithful Departed is Psalm 116:10-17. It fits into our theme of Gratitude this month. The Psalm asks, “How shall I repay the Lord for all the good things he has done for me?” The Psalmist’s answer is “I will lift up the cup of salvation and call upon the Name of the Lord. I will fulfill my vows to the Lord...I will offer you the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and call upon the Name of the Lord.” As you consider what in your Heritage or history makes you feel thankful, ask yourself in what way you can make a ‘sacrifice of thanksgiving’.
As you think about what parts of your Heritage make you grateful, you may want to remember those ‘faithful departed’ in your own life. As the Psalm reminds us, “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his servants.” Think about the ways those of your family in the near or distant past have made you who you are, and perhaps even formed the way you think about God.
For instance, my paternal grandmother gave me the grounding in Bible stories that eventually led me to teaching Sunday School and writing. My maternal great-grandfather was a Methodist pastor. Even though I never knew the man, just the knowledge that he was a pastor was important to my formation as a Christian. In the same way, his wife was a music teacher and I have always wondered if my love of music came from her.
What is your History on a-personal, religious, or family level?
Who has impacted how your History has been written in each of those areas?
The Epistle for All Faithful Departed calls us to “be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord, because you know that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” (1 Corinthians 15:58)
What Heritage are you leaving for those who come after?
Who do you impact on in your personal, religious, or family relationships?
If you need Biblical inspiration about ways your history and heritage are important, consider the readings for All the Faithful departed (Isaiah 25:6-9, I Corinthians 15:50-58, John 5:24-27), or some of these Bible verses.
Ps 127
Hebrews 12:1
Deuteronomy 6:5-7
