The Scripture reading this week is Isaiah 55:1-13
The Sermon title is Go Out with Joy
Early Thoughts: An unusual Thanksgiving reading. But one that speaks to the abundance God provides, and what better topic is there for Thanksgiving?
The secret to Thanksgiving (or maybe a secret to Thanksgiving) is to see abundance around us.A key part of offering thanks to God for the gifts of God is to recognize that they are freely given gifts.
It is my belief that when we change how we see the gifts that fill our lives each day we change who we are, we change how we interact with the world. In short we are transformed to be more like who God would have us be.
God is at work in the world. God sends gifts to the deserving and the undeserving. God calls us all to the banquet, to eat and drink without money. For that we give thanks. In our thankfulness we can go out with joy, sing songs of thanks (along with the mountains and hills?), and clap our hands (along with the trees of the field?)
This Thanksgiving weekend I encourage all of us to remember the blessings in our lives, to remember that we have been gifts from God, to sing out our thanks for those gifts. But more than that I encourage us to open ourselves to the transforming work of God as we decide what we will do out of our giftedness. And as I do every Thanksgiving season I think of this classic hymn:
--Gord
PS: There is a hymn in Voices United taken from Isaiah 55 (page 884). Here is the Gaither choir singing it
Showing posts with label thanksgiving. Show all posts
Showing posts with label thanksgiving. Show all posts
Monday, October 7, 2019
Monday, October 15, 2018
Looking forward to October 21, 2018 -- Stewardship Sunday #2
AS a part of our Stewardship campaign we will have the young folk take up a coin collection for Mission and Service this Sunday. A chance to lighten the load of coins in your purse or pocket!
The Scripture Reading this week is 2 Corinthians 9:6-15
The Sermon title is What Story Would You Tell?
Early Thoughts: And now for something completely different....
THis week our time of reflection is going to begin by watching this video:
and then people will be invited to share the Good News stories about what is happening at St. Paul's. What would you tell a visitor (doesn't have to be the Moderator) about what St. Paul's does?
When we remember the good things that are happening we remember what difference our gifts makes. And that is important. After all, we are far more likely to share our gifts and resources when we think they are making a difference.
So what excites you about what happens around here?
--Gord
The Scripture Reading this week is 2 Corinthians 9:6-15
The Sermon title is What Story Would You Tell?
Early Thoughts: And now for something completely different....
THis week our time of reflection is going to begin by watching this video:
and then people will be invited to share the Good News stories about what is happening at St. Paul's. What would you tell a visitor (doesn't have to be the Moderator) about what St. Paul's does?
When we remember the good things that are happening we remember what difference our gifts makes. And that is important. After all, we are far more likely to share our gifts and resources when we think they are making a difference.
So what excites you about what happens around here?
--Gord
Tuesday, October 2, 2018
Looking Forward to October 7, 2018 -- Thanksgiving Sunday
This week we mark the beginning of our Stewardship season by giving thanks.
The Scripture readings this week are:
Early Thoughts: Why are you thankful? How does being thankful change how we live?
This week for our Stewardship campaign we begin by saying thank you. Thank you for all that people have done over the past year, and over the past 107 years, to make St. Paul's united Church what it has been and has become. Without the gifts shared by the people of God, Communities of Faith would not exist. So Thank You Thank You Thank You.
And yes, in part we say thank you because we hope/trust/pray that those gifts will continue to be shared.
But thanking each other for gifts is part of something bigger. It is a life choice. When we say thank you we remember that things are a gift, not something to which we are entitled. When we say thank you we remember that our lives are enriched by that gift. When we say thank you we live more with a sense of gratitude for abundance than a fear of not having enough, which often increases our contentment and happiness in life. When we live out of our thankfulness we are more likely to be willing to pass on the love which has been passed on to us.
Then there is the bigger picture. As we remember to thank each other for gifts, big and small, shared within our community we can more easily remember to look out and wonder where all those other gifts came from. Because of where we place it in the calendar we often jump to the conclusion that Thanksgiving is related to the Harvest being safely gathered in (though unless things dry up quickly this year that certainly will not be true). And it is -- partially. Certainly people of faith have had festivals of thanksgiving for the harvest for millenia, after all that harvest denoted food and survival. But they have also had feasts of thanksgiving for many other reasons.
Why are you thankful this year?
What gifts has God given you that demand you say thank you? What gifts has God given you that you take for granted? Most of us who gather for worship at St. Paul's have not spent hours driving a combine or or cutting hay or herding cattle. We join our neighbours who do those things in thanksgiving, but we also give thanks for many other gifts. And as I said above, when we remember to give thanks, even more importantly, when we make giving thanks a habit and regular practice, it changes who we are and how we live.
