It is Sunday today and it is Thanksgiving Sunday at church, the service proper started at 8:30 in the morning, there was no Sunday school service to give way for the Thanksgiving celebration, the flow of the program was a bit different than normal Sundays, there was also a part where you have to go up front to give testimonies of Thanksgiving, I went up front to say something, the last time I spoke in front of the congregation giving testimony was when I graduated from College, that was 11 years ago and I didn’t go there on my own because my name was listed in the program, when I return to my seat Mrs. E held my hand, only few has the courage to go upfront and I think she felt happy that I took courage when every Sunday I just silently sit in front and listen to the sermon.

The scripture reading was found in Psalm 103: 1-5 with a scriptural topic of “Bless the Lord, O My Soul“, Pastor E talked about what are the verses all about and he said that someone called these passages as  David’s “Hallelujah Chorus.” Pastor E, cut the verses into three parts as follows;  Praise the Lord and count your blessings (vv. 1-2), Life in relationship with God is whole and healthy (v. 3), and Life in relationship with God is meaningful (vv. 4-5).

In verses 1-2, he set David as an example, that instead of complaining about his burdens, he counted his blessings.  The two verses were a prayer of nothing but praise to God. There is no supplication, no request, no petition or plea in this prayer.   Verse 3, God heals our diseases, soul and physical. In verse 4, God forgives our sins, because He gives us a relationship, because He heals our soul’s diseases (Psalm 147:3), then we see that life is meaningful. This verse can be rendered, “He keeps your life from going to waste.” God gives His people purpose in living. He gives us meaning. He keeps our lives from going to waste. Our lives are lived with eternal purpose. All life, not lived in Christ is only a shell of what they are intended to be. This is one of the benefits of knowing God, our lives count; they have not lived in vain. They have eternal significance. This is one of the things David is praising the Lord for. In verse 5: He satisfies our  mouth, he gives us satisfaction in our old age, it says that one of the benefits of being God’s people is that when we are old we will not have to look back upon our lives with regret. Regardless of your age, or of how many years you have walked upon the earth, God will give us satisfaction.

Well, I am writing the sermon every Sunday and when the verses or the sermon fits into my life situation I took it personally, as if God is talking to me, giving me hope, assurance, answers and etc.

When the Thanksgiving Sunday service was finished, there was lunch as expected. Every zone brings their own food, my aunt asked for the contribution the day before in our zone, the church celebrated two Thanksgiving Sunday and the Thanksgiving in March is the biggest one where the church shouldered all the expenses and slaughtered pigs.

There was a raffle event after lunch, contrary to the norms where the church bought items to be raffled and members have to buy tickets, the method used today is to bring items to be raffled and it will correspond to two tickets, bringing one item to be raffled will give you two raffle tickets, I brought two items so I got 4 raffle tickets.  I got a clothes hanger as one of the minor price, then a plastic pitcher, and a red pail and the second major price which is a pot. #feelingthankful

Yep, all of my 4 raffle tickets won a prize. While doing the raffle, I have told my cousins I am going to get a pail and as I told, I got the last pail, then my number was called for the second major prize and Mrs. E gave me five and his husband too, and guess what they got the major prize which is a flat iron. I even jokingly says, I passed my lucky vibe to them (lol).

Today the church is celebrating Thanksgiving Sunday but unlike the norms it wasn’t celebrated inside the church. A voting for the venue was done the previous Sunday which I wasn’t able to witness because I went to the church a bit late; I only knew that Thanksgiving Sunday will be celebrated in one of the popular beach resort in town when Pastor E mentioned it during announcement period.

I felt uncomfortable with the venue and I found it unpleasing, the church was built within a purpose and a beach resort was built within a purpose too, it is for fun, relaxation and to cater gatherings like birthdays, weddings, alumni and etc.  With this, I decided not to attend the Thanksgiving celebration and just went to church to read the bible and pray on my own.

It was quite sad that most churches were open and full during Sunday but the church beside us was closed because the members decided to full a resort instead.  Maybe, if it was not Sunday I may be able to go the resort and celebrate with them but it is Sunday and I found it improper to attend a service outside of the church when the church was quite large to cater a lot of people and guests.

[Photo courtesy of ddouk/pixabay.com]

Well, it would be better if the Thanksgiving service was done inside the church and the reception for the Thanksgiving Day was done in the resort rather than leaving the church empty on Sunday. It was quite disappointing that it seems most of the church goers (over here) already forget the purpose of the church, the effect of worldly influence to them is quite scary.  Who’s on their straight mind abandon a church during Sunday?

Well, some people forget too to respect the holy place and it seems going to the church is just becoming their habit.  Who the heck cut their fingernails inside the church when a Pastor is preaching in the pulpit? Shocking isn’t it? But that’s the weirdest I’ve seen inside the church, weirder than someone combing their hair or playing games on their phone during Sunday service.

Anyway, I am not saying I am a perfect Christian because nobody is perfect but my views and opinion doesn’t correlate with was just voted and decided by many.