Dear Friends,
“Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:16 – 18). These words of Paul to the Thessalonian church may seem at first glance to be nothing more than an attempt to raise the proverbial “bar” in order to give the people a goal to strive for in their Christian practice. Our “rational” minds tell us that Paul is simply using language that will stimulate our senses and consequently keep us moving in the right direction as far as our spiritual formation is concerned. Themes of joy, prayer and thanksgiving can be found throughout scripture and are in all likelihood not new concepts to the Thessalonians any more than they are to you and I. What we are no doubt finding problematic with this passage is the expectation that these marks of the Christian faith are to be engaged in and experienced every moment of our lives! If Paul’s charge were a simple command to give thanks for “food and friends and all God sends”, I would now be ending this letter with a closing word of encouragement to count our blessings and respond with grateful hearts. As important as such a practice is, it would seem that Paul is drawing us into something even more profound.

I wouldn’t categorize myself as a “trekkie”, but I have enjoyed watching an episode of Star Trek from time to time. I have always been quite impressed with how the characters step up on that platform and disappear before my eyes only to rematerialize in a setting outside of the USS Enterprise! I wonder if we have all wished at one time or another that we could be transported to a destination without the hassle of traffic, bus schedules, or parking! Or perhaps we have imagined ourselves being transported into another dimension free of the cares and burden so often a part of our lives. It seems to me that Paul is wanting us to consider that prayer, thanksgiving and joy are not isolated parts of the Christian life that we engage and experience between meetings and activities, but rather, they are to be tightly woven into the fabric of our being, causing us to enjoy a dimension of life that is unfamiliar to so many – the Thanksgiving dimension!

In 1 Peter 2:11 we are essentially taught that while we live in this world we are called to a life that transcends the way it thinks and feels. In other words, we are not to be so burdened by life’s temporary realities that we miss the benefits that are ours in Christ. This is not to suggest that we “pretend” that conflict and pain don’t exist, but rather that we learn to give thanks regardless. It would seem that Paul’s desire is for us to constantly find in Christ that greater reality. A reality that is rooted in prayer, experienced with joy, and expressed with thanksgiving. May our lives truly reflect the Thanksgiving Dimension!

Sincerely in Christ
The Rev. Capt. Stephen Pessah Incumbent

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