When I am living in gratitude, the world is right. I see life as more than the glass half full; I view life overflowing with abundance. Gratitude colors everything for the good. It allows me to slow down, take a deep breath and appreciate my surroundings, thank God for my blessings, and lean into the wonders of each day. Joy abounds with gratitude. I have never found a way to bottle gratitude or even create it on demand, but I know its value far exceeds many high dollar items the world daily tries to pedal. A grateful heart is one of the ways of being that Paul is encouraging, along with the peace of Christ, being thankful, dwelling in the word of Christ, rejoicing in praise for God and allowing all of these blessings to be the foundation for whatever we do in word or deed. Paul even reminds us of being united in the one body of Christ which we embraced last week when we baptized Roxy and Jim and received seven new members. This grateful feeling continues in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians where he invites us to be filled with the Spirit. Listen now for God word as it comes to us from Eph. 5:18b-20.
be filled with the Spirit, 19as you sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, singing and making melody to the Lord in your hearts, 20giving thanks to God the Father at all times and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
This is the word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God!
Did you notice the parallels in these two passages, singing psalms and hymns, melody and harmony, giving thanks to God and being thankful. Then of course there is the peace of Christ in our hearts and melody of the Lord in your hearts, both of which feel an awful lot like gratitude. Paul asks us to clothe ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness and patience. All attitudes which foster a rightsizing, forgiveness and love. The positivity in both passages is uplifting. Yet we did not gloss over complaints but meet them with forgiveness and we are encouraged to admonish each other with wisdom. I have to say it is easier to do all of these things with grateful hearts.
Give thanks to God the Father at all times for everything. Do you give thanks to God for the rain, for the body ache you woke up with this morning, for a hug from your grandchild, or the gift of your next breath. Gratitude is a way of life, and one that celebrates joy and strengthens in sorrow. In our western culture where we are supposed to be self-sufficient and strong, gratitude is often seen as weak, rather than deep strength. Society tells us, we do not need to thank God for everything, because we have created our own destiny. But that does not serve us. Rather clothing ourselves with compassion, kindness and humility allows us to abide in gratitude.
It is interesting to note that Paul is not just giving individual advice in these passages. No, the you is plural, meaning that for us to live in gratitude, to be all these wonderful and uplifting ways we get to do this in community. Our culture lies to us promoting independence and looking out for number one. The richness of life comes through community. That is why the peace of Christ is connected to the one body. I don’t know about you, but I feel more peaceful when I have a community to share my life with, a community who knows my sorrow and joy and that is the body of Christ. That is you.
We gather each week and sing hymns, pray for each other and listen to God’s word. We do that as community. But sometimes when we grieve it is hard to be in community, even when we need it most. A pastor once wrote, “During my years in ministry, I found myself (accompanying) many widowed men and women. Sometimes a bereaved spouse would come to church but choose a seat at the back of the sanctuary. It struck me that they stood silently during hymns. I asked one widow, also a friend, about this. She said, ‘I need others to sing the hymns to me, and for me, until I can sing them again myself’” (Working Preacher, Sally A. Brown). The body of Christ clothed in love, holding one of its own through singing and harmony until the peace of Christ can dwell in her heart once again. That’s communal gratitude.
“The late Roman Catholic priest and prolific writer on the spiritual life, Henri Nouwen, felt God call him from his faculty position at an Ivy League University to live with the poor in South America. In his book, “Gracias!” he writes:
In many of the families I visited, nothing was certain, nothing was secure, MAYBE there would be food tomorrow. MAYBE there would be no sickness tomorrow. Maybe…maybe not. But whatever came to these people, they still greeted life with joy and with “Gracias!” (Nouwen continues)
What I presumed from God as my rightful claim, my friends in Peru and Bolivia received as a precious gift.
What I treated as common place was for them a joyful surprise.
What I trivialized as ordinary, they celebrated with reverence and said, “Gracias!” And slowly I realized what I had all but forgotten and dismissed.
All is grace. All is God’s gift!” (Sermons.com, Mike Ripski).
Clergyman and poet Henry Ward Beecher said it this way, “As flowers carry dewdrops, trembling on the edges of the petals, and ready to fall at the first waft of the wind or brush of bird, so the heart should carry its beaded words of thanksgiving. At the first breath of heavenly flavor, let down the shower, perfumed with the heart’s gratitude” (Sermons.com).
With all of our rain lately I want to think of each droplet as perfumed with the heart’s gratitude. Can we see all of life as a breath of heavenly flavor, gifts from God poured out upon us each day? Can gratitude and thanksgiving fall from us like dewdrops.
Can we hold all of our blessing in love and say gracias to our God?
One last parallel from these two scripture passages.
Whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything giving thanks to God through Jesus Christ. (3:17).
Giving thanks to God the Father at all times and for everything in the name of Jesus Christ. (5:20).
Gratitude is the foundation of all of this. Gratitude is the reason we give to God of our time, talents and resources. As you know we are beginning our stewardship season. The letters have gone out, and the pledge cards are coming in. Thank you for returning your pledge cards so quickly. It helps us know your intentions and vitally supports the ministries of this church. Your donations make it possible for us to be the body of Christ right here. I ask each of you to return your pledge card by Nov. 2 when we will dedicate our pledges/offerings to God.
“A missionary in Africa was preaching his first sermon in a mission church. When time came for the offering, the people danced their offerings forward. They danced and sang praise to God as they brought their offerings to the altar. It was a beautiful moment.
What do you think? Should we get our ushers to do that?
After the service, pastor asked one of the people, “Why do you dance and sing when you bring your offering forward on Sunday morning?” Back came the answer: “How could we not dance? We are so grateful to God for what (God) has done for us in sending Jesus Christ to save us, that we have to dance and sing our thanksgiving and besides it says in the Bible, God loves a cheerful giver.” (Sermons.com, James W. Moore)
I hope your heart wants to dance and sing when you prayerfully decide what you are giving to St. Andrew next year. I hope you want to dance and sing because of the love of God and the gift of Jesus Christ. I pray our heart is filled with gratitude for all the ways Jesus has touched your life so that whatever you do in word or deed, do everything giving thanks to God. Amen.