On the St. Paul's Facebook page I shared a challenge. I challenged the people who read and follow that page to make one Facebook post each and every day in October saying something for which they are thankful. I am using the hashtag #MonthOfThanks on my posts. I suggest that we can do that even without posting it on Social Media, we can name something(s) every day that make us thankful. And maybe it will get to be such a habit that we will continue beyond Halloween...
Why did you say thank you today?
--Gord
The Scripture readings this week are:
- Deuteronomy 26:1-11
- Philippians 4:4-9
Early Thoughts: Why are you thankful? How does being thankful change how we live?
This week for our Stewardship campaign we begin by saying thank you. Thank you for all that people have done over the past year, and over the past 107 years, to make St. Paul's united Church what it has been and has become. Without the gifts shared by the people of God, Communities of Faith would not exist. So Thank You Thank You Thank You.
And yes, in part we say thank you because we hope/trust/pray that those gifts will continue to be shared.
But thanking each other for gifts is part of something bigger. It is a life choice. When we say thank you we remember that things are a gift, not something to which we are entitled. When we say thank you we remember that our lives are enriched by that gift. When we say thank you we live more with a sense of gratitude for abundance than a fear of not having enough, which often increases our contentment and happiness in life. When we live out of our thankfulness we are more likely to be willing to pass on the love which has been passed on to us.
Then there is the bigger picture. As we remember to thank each other for gifts, big and small, shared within our community we can more easily remember to look out and wonder where all those other gifts came from. Because of where we place it in the calendar we often jump to the conclusion that Thanksgiving is related to the Harvest being safely gathered in (though unless things dry up quickly this year that certainly will not be true). And it is -- partially. Certainly people of faith have had festivals of thanksgiving for the harvest for millenia, after all that harvest denoted food and survival. But they have also had feasts of thanksgiving for many other reasons.
Why are you thankful this year?
What gifts has God given you that demand you say thank you? What gifts has God given you that you take for granted? Most of us who gather for worship at St. Paul's have not spent hours driving a combine or or cutting hay or herding cattle. We join our neighbours who do those things in thanksgiving, but we also give thanks for many other gifts. And as I said above, when we remember to give thanks, even more importantly, when we make giving thanks a habit and regular practice, it changes who we are and how we live.
On the St. Paul's Facebook page I shared a challenge. I challenged the people who read and follow that page to make one Facebook post each and every day in October saying something for which they are thankful. I am using the hashtag #MonthOfThanks on my posts. I suggest that we can do that even without posting it on Social Media, we can name something(s) every day that make us thankful. And maybe it will get to be such a habit that we will continue beyond Halloween...
Why did you say thank you today?
--Gord
Monday, October 2, 2017
Looking Forward to October 8, 2017 -- Thanksgiving Sunday
Since I was away at a Presbytery meeting on the first Sunday of October, we will be celebrating the Sacrament of Communion this week.
The Scripture reading for this week is Deuteronomy 26:1-11
The Sermon title is Memory and Gratitude
Early Thoughts: Can you be thankful if you don't remember? Probably not.
This passage from Deuteronomy, a common one for Thanksgiving Sunday, is not really about giving thanks -- at least not at first reading. It is about remembering. And it is about giving from what you have.
The remembering what God has done is a common theme in the stories of the Israelite people. Does that mean they tended to forget to remember? Remembering is often a conscious act, it is something we choose to do (or choose not to do). BUt if we don't remember what happens?
I am not thinking here of Santayana's dictum that those who forget their history are doomed to repeat it (though I tend to find wisdom there). I am thinking of how remembering or forgetting tie in to both our gratitude and our stewardship.
If we forget then are we aware of why we are grateful? I suspect not. If we forget the path that has led us to this point, the gifts shared and given to help us along the way, then it is easy to not express our gratitude.
ANd if we forget the gifts shared and given that helped us along the path it is easier to think that we did it all by ourselves. And then to wonder why others can not do the same for themselves.
Memory is at the base of our gratitude and our stewardship. In the Deuteronomy passage the act of remembering is intrinsically tied to the act of offering the first-fruits to God's service. Practically speaking it appears that this offering goes to feed an support the Levites (religious workers) and Priests as well as those who are in need. AS they remember they are thankful and they give from what they have received.
What memories make you thankful? What gifts do you pass forward as you remember and are grateful?
--GOrd
The Scripture reading for this week is Deuteronomy 26:1-11
The Sermon title is Memory and Gratitude
Early Thoughts: Can you be thankful if you don't remember? Probably not.
This passage from Deuteronomy, a common one for Thanksgiving Sunday, is not really about giving thanks -- at least not at first reading. It is about remembering. And it is about giving from what you have.
The remembering what God has done is a common theme in the stories of the Israelite people. Does that mean they tended to forget to remember? Remembering is often a conscious act, it is something we choose to do (or choose not to do). BUt if we don't remember what happens?
