The Flow of Blessing
The four lines of what is commonly known as the Doxology have been sung for more than three hundred years.  Praise God from whom all blessings flow  Praise Him all creatures here below  Praise Him above ye heavenly host  Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost It has been said that the Doxology, which literally means words of glory, has done more to teach the doctrine of the Trinity than all the theological books ever written.  To this day, when I sing those powerful lines, I recall the colorful lesson of my first grade Sunday school teacher.  With something like cookie dough and bologna magically falling down on the table before u

The Indignity of Giving Thanks
The spirit of thanksgiving runs against the temptation we face as human beings to assert our self-sufficiency.  Few of us enjoy the feeling of indebtedness; a fact easily demonstrated by our oft-unsolicited readiness to return a favor once someone has expressed kindness to us.  I owe you one,I will return the favor, and I am in your debt are some of the ways in which we express this attitude.  Such responses, together with the more modest one, please let me know what I can do for you, allow us to express gratitude without acknowledging the chronic shadow of dependence that so rudely dogs our entire threescore and ten. Not only

A Different Night
Before the miraculous events at the Red sea even took place, God instructed Moses to tell the Israelites that they were in the makings of what would become a festival. To a people yet bound in slavery, God commanded them to celebrate forever the things that were about to take place, adding, "Then your children will ask, 'What does all this mean?  What is this ceremony about?' And you will reply, 'It is the celebration of the LORD's Passover, for he passed over the homes of the Israelites in Egypt'" (Exodus 12:26-27a).   Today the Jewish Passover continues to be a celebration of remembrance, and there is a tradition within the ritual in keeping with the inquisitive childr

The Sacrifice of Praise and Thanksgiving
"In everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus" (I Thessalonians 5:18). This year in the United States, perhaps more than any other, the national exhortation to give thanks seems cruel and inapplicable.  Unemployment is at its highest in the U.S. since the 1980's, giving to charity is at its lowest in many sectors, and the news around the world makes us wonder if it is even possible to give thanks for anything.  Yet, praise and thanksgiving—even from those who struggle in circumstances where we would be stretched to find any reason for praise—are always becoming and indicate a gratefulness that transcends material bounty and benefit.&n

Crescendos of Thanks
I can't give an exact date for my conversion.  I can't describe the moment when I finally bowed and admitted God was God and Christ was Lord.  This used to bother me—particularly when it was my turn to speak after going around a room of believers with specific dates and encounters to tell.  I've since learned that conversion is more than one moment of waking—even for those who indeed have one moment that stands out among all others.  But I've also come to love the diversity of means