Here's Pastor Dave McDowell's weekly devotional that he sends out to members of his church. Dave is my brother and serves as the Music Minister at Stewartstown UMC in PA.
Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays,
probably because I love food.
This Thanksgiving was going to be special,
as I was to meet my nephew's fiancee,
Since they were traveling from the west coast,
it would be the first time that most of my family
would meet her.
I had heard much about her.
A bright young lady,
studying veterinary sciences,
and rather attractive to boot.
I was looking forward to meeting her.
It all sounded good until my nephew
told me in a phone conversation prior to their trip east .....
Uncle David,
I hate to tell you this,
but she did her undergrad work at _ _ _ _
I can't even print it.
It is my school's arch rival from across town,
and it is a four letter word.
I gasped.
And you're marrying her? I said
kiddingly.
Yeah, she's makes fun of your school
all the time.
I knew then that Thanksgiving was going to be unusual,
a meal where us and them are both invited
Any time us and them gather,
it's uncomfortable at best,
probably like the first Thanksgiving.
I would think that between the
Pilgrims and Indians first Thanksgiving,
there had to be a little bit of an
us and them vibe as they gathered
at the table....
two very different peoples
sitting down to table.
I'm sure Miles Standish
wasn't extremely comfortable
sharing the creamed corn with the Indian's cousin Larry.
And so I came to Thanksgiving,
knowing that us would meet them.
I vowed to be the most gracious us
that them ever met.
I would not talk about her school,
I wouldn't wear any of my school paraphernalia.
I would focus on the things that bring us together.
All was fine for the first 15 minutes,
polite conversation,
asking all the getting to know you questions.
I think it started with the passing of the cranberry sauce......
Out of the blue, the fiancee said to me....
Isn't your school where the football players cheat??
I almost gagged on my sweet potatoes.
Everyone around me chuckled.
This them was a pistol,
and she was fully loaded.
My family awaited my response.
I think it was just one person that cheated.
Would you pass the stuffing please? I said changing the subject.
But them would have no part of the subject changing.
But didn't the whole team get punished for cheating? them continued.
She was going for the jugular,
and I hadn't even received the gravy yet.
Yes they did, I said politely,
while gnawing out my frustrations on my turkey,
Doesn't that make you feel
less about the education that you received there?
Them was mashing me
more than the potatoes.
Finally I couldn't take it anymore,
I stood up and ripped off my shirt
revealing my us tee shirt.
I'd rather be an us on probation
then a them not on probation! I snapped.
The room was dripping in silence
Then them looked over at her fiancee, my nephew, and said,
I think I am going to really like your family.
Then she looked at me and winked.
I winked back and said
May I have the Waldorf salad please?
It's easy to live in a world of us and them
Western culture versus middle eastern culture.
Rich versus poor.
Educated versus uneducated.
Old versus young.
Name your us and you will find a them.
We talk about seeking unity in the church,
while the reality is we already have our unity in Christ.
All we need to do is to claim it.
But I think the Lord went beyond that.
He saw all people as us.
He wept for the entire city of Jerusalem.
He spent far more time on the streets then in the temple
embracing people from all walks of life.
He understood that if he treated everyone as an us,
it opened the door for everyone to become an us.
For God so loved the world
is the most memorized and quoted scripture.
As far as I can see
the world is everybody.
Who in your world is a them
that needs to be seen as an us,
so that they indeed can become an us.
Give it a try,
I suggest starting with the cranberry sauce.
Who knows,
you might just make it to the pumpkin pie.....
He came for a witness,
that he might bear witness of the light,
that ALL might believe through Him.
John 1:7
Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays,
probably because I love food.
This Thanksgiving was going to be special,
as I was to meet my nephew's fiancee,
Since they were traveling from the west coast,
it would be the first time that most of my family
would meet her.
I had heard much about her.
A bright young lady,
studying veterinary sciences,
and rather attractive to boot.
I was looking forward to meeting her.
It all sounded good until my nephew
told me in a phone conversation prior to their trip east .....
Uncle David,
I hate to tell you this,
but she did her undergrad work at _ _ _ _
I can't even print it.
It is my school's arch rival from across town,
and it is a four letter word.
I gasped.
And you're marrying her? I said
kiddingly.
Yeah, she's makes fun of your school
all the time.
I knew then that Thanksgiving was going to be unusual,
a meal where us and them are both invited
Any time us and them gather,
it's uncomfortable at best,
probably like the first Thanksgiving.
I would think that between the
Pilgrims and Indians first Thanksgiving,
there had to be a little bit of an
us and them vibe as they gathered
at the table....
two very different peoples
sitting down to table.
I'm sure Miles Standish
wasn't extremely comfortable
sharing the creamed corn with the Indian's cousin Larry.
And so I came to Thanksgiving,
knowing that us would meet them.
I vowed to be the most gracious us
that them ever met.
I would not talk about her school,
I wouldn't wear any of my school paraphernalia.
I would focus on the things that bring us together.
All was fine for the first 15 minutes,
polite conversation,
asking all the getting to know you questions.
I think it started with the passing of the cranberry sauce......
Out of the blue, the fiancee said to me....
Isn't your school where the football players cheat??
I almost gagged on my sweet potatoes.
Everyone around me chuckled.
This them was a pistol,
and she was fully loaded.
My family awaited my response.
I think it was just one person that cheated.
Would you pass the stuffing please? I said changing the subject.
But them would have no part of the subject changing.
But didn't the whole team get punished for cheating? them continued.
She was going for the jugular,
and I hadn't even received the gravy yet.
Yes they did, I said politely,
while gnawing out my frustrations on my turkey,
Doesn't that make you feel
less about the education that you received there?
Them was mashing me
more than the potatoes.
Finally I couldn't take it anymore,
I stood up and ripped off my shirt
revealing my us tee shirt.
I'd rather be an us on probation
then a them not on probation! I snapped.
The room was dripping in silence
Then them looked over at her fiancee, my nephew, and said,
I think I am going to really like your family.
Then she looked at me and winked.
I winked back and said
May I have the Waldorf salad please?
It's easy to live in a world of us and them
Western culture versus middle eastern culture.
Rich versus poor.
Educated versus uneducated.
Old versus young.
Name your us and you will find a them.
We talk about seeking unity in the church,
while the reality is we already have our unity in Christ.
All we need to do is to claim it.
But I think the Lord went beyond that.
He saw all people as us.
He wept for the entire city of Jerusalem.
He spent far more time on the streets then in the temple
embracing people from all walks of life.
He understood that if he treated everyone as an us,
it opened the door for everyone to become an us.
For God so loved the world
is the most memorized and quoted scripture.
As far as I can see
the world is everybody.
Who in your world is a them
that needs to be seen as an us,
so that they indeed can become an us.
Give it a try,
I suggest starting with the cranberry sauce.
Who knows,
you might just make it to the pumpkin pie.....
He came for a witness,
that he might bear witness of the light,
that ALL might believe through Him.
John 1:7
.
1 comment:
I love this story about your Thanksgiving dinner. Wish that I could have been there to see and to the excitement. I hope that your brother enjoyed the pumpkin pie once he got to that part of the meal.
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