I am not thinking here of Santayana's dictum that those who forget their history are doomed to repeat it (though I tend to find wisdom there). I am thinking of how remembering or forgetting tie in to both our gratitude and our stewardship.
If we forget then are we aware of why we are grateful? I suspect not. If we forget the path that has led us to this point, the gifts shared and given to help us along the way, then it is easy to not express our gratitude.
ANd if we forget the gifts shared and given that helped us along the path it is easier to think that we did it all by ourselves. And then to wonder why others can not do the same for themselves.
Memory is at the base of our gratitude and our stewardship. In the Deuteronomy passage the act of remembering is intrinsically tied to the act of offering the first-fruits to God's service. Practically speaking it appears that this offering goes to feed an support the Levites (religious workers) and Priests as well as those who are in need. AS they remember they are thankful and they give from what they have received.
What memories make you thankful? What gifts do you pass forward as you remember and are grateful?
--GOrd
Monday, September 18, 2017
Looking Forward to September 24, 2017 -- Stewardship Begins
Over the next three Sundays we will be exploring our Stewardship as a congregation. We will be leaping off from the resource produced by the United Church of Canada We Sing Thanksgiving.
This Sunday after worship all are invited to stay for a potluck lunch in the large/east basement.
The Scripture readings this week are:
Early Thoughts: Years ago the Rolling Stones told us:
The story of manna and quail in the wilderness is a story that reminds us that we just might (will?) get what we need. The people don't really believe it. Indeed some of them try, despite being explicitly told not to, to hoard some of the manna, to save it for the next day. After all what if it doesn't fall tomorrow? But it does. And for the next 40 years the people are fed, God provides what they need.
In the Parable we have a group of day labourers. All of them, those hired in the morning and those hired just before quitting time, get paid the same. And so the people who worked all day are a little bit upset. This doesn't sound fair, in our world where we expect that reward or compensation is somehow linked to effort and labour. Surely any ethical employer would pay those who work longer more...right?
Depends on your ethics.
Like most of Jesus' parables, the story of the day labourers is tying to give a glimpse of what it means to live as people of God's Kingdom. The amount paid to each of those labourers is the amount that is needed to buy food for that day, the amount needed to live another day. In the Kingdom of God people get what they need. That is the ethical guideline. People get what they need.
So what does this have to do with stewardship? Well there are a few ways to come at it.
One is to talk about the difference between wants and needs. A lot of us have trouble with teat from time to time. (And it does NOT help that there is an entire multi-billion dollar industry committed to making us think things we want are in fact things we need.) We need basics. We need the basic stuff for survival in some measure of security and comfort. Everything else is a want, although there are varying priorities in our wants. BUt if we have trouble seeing the difference it skews our impression of whether we can share what we have.
And that is the real connection between these stories and stewardship. If we believe and trust that we have/can get what we need then sharing is easier. If we are not sure of getting what we need we are more likely to try and save our manna for a second day, we are more likely to get irate when we work harder.longer than those lazy good-for-nothings and don't get any farther ahead.
As people of faith we are asked and challenged and commanded to take the gifts we have been given and pass them on for the betterment of out neighbours. As people of faith we are reminded that the common good is as much of a priority as our own personal safety. What we do with the gifts we have been given is our stewardship. We might be good stewards, we might be bad stewards. But I firmly believe that our level of trust or anxiety about having what we need is a big help or hindrance in our ability to see what we might have to share.
The STones were right. We can't always get what we want (and of we are honest that is probably a good thing). But the promise of God's Kingdom is that each of us gets what we need. And then we can use our gifts to support each other.
--Gord
ANd to help with the earworm I planted earlier:
This Sunday after worship all are invited to stay for a potluck lunch in the large/east basement.
The Scripture readings this week are:
- Exodus 16:1-18
- Matthew 20:1-16
Early Thoughts: Years ago the Rolling Stones told us:
You can't always get what you want,Turns out Mick Jagger is a theologian! Who woulda thunk it?
You can't always get what you want,
You can't always get what you want,
But if you try some time, you just might find,
You get what you need.
 |
| Israelites Gathering Manna |
In the Parable we have a group of day labourers. All of them, those hired in the morning and those hired just before quitting time, get paid the same. And so the people who worked all day are a little bit upset. This doesn't sound fair, in our world where we expect that reward or compensation is somehow linked to effort and labour. Surely any ethical employer would pay those who work longer more...right?
Depends on your ethics.
Like most of Jesus' parables, the story of the day labourers is tying to give a glimpse of what it means to live as people of God's Kingdom. The amount paid to each of those labourers is the amount that is needed to buy food for that day, the amount needed to live another day. In the Kingdom of God people get what they need. That is the ethical guideline. People get what they need.
So what does this have to do with stewardship? Well there are a few ways to come at it.
