Thank Offering?

God, the Hero

That's what my duct tape bible has penned next to Psalm 116. The psalm reminds me of an epic comic book. I can see it all happening in vivid inks and graphic squares. It makes me wonder what the melody to this one was, since all the Psalms are just lyrics of songs. It was probably epic. Like the theme from Pirates of the Caribbean.

Toward the end, I came across this little gem: "I will sacrifice a thank offering to you..." (v17) There's nothing particularly unique about this as far as the Psalms or the Old Testament are concerned. But it made me think, "Is there a modern-day equivalent for a thank offering?" I mean, God's done pretty amazing things in my life, and if there's a way I can say "Thanks!" other than just saying it, I'm down with that.

Leviticus 7:11-15 details the traditional thank offering:

"These are the regulations for the fellowship offering a person may present to the LORD :

"If he offers it as an expression of thankfulness, then along with this thank offering he is to offer cakes of bread made without yeast and mixed with oil, wafers made without yeast and spread with oil, and cakes of fine flour well-kneaded and mixed with oil. Along with his fellowship offering of thanksgiving he is to present an offering with cakes of bread made with yeast. He is to bring one of each kind as an offering, a contribution to the LORD; it belongs to the priest who sprinkles the blood of the fellowship offerings. The meat of his fellowship offering of thanksgiving must be eaten on the day it is offered; he must leave none of it till morning."

Alright! Bread! Now, this might seem like a ridiculous thank offering, but there are tons of people coming to the priests to sacrifice animals, and many of these offerings (that aren't totally burned up) are the payment to the priests. So, if I were roasting lambs and cows all day, I'd love some bread. Kinda rounds out the ol' food pyramid, which was invented in Egypt, where the Israelites came out of. That's where they got the idea. (Is that two heretical comments in two days?) And it just seems smart not to save the meat till morning. It's not like they were packing ice chests. Good call, God.

That's the thank offering. Bread. So, then I'm thinking, what's an acceptable thank offering? Should it be a sacrifice? It looks like fellowship offerings can come from surplus. Should it be to a minister or ministry? Can it go to a food pantry? Or to a family in need? I think the words from the prophet Micah simplify the question:

"He has showed you, O man, what is good.
And what does the LORD require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God." - Micah 6:8

I'm not sure it matters exactly what the offering is, as long as it fits in these requirements.

Tomorrow I'll get up after too few hours of sleep in order to paint a house with my church and Habitat for Humanity. Then I'll come back across town to shower and make it to work by 11:30 A.M. I guess I never thought that might be a thank offering.

How do you say thanks?