Townes, Turkey, and Thanks

Greetings O Ye Thankful Friends. "Tis da season...to be thankful...gobble, gobble, gob..gob, gob, gob gob" (sung to the tune of Tis The Season...aka the Fa La song).

What does TOWNES have to do with THANKSGIVING...and for that matter...with BOB HOPE. Well...in 1903...in London England...Leslie TOWNES Hope was born. In 1907...Leslie and his family moved to Cleveland Ohio...and eventually was discovered by Fatty Arbuckle and toured as a dancing partner with George Burns. His name is changed to Bob Hope (also know as Hopelessly (Hope.. Leslie)...and then in the movie THE BIG BROADCAST with W.C. Fields. It is in this movie that Bob Hope sang what was to become his theme song...THANKS FOR THE MEMORY written by Ralph Rainger and Leo Robin.

Thanks for the memory
Journeys on a jet
Our wond' rous week in Martinique
Vegas and roulette
How lucky I was

Throughout the years...Bob's writers would change the words of the song to met the need of times.

Well...once again...we start of with something that appears to be of no consequence on what we end up Rambling about. Today is no difference. We want to chew on TURKEY....let's talk TURKEY.


On November 27th...Thursday...2008...we will be celebrating the day of THANKSGIVING. This is a time when we get a day off (some do/some work)...gather together with family and/or friends...eat too much turkey...loosen our pants and zonk out in front of some football game...and then guzzle a couple of Alka-Seltzers. Plop Plop...Fizz Fizz...Oh what a relief it is.

The roots of this thing called THANKSGIVING goes back to our American tradition to October 1621...where the Plymouth Colony Pilgrims...gathered together with the Massasoit tribe in appreciation of assistance and celebration of the 1st harvest. I am pretty sure they did not have deep fried Cajun turkey. Depending on which historian you are listening to... the facts and motives of this celebration shift and change.

THANKSGIVING DEFINED

1. The ACT of GIVING THANKS. Grateful acknowledgement of benefits or favor...especially of God.

2. An EXPRESSION of THANKS...especially to God.

3. A PUBLIC CELEBRATION in acknowledgement of DIVINE favor or kindness.

4. A day SET APART for GIVING THANKS to God.

As with most holidays...we tend to forget or bypass the intent of the holiday... and just us it as a day to consume upon our own pleasures.


The true ROOTS of Thanksgiving...has nothing to do with TOWNES or TURKEYS...but does have to do with THANKS.

PSALM 100 (A Psalm of Thanksgiving)

1. To-daw: An extension of the hand, that is adoration, specifically a choir of worshippers, confession, praise, thanks, offering.

2. Teh-hil-law: laudation, a hymn, praise



3. Yaw-daw: to use...to hold out the hand; physically to throw (a stone or an arrow); especially to revere or worship (with extended hands).

4. Baw-rak: Bow down to

"Enter into his gates with thanksgiving (TO-DAW)...and into his courts with praise (TEH-HIL-LAW). Be thankful (YAW-DAW) unto him and bless (BAW-RAK) His name." (Psalm 100:4-4. All Men Exhorted to Praise God: A Psalm of Thanksgiving)

As the people come into His temple to offer up sacrifices...they are encouraged to enter in with an ATTITUDE. The attitude is one of THANKSGIVING...the giving of thanks...BEFORE the sacrifices...before the forgiveness...with ANTICIPATION of acceptance and blessing.

So many times...we thank AFTER the fact. The VERBS...ACTIONS on our part before the fact are: (1) shout (2) serve (3) come (4) sing (5) know
(6) enter (7) give thanks (8) bless Him (9) bless.

QUESTION: When you come to church...to worship the Living God... do you come with anticipation...preparation...consecration...or do you run in late and plop down and say gimme, gimme, gimme (give me, give me, give me)?

Our current series at church is on HOPE. Hope in the world's eyes is kind of a whining..."I hope...but it probably won't" mentality...BUT true BIBLICAL HOPE...is when faced with impossibilities....has a CONFIDENT EXPECTATION that our FAITH can hook into. We should think differently, speak differently, and act differently with CONFIDENT EXPECTATION as we come into His presence...with SALIVATING EXPECTATION.

Notice the tone set for the VERBS OF WORSHIP

1. Shout...JOYFULLY...to the Lord
2. Serve the Lord...with GLADNESS
3. Come before Him...with JOYFUL SINGING

WHY? Because we KNOW that the Lord Himself IS GOD. It is He who has MADE US...and NOT we ourselves. We are HIS PEOPLE and the SHEEP of His pasture.

NOTE: It ain't about me baby...it ain't about me.

4. Enter...His gates with...THANKSGIVING
5. Enter...His courts with...PRAISE

WHY? For the Lord is GOOD...His lovingkindness is EVERLASTING... and HIS FAITHFULNESS to all generations.

NOTE: It is all based on who HE IS...versus what WE ARE NOT.


FINAL THOUGHTS...FINALLY!!!!

This year...I encourage you to begin to RUMINATE on GIVING THANKS, before... Thursday November 27th. Start mooing and chewing of who He is...and get ready for the next time you gather as a congregation...to ENTER IN differently.

Now...you may be thinking to yourself..."Self...I've got to much going on in my life. Self...I am in the middle of trials, troubles, and tribulations.
Self...when things GET BETTER....THEN I will thank and praise Him."

THE FILTER FOR ALL THINGS PRIOR TO THANKSGIVING

"Rejoice ALWAYS...Pray WITHOUT CEASING...IN EVERYTHING give thanks...for THIS (rejoicing always, praying without ceasing and giving thanks IN...not for...EVERYTHING) This is equated with the WILL OF GOD FOR YOU IN CHRIST JESUS. (I Thessalonians 5:16-18)

"And we know that God CAUSES ALL THINGS (the good, the bad, the ugly)...to work together for good to those who love God...to those who are called according to HIS PURPOSE." (Romans 8:28)

Happy THANKSgiving...Happy HOLYdays...Merry CHRISTmas.

Love and Thankful Kisses
Rodney "Deep Fried" Boyd