One is to talk about the difference between wants and needs. A lot of us have trouble with teat from time to time. (And it does NOT help that there is an entire multi-billion dollar industry committed to making us think things we want are in fact things we need.) We need basics. We need the basic stuff for survival in some measure of security and comfort. Everything else is a want, although there are varying priorities in our wants. BUt if we have trouble seeing the difference it skews our impression of whether we can share what we have.
And that is the real connection between these stories and stewardship. If we believe and trust that we have/can get what we need then sharing is easier. If we are not sure of getting what we need we are more likely to try and save our manna for a second day, we are more likely to get irate when we work harder.longer than those lazy good-for-nothings and don't get any farther ahead.
As people of faith we are asked and challenged and commanded to take the gifts we have been given and pass them on for the betterment of out neighbours. As people of faith we are reminded that the common good is as much of a priority as our own personal safety. What we do with the gifts we have been given is our stewardship. We might be good stewards, we might be bad stewards. But I firmly believe that our level of trust or anxiety about having what we need is a big help or hindrance in our ability to see what we might have to share.
The STones were right. We can't always get what we want (and of we are honest that is probably a good thing). But the promise of God's Kingdom is that each of us gets what we need. And then we can use our gifts to support each other.
--Gord
ANd to help with the earworm I planted earlier:
Monday, October 3, 2016
Looking Forward to October 9, 2016 -- Thanksgiving Sunday, The Golden Calf Episode
The Scripture Reading this week is Exodus 32:1-14
The Sermon title is Grateful
Early Thoughts: The people have been led to freedom. But the journey is not going quite as they had expected. To put it frankly, the people are NOT impressed.
A few chapters earlier they have been grumbling about the lack of food and water (they are in the desert after all) and some of them mutter that they may have been better off as slaves in Egypt.
Now Moses has been gone a LONG time up on the mountain. Is he still there? Is he still alive? Is he ever going to come back?
Well just in case, we should have a back up plan. And so they (with the assistance of Moses' brother Aaron -- either willingly or under coercion) melt down their gold, much of it "liberated" from their Egyptian neighbours, and make a calf which they worship.
God is not impressed. God has to be talked (or arguably shamed) out of destroying the whole lot of them.
Happy Thanksgiving everybody!
I mean really, what link could there possibly be...
Actually I think that this is the most egregious in a series of events which show that the people have forgotten what God has done for them. They move into wanting everything to be just right and complain about what goes wrong. Their gratitude, which was very evident as the sea closed and drowned Pharaoh's army, seems to be lacking in much of the rest of the journey.
Of course we would never do that. We would always be thankful. Right?
Right?
Sometimes I think we also are lacking in the gratitude department. Sometimes we find other idols that get in the way of our recognizing what God has done in our lives. When do we need to be reminded to be grateful?
--Gord
The Sermon title is Grateful
Early Thoughts: The people have been led to freedom. But the journey is not going quite as they had expected. To put it frankly, the people are NOT impressed.
A few chapters earlier they have been grumbling about the lack of food and water (they are in the desert after all) and some of them mutter that they may have been better off as slaves in Egypt.
Now Moses has been gone a LONG time up on the mountain. Is he still there? Is he still alive? Is he ever going to come back?
Well just in case, we should have a back up plan. And so they (with the assistance of Moses' brother Aaron -- either willingly or under coercion) melt down their gold, much of it "liberated" from their Egyptian neighbours, and make a calf which they worship.
God is not impressed. God has to be talked (or arguably shamed) out of destroying the whole lot of them.
Happy Thanksgiving everybody!
I mean really, what link could there possibly be...
Actually I think that this is the most egregious in a series of events which show that the people have forgotten what God has done for them. They move into wanting everything to be just right and complain about what goes wrong. Their gratitude, which was very evident as the sea closed and drowned Pharaoh's army, seems to be lacking in much of the rest of the journey.
Of course we would never do that. We would always be thankful. Right?
Right?
Sometimes I think we also are lacking in the gratitude department. Sometimes we find other idols that get in the way of our recognizing what God has done in our lives. When do we need to be reminded to be grateful?
--Gord
Monday, October 6, 2014
Looking Ahead to October 12, 2014 -- Thanksgiving Sunday
The Scripture reading this week is Joshua 24:1-18
The Sermon title is Thank God! Serve God?
Early Thoughts: After the conquest there is remembering. And in the remembering there is a reminder. Thank God for where you are, God has led you to this place and here is everything God has done for you.
Remembering is, I think, an integral part of thanksgiving. Remembering is what clears space for us to say thank you.
But Joshua takes it another step. Joshua challenges the people to not only remember and be thankful, but to serve. In essence Joshua challenges them to put their money where their mouth is.
