Prepared?

Mark 13:24-37
1^st Sunday of Advent
Elizabeth M. Deibert

The highest holy days in the Christian year have seasons of preparation. In preparation for Good Friday and Easter, we have the forty days of Lent. And in preparation for Christmas, we have the four weeks of Advent. Advent is a time of preparing not just to celebrate the wonder of Christmas, remembering the birth of Jesus Christ, but it is a time to prepare for the second coming of Christ, especially in the first two weeks of Advent. All the passages in the first two weeks are about the second coming of Christ, not about the first coming.

Talk of the second coming of Christ (mentioned 17 times in the New Testament) is something that generally makes Christians like us a little nervous. Well, it does.

First of all, we have heard the predictions of Christ’s return given in great detail even with dates, and that kind of audacious certainty among some Christians and sects has not seemed plausible to us.

Secondly, we tend to avoid thinking of end times, because we cannot imagine very easily the end of our own life, much less the end of the world. But if we are honest, we do sometimes wonder what happens between this life that we know and the life beyond death, which we do not exactly know.

Thirdly, there are many confusing terms associated with the discussion of end times. Eschatology is the five dollar word for the study of the last times. Parousia is the Greek term meaning arrival, coming, or presence. The term Epiphany, also from the Greek, is used to speak of Christ’s appearing and also the celebration of 12th day of Christmas. The word “Apocalypse” which literally means “unveiling or revelation” is also used to refer to the end of the world.

A literal interpretation of the Bible names four important events:

The Millennium: Revelation describes an important interval lasting for 1000 years when Christ rules. 1 This is a golden era; a time of universal peace.

The Tribulation: This is a 7 year interval when a world religious-political leader called the Antichrist takes power.

Armageddon is a terrible war provoked by the Antichrist. Most people on earth will die. God's anger, hatred, and wrath are poured out over the earth at this time. A series of violent events as prophesied in Daniel 9, Matthew 24, and Revelation 4-19 will occur.

The Rapture: 1 Thessalonians 4 describes a miraculous event when Christ will descend from the heavens towards the Earth. Many conservative Protestants believe that faithful "born again" Christians who have previously died will be resurrected, rise from their graves, and ascend to meet Jesus in the sky. Immediately afterwards, "born again" Christians who had not died will also ascend into the air. They will abandon cars, airplanes, factory jobs, homes, families, friends etc. Others will be “Left Behind” as the series of books says.

These passages of scripture are difficult to understand. They have spawned many conflicting beliefs about the end times. A lot of church strife has resulted from disagreements about end time prophecy. For example, the Roman Catholic Church and most mainline Protestants do not have expectation that a rapture will occur in the way I just described. There are at least six major theories on the end times, but we do not have time in this sermon to address them in all their complexities. I can only recommend that you come to the Bible study on the Book of Revelation in the new year, where some of them will be discussed. Peace has an unusually high number of teaching elders, ministers, people who have been well-trained in Biblical studies (at least half a dozen beyond Tricia and me), so I encourage you to take advantage of the opportunities you have to grow in faith here at Peace.

But let’s get on with Mark 13 now, where the charge from Jesus is to be ready, be prepared, be alert, be awake. Pay attention to darkness and light, to subtleties like fig trees producing tender branches, to the words of Christ, which will never pass away, even though heaven and earth will pass away.

Mark 13:24-37

"But in those days, after that suffering, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, ²⁵and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. ²⁶Then they will see 'the Son of Man coming in clouds' with great power and glory. ²⁷Then he will send out the angels, and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.

²⁸"From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. ²⁹So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates. ³⁰Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place. ³¹Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

³²"But about that day or hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. ³³Beware, keep alert; for you do not know when the time will come. ³⁴It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his slaves in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to be on the watch. ³⁵Therefore, keep awake-- for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or at dawn, ³⁶or else he may find you asleep when he comes suddenly. ³⁷And what I say to you I say to all: Keep awake."

(NRSV)

Notice that in this text Jesus says that no one knows the day or the hour – not the angels in heaven and not even the Son himself. Obviously, knowing the hour or day, or trying to predict it is a futile exercise, while being ready, while not knowing the exact day is the key to faithfulness.

We Deiberts made a rather late start on our Thanksgiving trip Tuesday evening. It was difficult to stay awake. Richard and I were drinking coffee and eating ice chips and hot cinnamon candy to stay alert. We struggled to make conversation until finally, we pulled into the hotel north of Jacksonville, where we would spend the night and have breakfast with Richard’s brother and father, on our way to spend Thanksgiving with my family in N. Carolina. I walked into the hotel lobby to get the room key, and the night time front desk operator, happy for some company at 1:00 am, noticed my cross and engaged me in a conversation about the end times and the Christian poetry she writes. She wanted me to read some of it online. All I wanted was a room number and a key, so I could put my head on a pillow, but she wanted a friend with whom to share her belief that since 1959 all the pieces are in place for Christ to come again. I smiled, said something about how we don’t really know when Christ will come again, but affirmed with her what I could affirm and that was that we want to be ready. Ready, even at 1:00 am.

