Thanksgiving Memories and Prayers

If you’re not in the mood to read, please skip to the fourth paragraph.

When I was a child, our family Thanksgiving Day routine was always the same. Early in the morning, my parents would bundle my brother and me up in our snow suits and we would head to downtown Detroit for the J. L. Hudson sponsored Thanksgiving Day parade. We would arrive early enough to claim our spots up front, right against the police barricades, so that we would be able to see all the action. Our early arrival also spared my father the task of juggling two little boys on his shoulders.

The parade included colorful Thanksgiving and Christmas themed floats rolling down Woodward Avenue. Numerous marching bands were interspersed, playing the first Christmas music of the season. The final band, as my childhood memory recollects, always played, “Santa Claus is Coming to Town.” Then came the moment we all awaited. Santa Claus! He was mounted on an incredible red and gold sleigh accompanied by his assistant, a young and beautiful, Christmas Carol. Yes, that is what she was called. Santa waved to each of us personally, shouting out a joyful, “Merry Christmas! Ho! Ho! Ho!”

After the parade, we would head over to my grandparents’ home. The four of us would join my grandpa, grandma, great-grandfather and my uncle. My Grandma Clements would be with us too if she did not have to work. The laundry room of the hospital never took a day off, so it was not a given that she would be with us. I now wonder if she volunteered to work holidays so that other families might be together.

At dinner, we all sat in the same appointed places at the table, with my grandfather at the head. Once we were all seated and the food was on the table, my grandfather would pray. He was not a religious man, but he always, and I do mean always, prayed before our family meals. He prayed using a small book of 366 mealtime graces. It was well used. In fact, I do not remember a time before his little book was held together with electrical tape. He would offer thanks to God, on our behalf, for all that we had been given.

I have found much value in prayers written by others. There are many reasons for this, but I wish to raise one for you here. Sometimes written prayers can express for us what our hearts cannot express on their own. This can be especially true on Thanksgiving. There are times in life when our hearts have a great deal of difficulty thanking God for much of anything. That’s just the way it is. It is close to impossible to say thanks on your own when you are experiencing the exhaustion of pain, fear in the midst of illness, the loneliness of death or the darkness of grief. While the rest of the world is laughing and eating Turkey and getting ready for a 4:00 a.m. trip to the mall, there are some who will be relying on the words of others to make it through the day.

You may be one of those for whom it will take great courage to say thanks on this Thanksgiving. You may be one for whom a prayer of thanksgiving won’t come easily. That’s OK. God knows you. God loves you. God understands the pain. And, it is perfectly acceptable to pray using someone else’s words.

Oh, may this bounteous God through all our life be near us,
With ever joyful hearts and blessed peace to cheer us,
And keep us all in grace, and guide us when perplexed,
And free us from all harm in this world and the next.

(Now Thank We All Our God, ELW 839)

Comments are welcome. --JC

A Good Reforween it Was

My mother rather enjoys synod events. You will find her at CRE in the spring, Synod Assembly in the summer and at the synod-wide Reformation/Ordination celebration in the autumn. A few weeks ago, I asked her if she would be coming to Dixon for this year’s ordination service. She asked for the details—date, time and place. I said, “It falls right on Reformation Day, October 31.” She said, “Well, that’s bad planning. I have to be home for Halloween.”

I told Mom that I was happy that October 31 fell on a Sunday and I tried to pass the blame onto Martin Luther for the bad planning. I am sure that my mother was not the only person in the synod to express this concern. In the end, Mom left her candy with her next door neighbor and came to the service.

We did not know exactly what to expect in terms of attendance. We always hope that there will be a good representation of the ordinands’ family and friends, folks from the congregations they will be serving, others from across the synod and, of course, rostered leaders. As it was, we were very pleased.

My personal belief is that pastors and other rostered leaders do much to show their support of new pastors and the church by showing up and participating. This belief is not new. I also believe that we (rostered leaders) should attend and participate in the funerals of pastors and other rostered leaders.

More than once I have attended the ordinations of individuals I do not know well. I have also attended the funerals of pastors I have never met. My intention is to honor them for their dedication and service. You will be able to tell from the pictures why my heart was glad on October 31.

Congratulations to Pastors Gwen Sefrhans and Krista Zimmerman on your ordinations! Congratulations also to Pastor Mark Luepke, who was installed as Secretary of the Northern Illinois Synod! And, sincere thanks to all of my colleagues who showed up and participated. It was a great day. Even Mom thought so.

Comments? Go to http://niselca.blogspot.com/. Comments posted on Facebook will also appear on the blog site. --JC

Thoughts for All Saints Day

It was my first funeral as an intern in southeastern Minnesota. My supervisor was co-officiating with a neighboring pastor in his church. I was simply there to observe and learn.

During the service, a somewhat elderly male soloist stood in the balcony and sang a song I had never heard. The stoic Norwegians of this congregation had shed no tears to this point. Suddenly, the handkerchiefs appeared from pockets and purses. The soloist’s voice was strong and clear. The tune was compelling, perhaps haunting. I couldn’t understand a word as he sang stanza upon stanza in Norwegian.

When I got home, I hummed the tune as best I could for my wife. “Den store hvide flok,” she said. It’s not so much that she recognized my rendition as she simply knew that it was the only option. She went to the piano, opened her Lutheran Book of Worship, and played the hymn. Her Norwegian bones had not failed her.

“Behold the Host Arrayed in White” has become a favorite hymn of mine. I have taught it to the congregations I have served. I am not sure that it ever became a top 10 (or 100) hit, but we sang it every All Saints Sunday. There came a point, I cannot tell you when, that the hymn began to bring tears to my non-Norwegian eyes as well.

Today is All Saints Day. This is the day when we consider the communion of saints, which unites us with all who have come before us and all who will follow us in the faith. In the words of the hymn,

O saints, sing with that happy throng;

lift up one voice;

let heav’n rejoice in our redeemer’s song.

I am thankful for those who have gone before me and helped give me my faith. I am also thankful for you, for the faith that we share as we seek to serve our Savior.

Comments are always welcome. Go to http://niselca.blogspot.com/. Comments on Facebook are fine too. For the hymn, see LBW 314 or ELW 425. --JC