I want to encourage us to make the same challenge. We are fairly good at reminding ourselves (periodically if not on an ongoing basis) how we have been blessed. We are fairly good at reminding ourselves to say thank you. But as people of faith our story and tradition pushes us to take the next step. Do our actions show that we understand ourselves to be living in service to God? Or do our actions show that we understand ourselves to be living in service to ourselves/our families/some other god? Which comes first?
If God is the source of our blessings, of our abundance, of our life then what is the appropriate response? Service, says the faith story (Joshua and Moses and the Prophets and Jesus all appear to agree). Commitment, says the faith story. Putting God first, says the faith story.
What does it meant to say, as Joshua does, "as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord"? How do we live that out? I think it is shown in how we use the blessings and gifts we have been given. What we do with our time, our talent, and our treasure shows who we serve. I also think it shows something of the depth of our thanksgiving.
--Gord
The Sermon title is Thank God! Serve God?
Early Thoughts: After the conquest there is remembering. And in the remembering there is a reminder. Thank God for where you are, God has led you to this place and here is everything God has done for you.
Remembering is, I think, an integral part of thanksgiving. Remembering is what clears space for us to say thank you.
But Joshua takes it another step. Joshua challenges the people to not only remember and be thankful, but to serve. In essence Joshua challenges them to put their money where their mouth is.
I want to encourage us to make the same challenge. We are fairly good at reminding ourselves (periodically if not on an ongoing basis) how we have been blessed. We are fairly good at reminding ourselves to say thank you. But as people of faith our story and tradition pushes us to take the next step. Do our actions show that we understand ourselves to be living in service to God? Or do our actions show that we understand ourselves to be living in service to ourselves/our families/some other god? Which comes first?
If God is the source of our blessings, of our abundance, of our life then what is the appropriate response? Service, says the faith story (Joshua and Moses and the Prophets and Jesus all appear to agree). Commitment, says the faith story. Putting God first, says the faith story.
What does it meant to say, as Joshua does, "as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord"? How do we live that out? I think it is shown in how we use the blessings and gifts we have been given. What we do with our time, our talent, and our treasure shows who we serve. I also think it shows something of the depth of our thanksgiving.
--Gord
Monday, October 7, 2013
Looking Forward to October 13, 2013 -- Thanksgiving Sunday
The Scripture Readings this week are:
Early Thoughts: It is Thanksgiving. Why is important to give thanks?
It is about more than just manners. It is about how we view our lives.
A thankful life changes how we see the world. When we remember how we are blessed (most importantly when we make ourselves remember that at times when we are tempted to feel hard done by) it changes how we interact with life.
God calls us to be a blessing to the world around us. Can we do that without knowing that we have first been blessed? Plausibly we could, but I would suggest it is easier and healthier to be a blessing because we know we have been blessed.
There is a common activity around Thanksgiving dinner tables to ask each person at the table to name one thing for which they are thankful. That is a good start to our celebration. I have another question or two to follow up...
What about us are people thankful for?
How can I be a blessing to the world around me?
What are your answers?????????
--Gord
- Deuteronomy 26:1-11
- Luke 17:11-19
Early Thoughts: It is Thanksgiving. Why is important to give thanks?
It is about more than just manners. It is about how we view our lives.
A thankful life changes how we see the world. When we remember how we are blessed (most importantly when we make ourselves remember that at times when we are tempted to feel hard done by) it changes how we interact with life.
God calls us to be a blessing to the world around us. Can we do that without knowing that we have first been blessed? Plausibly we could, but I would suggest it is easier and healthier to be a blessing because we know we have been blessed.
There is a common activity around Thanksgiving dinner tables to ask each person at the table to name one thing for which they are thankful. That is a good start to our celebration. I have another question or two to follow up...
What about us are people thankful for?
How can I be a blessing to the world around me?
What are your answers?????????
--Gord
Monday, October 1, 2012
Looking Forward to October 7, 2012 -- Thanksgiving Sunday
This week we will celebrate the sacrament of Communion.
The Scripture Readings this week are:
Joel 2:21-27
Psalm 126 (VU p.850)
Matthew 6:25-33
The Sermon title is Do Not Fear, Do Not Worry...
Early Thoughts: Sometimes I think Jesus must be joking. Most of the people Jesus is talking to struggle just to get enough food to make it through the year. It would not be an overstatement to say that they have next to nothing. And he is telling them not to worry????? That is sort of like walking into the homeless shelter and just saying "everything will be okay, God will give you what you need". How would we expect people to respond in that case?
Most of us have trouble believing that God will just provide what we need. We don't just sit back and rake it all in after all. But I am not sure that is the point of the passage. Or at least that may not be where the story intersects with our lives.
