Another Day

"They soon forgat his works; They waited not for his counsel, But lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, And tempted God in the desert. And he gave them their request, But sent leanness into their soul." (Psalms 106:13-15)

Through out history it has been an up and down cycle. God's people of the Old Testament when things got bad they murmured and complained. When things became good they believed they had made their own prosperity, and were unthankful. Move into the Christian era. Christians were and are encouraged to be thankful, to remember from where their blessings come from. For some reason, though it still happens that when times get good Christians forget God. They often have the 'Shenandoah complex'.

Shenandoah was a movie starring Jimmy Stewart. The main character, Charlie Anderson, a wealthy widower, refused to become involved in the Civil War until it became personal. The Charlie Anderson in the beginning of the movie always offers this prayer:

• Lord,
  We cleared this land;
  We plowed it, sowed it, and harvested it.
  We cooked the harvest.
  It wouldn't be here—we wouldn't be eating it—if we hadn't done it all ourselves.
  We worked dog-bone hard for every crumb and morsel
  But we thank you just the same anyway, Lord, for this food we're about to eat.
  Amen.

At the end of the movie, after there has been much chaos and carnage in his family and life, he has an a-ha moment. Yes, he had worked 'dog-bone hard', but peace, goodness and prosperity don't follow just because we work hard, or because we somehow 'deserve' it. In reality I'm glad I don't get everything I 'deserve'. My come-upence would probably outweigh my prosperity ten fold. 

At the beginning of Shenandoah the Main Character, Charlie Anderson, starts out as hard boiled farmer, who believes everything he has is because he worked for and earned it. It doesn't end that way, but— That's the way over half of the people in my neighborhood view things as well. How, you might ask, do I know this? Am I familiar friends with everyone in my neighborhood?

In this neighborhood most everyone does know who their neighbors are, at least in a cursory way. But no, I've not sat with, nor had intimate conversations with many of my neighbors. However, my cousin has asked some of her acquaintances and neighbors if they go to worship on Sundays, and their answers are pretty standard. "Well, we used to, but we don't any more. I don't know why, we just don't." And viewing how many of my neighbors attend worship on a regular basis that would reflect these folks as well.  

How, you might ask, does this translate into thinking we've worked for and earned everything we have? Glad you asked. 

Worship on the Lord's day (First day of the week) is an act of submission, and fills several purposes. 

• partaking of the Lord's supper to remember his sacrifice (commanded for every first day of the week)
• listen to words of encouragement
• give words of encouragement
• humbly bow before he King of heaven and earth, and ask his favor for our lives in the coming week in song as well as prayer
• lift others up in prayer, be lifted up in prayer

The following poem I found in a church bulletin (apparently penned by the ever popular anonymous) makes a point:

"When I pass the church building,
I always go in for a visit,
So that when I'm carried in,
The Lord doesn't say
Who is it?"

Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up. (James 4:10)

Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: (1 Peter 5:6 KJV)

Hallelujah! What a Savior!