Black Sunday

"This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it." Psalm 118:24

I quote this verse often at weddings, memorial services and special events. It is a wonderful opening thought to almost anything including the beginning of any day. I am chagrined and saddened at how overwhelmingly excited our culture has gotten about 'Black Friday'.

In case you are in the dark about it, this is now the term given to the biggest shopping value day of the year. The day after Thanksgiving has truly become the new holiday called Thanksgetting. People will line up all night to get a shot at hugely discounted stuff. Some stores will open at midnight so Black Friday can begin promptly at 12:01 so we do not miss a minute of spending and buying. People will actually spend hundreds and hundreds of dollars on whatever, in order to participate and celebrate in the latest advertising effort to fleece us of our hard earned dollars. Folks will fight, are injured and stay up all night acting near frenzied to cash in on a bargain.

Amazing that we have turned the day after giving thanks for our blessings into the day of maximal self-indulgence. As if we can't see through the craziness and realize what a scam and marketing ploy it really is designed to be. Oh yeah, the title of the devotional today is 'Black Sunday', because increasingly over the last few years, the Sunday following Black Friday has become the lowest giving Sunday of the year. Wonder why, LOL! That did not used to be true. In fact, Thanksgiving Sunday was one of the most generous giving Sundays in the past. Strange to think isn't it? That people would actually transfer specifically what they would give to the Lord's work to their own special celebration of bargain shopping.

I had to laugh as I just pictured a funny commercial with a fast-talking, big smiling guy saying "Hey everybody, got any of God's money? Well, we are open all night for ya, so bring it on down and get yourself or somebody else something you can really be thankful for!" Just a funny thought, and far be it from me to infer that anybody would actually do that. Nevertheless, it is hard to argue with the statistics. Participate in Black Friday with caution, if you must. But, please don't rob God, or run up your credit debt to do it. At least think and pray before you spend His resources that He generously allows us to be stewards of and responsible for with reckless abandon. I do hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving and a safe Black Friday. I have not participated in years in the latter and seemingly am not missing much of anything.

After all, every day is the day the Lord has made, so rejoice and be glad in it. Just don't leave Him out of it completely,
Pastor Fred

Tweet