One of the dangers we have in our society is that we too often fall into the trap of believing that what we have we have as a reward for hard work or as an entitlement. These passages remind us that what we have is a gift that is graciously and freely given. One of the dangers of modern society is that we are taught to worry, we are taught that what we need is scarce and we have to ensure we "get our share". These passages remind us that what we have is he result of abundant gifts. These passages call us to reflect on the difference between worrying over the world's scarcity and rejoicing on God's abundance.
As I read and think ahead I am reminded of a song, a song about counting our blessings. While we are counting our blessings it is harder to lament our lack. When we count our blessings we see the world differently. AS we approach a First Sunday, with the 2nd Offering that entails, let us count our blessings. And as an act of thankfulness let us be ready to share those blessings with the people in the pew, the street, the community next to us.
And what better message is there on Thanksgiving weekend? If we stop worrying so much we may see the world differently. When we see abundance instead of scarcity it enables us to see what we have to share with the world. It enables us to practice better stewardship. In the end worry is a subset of fear, and fear is the opposite of love. Let us put aside worry so that we can live in love.
--Gord
The Scripture Readings this week are:
Joel 2:21-27
Psalm 126 (VU p.850)
Matthew 6:25-33
The Sermon title is Do Not Fear, Do Not Worry...
Early Thoughts: Sometimes I think Jesus must be joking. Most of the people Jesus is talking to struggle just to get enough food to make it through the year. It would not be an overstatement to say that they have next to nothing. And he is telling them not to worry????? That is sort of like walking into the homeless shelter and just saying "everything will be okay, God will give you what you need". How would we expect people to respond in that case?
Most of us have trouble believing that God will just provide what we need. We don't just sit back and rake it all in after all. But I am not sure that is the point of the passage. Or at least that may not be where the story intersects with our lives.
One of the dangers we have in our society is that we too often fall into the trap of believing that what we have we have as a reward for hard work or as an entitlement. These passages remind us that what we have is a gift that is graciously and freely given. One of the dangers of modern society is that we are taught to worry, we are taught that what we need is scarce and we have to ensure we "get our share". These passages remind us that what we have is he result of abundant gifts. These passages call us to reflect on the difference between worrying over the world's scarcity and rejoicing on God's abundance.
As I read and think ahead I am reminded of a song, a song about counting our blessings. While we are counting our blessings it is harder to lament our lack. When we count our blessings we see the world differently. AS we approach a First Sunday, with the 2nd Offering that entails, let us count our blessings. And as an act of thankfulness let us be ready to share those blessings with the people in the pew, the street, the community next to us.
And what better message is there on Thanksgiving weekend? If we stop worrying so much we may see the world differently. When we see abundance instead of scarcity it enables us to see what we have to share with the world. It enables us to practice better stewardship. In the end worry is a subset of fear, and fear is the opposite of love. Let us put aside worry so that we can live in love.
--Gord
Monday, May 7, 2012
Looking Ahead to May 13, 2012 -- 6th Sunday of Easter
The Scripture Readings this week are:
Early Thoughts: We sometimes forget to say it. WE sometimes are better asking for help/money/time than saying thank you for it. We may remember as individuals but as institutions we are not always good at it. And I would argue that the church as a body is one of the worst offenders at times)
And yet if we are in fact called to act lovingly towards each other shouldn't thank-you flow automatically?
This week we will not only talk about WHY we say thank you (or why we should). It is a part of love, a part of recognizing that others have acted out of love, often self-sacrificial love. We will also take time to actually say it. In public worship. On behalf of the congregation.
Time to start building my list.....
--Gord
- Psalm 98 (VU p.818)
- John 15:9-17
Early Thoughts: We sometimes forget to say it. WE sometimes are better asking for help/money/time than saying thank you for it. We may remember as individuals but as institutions we are not always good at it. And I would argue that the church as a body is one of the worst offenders at times)
And yet if we are in fact called to act lovingly towards each other shouldn't thank-you flow automatically?
This week we will not only talk about WHY we say thank you (or why we should). It is a part of love, a part of recognizing that others have acted out of love, often self-sacrificial love. We will also take time to actually say it. In public worship. On behalf of the congregation.
Time to start building my list.....
--Gord
Monday, October 17, 2011
Sermon From October 16, 2011
Open singing the chorus:
At Thanksgiving it seems a good time to ask what would be enough? What would have us cry out “Dayeinu”? Do we have an awareness of what enough might be anymore? After all, our entire economy seems to be based on convincing us we never have enough, that we always need more. Is that what gets in the way of thankfulness? Partly perhaps. Hold on to that thought. We'll come back to “enough”. But first let's look at thanks giving and what might get in the way.
If you believe the news reports it would be easy to believe that we have little to be thankful for. In economy-related news alone we hear of riots in Greece and Italy, mass demonstrations in multiple US cities under the #OccupyWallStreet banner, repeated warnings about the possibility of another global recession. Even our own Canadian economy, we are told, is too fragile to withstand even a short labour disruption in the airline industry. Then there are the stories in our own backyard, the people we see struggling in our own community. What does it mean to be thankful in such a time as this? What is there to be thankful for?
