November Sunday Morn

November! The month we set aside to celebrate about all that we are thankful for! Of course, we should be doing that all year long, and I know the majority of us do, but November is Thanksgiving month...and so our focus is more upon the many blessings God has bestowed upon us.

This hymn is traditionally sung on Thanksgiving, but it really has more to do with overcoming our spiritual battles than it does with harvest time and physical blessings, so it is appropriately sung at any time!

We Gather Together

1 We gather together to ask the Lord's blessing;

He chastens and hastens His will to make known;

the wicked oppressing now cease from distressing.

Sing praises to His name, He forgets not His own.

2 Beside us to guide us, our God with us joining,

ordaining, maintaining His kingdom divine;

so from the beginning the fight we were winning:

the Lord was at our side- the glory be Thine!

3 We all do extol Thee, Thou leader triumphant,

and pray that Thou still our defender wilt be.

Let Thy congregation escape tribulation;

Thy name be ever praised! O Lord, make us free!

The following are the notes from Hymnary regarding the history of this hymn:

"This hymn was originally a Dutch patriotic song, written around 1600 to celebrate the freedom of the Netherlands from Spanish rule. However, God's kingdom transcends national and ethnic boundaries. When the Church sings this hymn, she is reminded of the words of the apostle Paul: “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12, ESV). The day will come when God will overthrow the devil and all evil. Even now, we can say, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1). In singing this hymn, the people of God seek His help and thank Him for His presence in the pursuit of victory over evil, for we know that God “forgets not His own.”     Amen!!

However, here on the homefront, November brings out the turkeys and the pilgrims and all the thankful people!

1 Come, ye thankful people, come,

raise the song of harvest home;

all is safely gathered in,

ere the winter storms begin.

God our Maker doth provide

for our wants to be supplied;

come to God's own temple, come,

raise the song of harvest home.

2 All the world is God's own field,

fruit as praise to God we yield;

wheat and tares together sown

are to joy or sorrow grown;

first the blade and then the ear,

then the full corn shall appear;

Lord of harvest, grant that we

wholesome grain and pure may be.

3 For the Lord our God shall come,

and shall take the harvest home;

from the field shall in that day

all offenses purge away,

giving angels charge at last

in the fire the tares to cast;

but the fruitful ears to store

in the garner evermore.

4 Even so, Lord, quickly come,

bring thy final harvest home;

gather thou thy people in,

free from sorrow, free from sin,

there, forever purified,

in thy presence to abide;

come, with all thine angels, come,

raise the glorious harvest home.

Happy November! Happy month of Thanksgiving! May your heart and home be blessed in this season of harvest and thankfulness!! Amen!