Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary

By Sharon Goetzinger, Course of Study Student
Associate Pastor, Caledonia / Hokah / South Ridge - MN

THANKSGIVING OVER THE WATER (Paragraph 1)

The Lord be with you. And also with you. Let us pray.

Eternal Father, when nothing existed but chaos, you swept across the dark waters and brought forth light. In the days of Noah you saved those on the ark through water. After the flood you set in the clouds a rainbow. When you saw your people as slaves in Egypt, you led them to freedom through the sea. Their children you brought through the Jordan to the land which you promised.

Sing to the Lord, All the earth. Tell of God's mercy.

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The Lord be with you. In the beginning, darkness and chaos has been contrasted with light. God's mighty hand, when the earth was formless and void, brought chaos out of the darkness that was over the face of the deep. And we hear God say, ‘Let there be light". Light we find is full of meaning to all of us. In John's Gospel, Jesus describes himself as "the light of the world", and "In him was light ....and the life was the light of all people," and then we find John adds, "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it." And today chaos still exists in both darkness and light.

Chaos was something that I experienced some years ago when we were on the beach. The children played in the sand and water and some of the adults went water skiing. I never went skiing in my life, so this day they asked me to try it. So I did! When I started, I lost my skies, but not the rope ....that I hung onto. I guess I do not need to tell you what happened then, for when you are continuously pulled and are hanging onto the rope, you stay under.

But in that chaos, God swept across the deep dark water that day and brought forth light as the rope left my hand. Yes, half drowned and floating, and exhausted but happy to see the light. God's mighty hand saved me; God was with me every minute, as the water was all around me. I was set free; through the water I was put back on land as it was promised by our ancestors. I was surely blessed and free from the waters - free to continue my journey, praising and singing to God throughout the earth and telling of God's mercy.

The power of that chaos was very overwhelming; it was like the life was out of me, but God's mighty hand brought me to the light. The water brought life. I will never forget that day of the unknown and of the knowing, I was blessed by the grace of God.

We know that chaos will always be with us, and also the darkness and light. And thanks be to God, that God is always with us too.

It is then we see the order God intends for our lives, which is for wholeness and peace. Peace is not the absence of chaos but the ability to persevere and thrive in the midst of confusion. Because as we read in Ephesians 4:4-6 There is one body and one Spirit, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is above all and through all and in all! Thanks be to God!! We give our thanks as our lives become anew through the baptism of water. Holy God we also give thanks for the grace of your creation and the way you have set the ordered pattern of our lives through your son Jesus the Christ. Amen