It has been said that there are only two basic prayers. One is “Help” and the other is “thank you”. And yet it always seems so much easier to remember the first and forget the second. In bad or troubling times it is far easier to wonder what will come next, to wonder if we are going to get out of this mess than to stop and count our blessings But it is only when we count our blessings that we remember to give thanks.
The Scriptures we have just heard speak to the difficulty in saying thanks in the good times. In Luke we hear the story of some lepers who are made clean. To be made clean means to be re-admitted to the community. In their excitement and joy they forget to come back to give thanks – the only one who does is an outsider already, a Samaritan who would be unable to follow the instructions Jesus gives anyway. The story reminds us to pause in the times of unexpected joy to remember our blessings.
Deuteronomy highlights a different, and likely a more common issue. Deuteronomy warns the people “do not forget!”. Amnesia is the great threat. When all the great things of the land have come true there is the temptation to forget that the land is a gift from God. When times are good it is too easy to take the blessings for granted. When times are good it is to easy to believe the age-old myth – so prevalent in North American social thought – of the “self-made person”. Foreseeing that temptation, Moses says to the Israelites “DO NOT FORGET”. Moses warns the people to always remember that God has done all these things for them , to always remember that they did not get where they are by themselves or by their own efforts. It is only when we remember our blessings that we can remember to give thanks.
In a way this brings us back to (and answers) the question of how do we give thanks in a world of chaos. When employment is scarce, when families wonder where the next month's rent will come from, when the news fills us with worry and anxiety about the future, how then can we fill our hearts with thankfulness, with praise, with gratitude? How do we give thanks when we see so many reasons to not give thanks?
How? Well the same wisdom that we find in Luke and in Deuteronomy still holds. We can only give thanks when we take time to remember what we have to give thanks for. In times of uncertainty and chaos we need to intentionally think about what blessings we do have. We need to clearly name our blessings so that we are able to give thanks. And so that brings us back to the question of “what would be enough?”. In this era of crisis, what is it enough for God to have done? In a world where we are constantly told that we need to go and buy “MORE” or “NEW, IMPROVED” can we remember what the base of enough is? What gifts make us sing dayeinu?
But of course the great cause for Thanksgiving is not that God does all these things. The greatest cause for thanksgiving is that God does them all over and over again and more. On Thanksgiving Day we pause again to think of all the ways that God gives us life in great abundance. God continues to bless us over and over and over. And in response to all these blessings we say thank-you not only once a year but regularly, daily, whenever we are made aware of our blessings. And for each of those blessings we say not only thanks but dayeinu, it would have been enough.
Chorus:
Da-da-yeinu, da-da-yeinu
Da-da-yeinu, Dayeinu dayeinu
Dayeinu
Da-da-yeinu, da-da-yeinu
Da-da-yeinu, Dayeinu dayeinu
That is the chorus of a traditional Jewish Passover song. Dayeinu means “it would have been enough”. Each of the 15 verses lists one of the great gifts God gives during the Exodus story and then says “Dayeinu”.At Thanksgiving it seems a good time to ask what would be enough? What would have us cry out “Dayeinu”? Do we have an awareness of what enough might be anymore? After all, our entire economy seems to be based on convincing us we never have enough, that we always need more. Is that what gets in the way of thankfulness? Partly perhaps. Hold on to that thought. We'll come back to “enough”. But first let's look at thanks giving and what might get in the way.
If you believe the news reports it would be easy to believe that we have little to be thankful for. In economy-related news alone we hear of riots in Greece and Italy, mass demonstrations in multiple US cities under the #OccupyWallStreet banner, repeated warnings about the possibility of another global recession. Even our own Canadian economy, we are told, is too fragile to withstand even a short labour disruption in the airline industry. Then there are the stories in our own backyard, the people we see struggling in our own community. What does it mean to be thankful in such a time as this? What is there to be thankful for?
It has been said that there are only two basic prayers. One is “Help” and the other is “thank you”. And yet it always seems so much easier to remember the first and forget the second. In bad or troubling times it is far easier to wonder what will come next, to wonder if we are going to get out of this mess than to stop and count our blessings But it is only when we count our blessings that we remember to give thanks.
The Scriptures we have just heard speak to the difficulty in saying thanks in the good times. In Luke we hear the story of some lepers who are made clean. To be made clean means to be re-admitted to the community. In their excitement and joy they forget to come back to give thanks – the only one who does is an outsider already, a Samaritan who would be unable to follow the instructions Jesus gives anyway. The story reminds us to pause in the times of unexpected joy to remember our blessings.
