All Hallows Eve and the Image of God

Greetings Dear Reader,

As we approach the Thanksgiving season I need to focus on how I am truly showing my gratitude for all that God provides for me.  Do I see his image created in me?  When the common world revolved much more around the liturgical calendar this day was a day to hallow the memory of those who have already passed.  One of the things done in Britton was a recitation of the 129^th Psalm. 

A song for going up to worship. "From the time I was young, people have attacked me..." “From the time I was young, people have attacked me, but they have never overpowered me. They have plowed my back like farmers plow fields. They made long slashes like furrows."  The LORD is righteous. He has cut me loose from the ropes that wicked people tied around me. Put to shame all those who hate Zion. Force them to retreat. Make them be like grass on a roof, like grass that dries up before it produces a stalk. It will never fill the barns of those who harvest or the arms of those who gather bundles. Those who pass by will never say to them, "May you be blessed by the LORD" or "We bless you in the name of the LORD.

The purpose is to prepare one for All Saints Day.  This year I approach All Hallows Eve as a personal preparation for a month of Worship.  I have so much to be thankful for and I want that gratitude to be hallowed, or holy.  I want to trace every blessing back to the place of God in my life and to his image in me.  I have written about the good that I can do being sourced from God and I wish to deepen that connection. 

Many have spent the weekend celebrating without substance in the celebration.  I am not a prude and do not think that celebrating is wrong.  What concerns me is attention to the celebration without attention to the one to be celebrated.  I have heard people that matter to me talk about the drinking they did, the prizes they won for costumes, and how much fun they had.  I am happy for the success of those I love.  I do not begrudge anyone the success they enjoy but where is the recognition of the hallowing of ourselves to respect the image of God in our lives.

I must come to the place where I hallow myself so that every act of thanksgiving is a celebration of the image that God has created of himself in me.  We are so besieged by the demands of a world that willingly leaves God behind.  His image in us yearns to be seen in the world and world sorely needs to see it.  Over the month of November I will focus on seeing the image of God in my life and trying to focus on living that image.

For today I will set myself apart.  I will hallow myself in reverence to all that have come before me.  So many have been suffered so that I can live freely the image of God; the Imago Dai in my life.  It is vital that I become more intent on this.  Perhaps delving deeper into what it means will make the journey richer for me and allow me to share that image with others more clearly.  Journey with me if you wish.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store."