So what does it mean to be ready for the second coming? Let’s think about what we do to get ready for a visit from someone special. We clean up and get dressed. We prepare food or beds or rooms that will be welcoming and pleasing to the guest. We set aside time, so that we will not be distracted. How can we turn our Christmas preparations into Advent of Christ preparations? Can we focus on adorning our hearts even as we focus on decorating our homes? Can we focus on spiritual food as much as physical food? Can we give lasting gifts, such as the blessing of a compliment, the gift of helpfulness, the affirmation of a listening ear, as much as the gifts of clothing or knick-knacks or new technology? Can we give a young child the gift of generosity without spending more money than necessary?

Can we emphasize the reason for the season by making the worship of Christ our focus, rather making church that something extra we have to squeeze into our already frenetic schedules?

When Christ comes again, I would hate for him to be as upset with his Church about our hypocrisy as he was about the Pharisees’ arrogant posture of faith. I would hate to hear him say “I told you to be ready. What are you doing here?” It is our job to help prepare the way for Christ’s coming. We are to live authentic Christian lives, to be humble about the error of our ways, eager to be faithful, ready to receive the gift of God’s grace daily yet willing to work out our salvation with fear and trembling, to be busy serving others, and slow to condemn them.

Staying awake means having an active faith, exercising discipline in our lives. When my family arrived at my brother and sister-in-law’s house for a Thanksgiving Family Reunion on Thursday morning, it would have been disappointing to find them in their pajamas asleep. (Actually, I think my 25 year old nephew was in the shower when we arrived.) But it was clear that my brother, his wife, and to a lesser degree their adult sons, had been preparing all week for the arrival of 30+ family members. When we arrived, they were ready.

We do not know exactly when or how or where or what the second coming will look like, but we know we are to be watching for it, ready for it, awake to it. Many things will distract us during this busy season. In the verses prior to our text, Jesus warns against false messiahs and prophets. Many advertisers and merchants will hold up false messiahs, which are aimed at making you or your family happy. But real joy is not found in material possessions. The real joy you give will not be purchased with money, but will be the interest you show in your family members and friends, and the kindness, forgiveness, and generosity of spirit you exhibit in your togetherness.

At such busy times, especially when we are stressed out and sleep-deprived, it is easy to fall asleep on Christian love. We can get so busy creating a Christmas in our own image, rather than Christ’s image, that we fail to be truly generous with those who really need our gifts – the poor and the lonely. We do not want to fall asleep on the things that make a huge difference for people in need, Alternative Gifts International and Angel Tree Gifts for the Families at Beth-El Farmworker Mission. We do not want to fall asleep on comforting those who mourn, showing up for the Blue Christmas Prayer Service to be in solidarity with those who are lonely or sad at Christmas.

As one Advent rolls into another, and we proclaim each year that it is time to be ready, it will be tempting to simply fall asleep on the eschatology of this present moment, because it is not nearly as natural as eating sugar cookies, going to concerts and parties, buying stuff, and watching football games. Do we subconsciously busy ourselves with more than we can accomplish because we don’t want to deal with what really matters? Have we created an idol of our own Christmas celebration, forgetting the One whom we celebrate on Christmas?

It was a teenager at Peace who was amazed that the session would have to decide to have a Christmas Day service when Christmas falls on Sunday. “Isn’t the day about Christ’s birth?” she asked. So why would we even consider cancelling worship on Christmas Day? I was sorry to have to inform her that attendance at Christmas Day services is not usually high, even on Sunday. I hope you will remember this teen at Peace when you make your decision about Christmas Day worship, because your action will shape all of us.

As children we all learn that the anticipation of the big day is almost more fun than the day itself. So let us anticipate Christ’s coming well. Let us prepare our hearts, our souls, our minds, as well as preparing our homes. Let us prepare for the second coming as well as preparing to celebrate the first. Let us prepare in such a way that we keep alert to the things that really matter – giving gifts that truly bless others -- gifts of love, joy, kindness, helpfulness, and generosity toward those in need. Let us limit our activities so that we are not put to sleep by the exhaustion of the season.

One year, after the Christmas Eve Lessons and Carols Service, when our four children were small and just tucked in bed, Richard and I had a glass of wine while lounging by the fire place at about 10:00 and before we knew it, we had fallen asleep unprepared for Christmas. We woke up on the floor, very startled to realize that it was 4:00 am. Never have we been so focused and so fast. I’m praying to have the same sense of urgency every Advent as I had that Christmas morning. The master of this universe has left us his servants, in charge of the house, while he is bodily away from us. He will return some day or night. Will we be ready? Will the house be as he wanted it? Have we paid attention to his desires? Will we be glad to see him, or wish that we had a few more hours to scurry around, to clean up the mess we’ve made?

Please pray with me, the word of a 17^th century Advent hymn:

O, Lord, how shall I meet you? How welcome you aright? Your children long to greet you, my hope my hearts’ delight. O kindle, Lord most holy, a lamp within my breast, to do in spirit lowly all that may please you best.” Amen.