Deuteronomy highlights a different, and likely a more common issue. Deuteronomy warns the people “do not forget!”. Amnesia is the great threat. When all the great things of the land have come true there is the temptation to forget that the land is a gift from God. When times are good it is too easy to take the blessings for granted. When times are good it is to easy to believe the age-old myth – so prevalent in North American social thought – of the “self-made person”. Foreseeing that temptation, Moses says to the Israelites “DO NOT FORGET”. Moses warns the people to always remember that God has done all these things for them , to always remember that they did not get where they are by themselves or by their own efforts. It is only when we remember our blessings that we can remember to give thanks.
In a way this brings us back to (and answers) the question of how do we give thanks in a world of chaos. When employment is scarce, when families wonder where the next month's rent will come from, when the news fills us with worry and anxiety about the future, how then can we fill our hearts with thankfulness, with praise, with gratitude? How do we give thanks when we see so many reasons to not give thanks?
How? Well the same wisdom that we find in Luke and in Deuteronomy still holds. We can only give thanks when we take time to remember what we have to give thanks for. In times of uncertainty and chaos we need to intentionally think about what blessings we do have. We need to clearly name our blessings so that we are able to give thanks. And so that brings us back to the question of “what would be enough?”. In this era of crisis, what is it enough for God to have done? In a world where we are constantly told that we need to go and buy “MORE” or “NEW, IMPROVED” can we remember what the base of enough is? What gifts make us sing dayeinu?
1) If our God had merely made us
Formed us, blew life's breath into us
Simply gave us our existence
Dayeinu.
Chorus:
As Fraulein Maria told the Von Trapp children when they asked to learn to sing: “Let's start at the very beginning, a very good place to start. When you read you begin with A B C when you sing you begin with Do Re Mi”. And in the life of faith you begin with? Our story starts with creation and so we give thanks to Creator God for life itself. If God had only given us the gift of life and set us free to face whatever life threw at us by ourselves then even that clockmaker God would be worthy of our thanks and praise. Even just life itself and nothing else would have been enough.2) If our God had only fed us
Gave us food and drink to nourish
Fruits of earth for us to cherish
Dayeinu.
Chorus:
At some point last weekend, many families sat down at tables full of food. For many people the feast almost seems to be the main purpose for Thanksgiving. But when you think about it, when people of faith gather together for a meal how does the meal start? With grace, with a prayer of thanks. Even before we know if the food is good or not we give thanks that there is food. God not only gave us life, God gives us that which we need to sustain life. Thanksgiving is seen as a harvest festival by many to celebrate the miracle of growth but also because we know that even if God had only provided us with food that would have been enough.3) Or if God had brought us freedom
Freed us from sin and oppression
Merely made us free for service
Dayeinu.
Chorus:
Freedom. An old Star Trek (the Original Series) episode called that a worship word. And indeed the faith story is one of freedom. God frees the people of Israel from slavery, reminding us that God's vision is of a world where none struggle with oppression. God commands that no member of the community is ever to be bound in servitude forever, reminding us of a different economy, one where our value is in our existence not our productivity. God redeems those who are exiles, reminding us that we can always come home again. And God frees us from guilt and shame and sin, reminding us that there is always a new start, a second chance to get it right. Freedom, that indeed would have been enough.4) If our God gave us companions
Family and friends for comfort
So that we would not be lonely
Dayeinu.
Chorus:
The three “peoples of the Book” as Muhammed called us (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) share many things. We share a common God. We share a similar morality. We share a community focus. Our faith is not one that can be lived in isolation. Our faith calls us to live in community, caring for and with each other, being cared about by each other. In wedding sermons I often comment on the fact that humanity seems hardwired to seek out companionship and support. And God creates us so that this companionship and support is available. For community, for friends and family, we give thanks. And indeed that would have been enough.5) Or if God gave us vocations
Tasks to do that give life meaning
Helped us feel that we had purpose
Dayeinu.
Chorus:
We all need to feel useful. We all need to know that our lives have meaning and purpose. Some of us find that in our career, but not always. But each of us has a vocation (that is with an o, not vacation with an a). There is something, or a set of somethings, each of us can do that make a difference in the world. When we discover what God is calling us to do and find a way to do that then we feel much better. For the knowledge that we have a purpose, for those things that make life meaningful rather than just existing, we give thanks. And most certainly all these things would be enough, dayeinu.But of course the great cause for Thanksgiving is not that God does all these things. The greatest cause for thanksgiving is that God does them all over and over again and more. On Thanksgiving Day we pause again to think of all the ways that God gives us life in great abundance. God continues to bless us over and over and over. And in response to all these blessings we say thank-you not only once a year but regularly, daily, whenever we are made aware of our blessings. And for each of those blessings we say not only thanks but dayeinu, it would have been enough.
6) But our God provides more blessings
Gives us life in great abundance
And so daily we say thank-you
Dayeinu.
Chorus:
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