SunNov62011
Faith Witness on Gratitude
I’ve known about this Sunday for a while, but for some reason it has been really hard to get my head around talking about gratitude. That may be because it’s so obvious that we have so much to be grateful for that part of me just wanted to say gratitude… DUH and be done with it. While that would have fit nicely into Dan’s 5 minute time limit, I felt something more substantial was likely expected.
When I think about what I am grateful for, my mind almost always goes first to my health, my family and then to the things in life that we all need, food, shelter, clothes, medical care, jobs to help support our families. You probably know that I am unemployed as my term as the Associate General Minister of the UCC has ended. And no I did not retire, so I find myself without a job for the first time since I was 16 years old, a huge change and my future is unsettled like millions of others in our country, Even so, I know I am blessed. I have far more than the necessities of life and while I am often baffled about why some have so much and others so little, I am deeply grateful for all that has been given to me. But I also know while gratitude includes being grateful for all we have been given, our gratitude isn’t determined by how much we have. My parents had very little, but they were grateful people and I remember testimony after testimony of gratitude for a God who is generous and loving and kind; a God who is with us in good times and bad; a God who makes a way out of no way. So while my gratitude includes being grateful for all I have been given, at the heart of it is gratitude to God for loving and forgiving and caring and cherishing me, just as I am.
On this all Saints Sunday, I am grateful for so many people here at Federated who have given their time and treasures to this church. I remember Bob Marquart who called me after I first worshipped here and said, “We’d love to have you join us”. That was almost twenty years ago and we have been blessed by the gifts of this amazing community of faith. Our two kids grew up here, and felt supported, embraced and loved. Bryan’s love of music was nurtured and fed, Michael, well Michaels’ independent nature accepted. And while Jerry can speak for himself, when we moved here in 1991, Jerry was the “trailing spouse” giving up his career path to support me and looking for a place to have some sense of community. Federated became that place and the ministry of music through the Ensemble has been so important to him. When we moved here from Kansas in 1991to work for the UCC, I learned pretty quickly that working for the church meant that I really needed a place of worship to remind me what church was really all about. Believe me, church work can be very hard. And I found that reminder year after year here at Federated. Like many of you, this faith community has prayed for me during important and difficult transitions, helped me to live out my commitments to justice, encouraged me to be more generous and, challenged me on how I live out my faith day in and day out.
Gratitude….absolutely, for the amazing grace of God, for all I have been given, for this church, for all that has been and for all that is yet to be.
Let us pray, Gracious and loving God, We come this morning with hearts full; thankful for all that you are to us and all that you have given to us. We thank you that no matter who we are or where we are on life’s journey, that you are right there beside us. We remember those this morning whose lives are racked with pain of loss and illness, those who don’t have the basic necessities of life, those who will go to bed tonight and wake up hungry, those whose lives are filled with violence, in this country and abroad. Even while we are so grateful for what we have been given, we know that to who much has been given, much is required. We pray that you will create in us a sense of urgency and impatience for the inequities and injustices of life. We know that we can’t make it all better, but God help us to be committed to work for change in places where you call us to serve. Gracious God, thank you for this particular community of faith, for the ways that we care for each other and for those beyond these walls. Help us to do and be more, more committed to you, more generous and more grateful for all that you are to each one of us. In your name we pray. Amen.