Joy Dare Monday: Giving Thanks...

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"The gifts of God for the people of God" is said right before we receive communion in my church. It's an Episcopal Church tradition that I'm sure is not unique to my church.

Communion, or Eucharist.

It's not a big leap to eucharisteo, especially when the liturgy leading to the actual distribution of communion is called "the Great Thanksgiving." Jesus's Last Supper is one of the key images that Ann Voskamp uses in her book to illustrate eucharisteo.

The whole service is a thanksgiving: preparing ourselves to be present with God ("cleanse the thoughts of our hearts..."), remembering how God has always been a part of our story (the readings from the Old and New Testaments) and giving thanks, giving thanks.

Giving thanks for a God who became incarnate, a God who took our sufferings, our wrong-doings onto Himself, out of all time and in all times, and died to give us salvation.

How could we not give thanks?

Thinking back, I'm astonished that I ever thought my church's liturgy was dull. That's the hazard of growing up in the church, I guess. You never think through to the power of what's happening -- and are surprised when you feel the uplifting Holy Spirit.

It should be like that from beginning to end, not just when I'm transported by singing a hymn, or by an isolated moment...

Every word. Is thanks.

142. hibiscus in flower


143. almost missed pelicans gliding
144. a little blue hat (will blog about this later!)
145. husband's delight over little Valentine's Day gift (we don't normally do Valentine's)
146. sound of rain overnight
147. heart-shaped puddle




148. spectacular and unusual giant flower floating above succulent
149. holding off reading a blog post, and then finding the information I needed this week.
150. bucketed down rain!
151. overdue lunch with a friend
152. good talk with another friend
153. walking around the lake with a friend and good conversation (5 miles!)




154. beautiful flowering eucalyptus




155. pizza and garlic bread for this starving walker!
156. cupboard doors fixed
157. first wisteria bloom




158. hibiscus bud
159. lunch with "senior" friends



Am linking this up to Ann Voskamp's "multitudes on Mondays" (or will as soon as it goes up!)

Comments

  1. AnonymousFebruary 22, 2012 at 9:46 PM

    I think it was definitely the wisteria blooms that made me start smelling flowers. So beautiful! I wish I didn't kill every plant I try to raise!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Pam @ FripperyFebruary 23, 2012 at 4:39 AM

    Beautiful and true post Leanne. Sometimes a thing becomes routine and we start to overlook it's essence

    ReplyDelete

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