September 3rd 2017 Every Day Is A Day of Thanksgiving

September 3 2017 Psalm 105.1-6, 23-26, 45c Every Day is a Day of Thanksgiving

Pastor Jacqueline Hines

On this communion Sunday, this Sunday of the Eucharist, the Greek word for thanksgiving, [slide # 1 Eucharist means] we remember that every day is a day of thanksgiving. Since God is good all the time and all the time, God is good, we do well to give thanks all the time, for there is always something for which to be grateful. [slide # 2 Eucharist….gratitude]

We can only imagine what it is like to take communion and celebrate the Eucharistic meal in Houston right about now. To gather and worship and commune after being scattered and uprooted and traumatized comes with mixed feelings. [slide # 3 Houston flood]

There may be bitter pills to swallow along life’s journey, but as one elder says, “We learn to take the bitter with the sweet.” When life brings us lemons, we make lemonade.” [slide #4 lemonade] One a cloudy day, we look for the silver lining where the sun is shining through. [slide # 5 cloud…] At all times, we keep our chin up and our head above water, lest we drown in our sorrows. [slide # 6 man sitting near water] We do as the psalmist promoted, “I will lift my head unto the hills from where my help comes. My help comes from the Lord, maker of heaven and earth. [slide #7 Jesus saving man in water]

There are those days, though, that we don’t feel like it. We may think God just made a big mess of our lives for us to clean up. We want to throw in the towel which is what a boxer’s coach does to declare that the fighter is defeated and just cannot fight anymore. [slide # 8 boxer / towel] There are those days that we want to do what Job’s wife asked him to do. Instead of encouraging him to thank and praise God, she said why don’t you just “Curse God and die.”

We are human and we are full of many emotions. The same mixed emotions we feel about God during certain situations, we also feel about other human beings from time to time. Our emotions are the heart of every matter. Hearts can be bitter, but they can also be better. A healthy heart is a heart full of gratitude. So the psalmist reminds us today to do three things that matters. All three are found in verse one: ¹O give thanks to the Lord, call on his name, make known his deeds among the peoples.

First of all, we can think of many things for which to give thanks to God. We are a country of polite people and we know how to give thanks for our daily bread, our portion of health and strength, our wonderful family and friends and we give thanks for shelter, for good food, water and clothes, and most often we give thanks from the depths our hearts. God bless America. We are a country known for the grandest celebration of a Thanksgiving Day!

Thanksgiving is a deep part of our culture founded on Godly principles. The first thing the psalmist directs God’s people to do   is to give thanks.

The second thing is to call on the name of the Lord. When we have good news to share, we call a friend. When we need help we call whoever – the doctor, the lawyer, our family, our therapist. We call on the one we have confidence in that will help us when we call. We want to call on someone that has proven to be reliable and good. If you want a good car you might call on the name of Chrysler. If you want good cake you go to BJ’s or Giant. For nice clothes you drive to Boscov’s or Macy’s. If you want an event organized, call the seniors involved in B.U.S. at Bethel. If you want a wall torn down, put up or painted down the hall, call Dot, Terry, and Bob. These are names you can rely on because they have proven approachable and reliable.

But, the name above every name that we can call first and foremost is the name of our Lord, Jesus. By faith, we realize that our Lord is the maker of everything good and everyone else falls in line behind. When we start by calling upon the one who is above all, we are putting our confidence in the one who has been faithful, loving, and true from the beginning of time. We are trusting in one who works everything out for our ultimate good.

As wonderful as those we call upon can be, there can still be problems. Cars have recalls, bakers forget we ordered a cake for our special day, B.U.S. gets cancelled because of snow, Bethel’s dream team of workers eventually have to go to work for real money instead of volunteering, or they have to take a vacation.

Burger King used to tell us we can have it our way, but that was only for burgers. We have lived long enough to understand that no one can have it their way all the time. There are times that are completely out of our control. There are days that our answers to prayers are all that we hope for. Other days we are deeply disappointed when God speaks a big “no” to our most cherished and longed for wishes.

God’s answers may also be incomprehensible or indefensible, or unbelievable. If we do not get the answer we want, we may be filled to overflowing with grief or rebellion or resentment against God, and we may start running from God. [slide #9  man running away] It happens. We have to guard our tongues and take control of our minds, let we become blasphemers instead of praisers.

So, to get down to the heart of matters in life, [slide # 10 heart] we first need to thank God, secondly we need to call upon the name of our God, thirdly we need to make known God’s deeds among the people.

When we are daily walking and talking with God, [slide # 11 little girl with Jesus] we see the hand of God working in our lives and the lives of those around us. The bible says we become witnesses to God’s work. We can testify to the fact that God has not left us or forsaken us. We can give details of God’s blessings so that others can rejoice and be encouraged in their journey. [slide # 12 man on bench with Jesus]

One of the ways SPRC has looked at to strengthen our church is to ask every member to bring two people to church during the year. [slide # 13 Bring…] This way we will be more conscious of those around us who may appreciate an invitation to worship or attend a bible study or the bazaar or brunch. Some people will come just because we cared enough to ask. [slide # 14 time to care]

People follow us to church because they have heard the stories, great and small about God’s goodness. As we walk and talk with our creator daily, just as we sit at the feet of Jesus every day, we have many stories to tell and many lessons to share with others who need us to be present in ways that can change their lives for the good. [slide # 15 two babies]

Scriptures tell us God’s mercies are new every morning, so we have new stories to tell of what we have received at the hand of God, and we ought to give thanks for them, we ought to call upon the name of the Lord so that we can generate more stories and we ought to tell somebody about God’s great work as we witness it in our lives.  [slide # 16 Declare…God has done for you]

So to love God and one another from the heart, and to have the strongest church we can have [slide # 17 heart lifting weights] a  let us first give thanks, second call upon the name of the Lord and third tell somebody what the Lord has done for us. [slide # 18 the Lord has done great…] Amen. [slide # 19 God is good…]