Beautiful People,
My wife and I kiss a lot. I love it.
We’ve been married long enough now that not only is kissing something I love, for me kissing is also a measure of where we are that day, week or even that month. Sometimes she will be driving off with a car load of children to school, and if we have not kissed good bye, I know something is up. It could be that we got up late. It could be our minds are “occupied” with the frenzy of the day ahead. It could be we are occupied with the frustrations of yesterday. It could be that we have not seen each other all week and the work of life has taken over and occupied the imperative and proclamation of the kissing life and the physical, emotional and spiritual act that celebrates that, “hey, we are in this sometimes crazy life together—til death do we part; ain’t it great! Now give me a kiss.” Kissing is something I pay attention to.
This Sunday is Friendship Sunday. Bring a friend. It is also our congregational celebration of thanksgiving celebrated with a HUGE Thanksgiving meal after worship. With each passing year, more and more elements of this world try to occupy one of the few days in our national life when we stop to give thanks. Such efforts of occupation will never end, because God is committed to our freedom. Our freedom is sacred. God will not make us give thanks, like God will not make me kiss my wife. But, without giving thanks and praise and kisses, we become aware that something ain’t right between us and God. We might even forget about God. We might forget we have a life together with God. We might build a tower of our own Babel, or a temple full of statues of ourself. Psalm 100 was written to remind the congregation that God needs praise, a joyful noise, and thanksgiving. God needs kisses. God wants lots of kisses and God wants lots of kissing going on. Tell me, what could be more important than that?
Can’t wait to give thanks with you and to kiss your friend on Sunday,
Be good to yourself and kiss somebody today.
Pastor Shawn
First Grace United Methodist
Corner of Jefferson Davis Pkwy and Canal St.
