Daily Lesson for November 13, 2018

Today’s Daily Lesson comes from Psalm 78 verses 1 through 7:

1 Hear my teaching, O my people; 

incline your ears to the words of my mouth.

2 I will open my mouth in a parable; 

I will declare the mysteries of ancient times.

3 That which we have heard and known,

and what our forefathers have told us, 

we will not hide from their children.

4 We will recount to generations to come

the praiseworthy deeds and the power of the Lord, 

and the wonderful works he has done.

5 He gave his decrees to Jacob

and established a law for Israel, 

which he commanded them to teach their children;

6 That the generations to come might know,

and the children yet unborn; 

that they in their turn might tell it to their children;

7 So that they might put their trust in God, 

and not forget the deeds of God,

but keep his commandments.

The Church is a treasury of wisdom. When we are at our best, we we bring forth from our storehouse all the knowledge of God’s faithfulness and provision. We bring the stories forth from our Sacred scriptures and also from our own personal and familial histories and we tell them to the generations.  We teach the children, that they might in turn teach their children and their children’s children. 

This is one reason why, in spite of all the church’s sometimes failures to live up to its charge, I still believe in and can say the words of the Apostles’ Creed: “I believe in the holy Catholic Church”.  I do; I still believe in its charge and its gift and the storehouse of its wisdom. 

A hymn comes to mind, “Now Thank We All Our God”. It is a Thanksgiving hymn.  The church taught it to me. And every Thanksgiving Sunday we sing it; that we and our children might be reminded of God’s goodness and faithfulness to us as a people, and that we might from remember and be thankful and hold fast our hope from generation unto generation.

Here are the lyrics in their entirety:

Now thank we all our God

with heart and hands and voices,

who wondrous things has done,

in whom his world rejoices;

who from our mothers' arms

has blessed us on our way

with countless gifts of love,

and still is ours today.

O may this bounteous God

through all our life be near us,

with ever joyful hearts

and blessed peace to cheer us,

to keep us in his grace,

and guide us when perplexed,

and free us from all ills

of this world in the next.

All praise and thanks to God

the Father now be given,

the Son and Spirit blest,

who reign in highest heaven

the one eternal God,

whom heaven and earth adore;

for thus it was, is now,

and shall be evermore.