Judged

Matthew 25:31-46
Christ the King Sunday
Elizabeth M. Deibert

May the word you speak to us today, Lord, take root in our lives and bear fruit that is pleasing to you.

This is a difficult passage. In 21 years of ordained ministry, I have avoided preaching it. I prefer to talk about God’s mercy than God’s judgment. This passage makes me uncomfortable because I know I don’t have enough money or time to help everyone who needs help. But this year, I decided it was time to face my fears and deal with this text. In one week’s time here at our ministry center, I have had two encounters with people in need, one of them quite startling. I was here Thursday night in the dark, and had not locked the door. A man needing help walked in. It took every ounce of faith I could muster to look him in the eye and treat him like he was Jesus, because he startled me badly, and I found myself frantically reaching for my cell phone. We did not stay in the building. When I learned he needed gas, we exited quickly to drive in separate cars to the gas station, where I could more safely be compassionate.

Jesus uses sheep and goats to describe the difference between those who were faithfully compassionate and able to enter into his kingdom and those who were not. Now before we read the text, let’s get on board with the differences between sheep and goats. In Jesus’ time this would be understood.

Goats are rough and tough. They can run and jump and climb much better than sheep. They can fend for themselves. Many goats have horns, which they are inclined to use. Goats are rowdy and self-reliant. They are selfish. They are bullies. They are too smart for their own good. They never stay where you put them. They can jump over or shimmy under pretty much any fence. They refuse to conform. They like to break things…and eat things…and get into things.

Sheep are friendly, gentle, trusting, even naïve and innocent. They stay together in herds and follow each other around. They might get lost, but they are not mean or mischievous. I read online about modern-day farmers, who said, “We were never able to keep sheep and goats together in a harmonious group. The feisty goats kept picking on the more docile sheep.”

The goats would bully the sheep away from the good grass and the water. Separation of sheep and goats is often necessary for the survival of the sheep. So Jesus uses the imagery of the sheep and the goats to help his disciples understand God’s intention to protect the weaker ones. Then he makes the connection between the animals and the peoples, as if dividing those who would bully from those who would be gentler and kinder. He makes reference to caring for the needy – the hungry and thirsty, the stranger and the one in need of clothing, the sick and the one in prison. It seems that neither the sheep nor the goats were aware of their own compassion or lack of it. Jesus takes that opportunity to identify himself with those who are poor and needy.

Matthew 25:31-46

"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. ³² All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, ³³ and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. ³⁴ Then the king will say to those at his right hand, 'Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; ³⁵ for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, ³⁶ I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.'

³⁷ Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? ³⁸ And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? ³⁹ And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?' ⁴⁰ And the king will answer them, 'Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.'

⁴¹ Then he will say to those at his left hand, 'You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; ⁴² for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, ⁴³ I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.' ⁴⁴ Then they also will answer, 'Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?' ⁴⁵ Then he will answer them, 'Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.' ⁴⁶ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life." (NRSV)

Christ morphs from shepherd to king in the passage. There are only two references in the New Testament to eternal punishment and this is one of them. There are many references to eternal life, and to God’s grace superseding our sinfulness. I find lots of help in interpreting this passage by reading this portion of A Declaration of Faith: We are warned that rejecting God’s love and not caring for others whom God loves results in eternal separation from him and them. Yet we also told that God loves the whole world and wills the salvation of all humankind in Christ. We live in tension between God’s warnings and promises. Knowing the righteous judgment of God in Christ, we urge all people to be reconciled to God, not exempting ourselves from the warnings. Constrained by God’s love in Christ, we have good hope for all people, not exempting the most unlikely from the promises. Judgment belongs to God, not to us. We are sure that God’s future for every person will be both merciful and just.

Some think Jesus was reassuring his disciples who were the weaker “sheep” of society that the bullies around them would get their just reward for persecuting his followers. But for our day, I think perhaps it helps to remember all the places where Jesus reverses things, or reminds those who think they are first, that they might just be surprised to find themselves last.

Instead of trying to sort out who we are, I am inclined to think of us all as chimeras, a crossbreed of sheep and goat. I see this warning of the separation as a reminder to all of us living in unhealthy, selfish ways. It is not that we can measure ourselves up to figure out whether we are sheep or goat. No, notice in the story that each is totally surprised. “When was it that we saw you in need and helped you?” Jesus, the one who came to serve, makes it clear that service is key for those who want to live in his kingdom.

“God wants to save our souls and redeem us and give us the gift of life—true, deep, authentic human life. God wants to save us by touching our hearts with love. God wants to save us by persuading us to care and see other human beings who need us. God wants to save us from obsessing about ourselves, our own needs, by persuading us to forget about ourselves and worry about others.” “The story of the sheep and goats is a diagnostic tool designed to inspire faithfulness, root out self-centered living, and help each of us measure who and where we are as we grow in the likeness of Christ.” “There is not a word in this passage about having correct theology. There is only one criterion here, and that it is whether or not you saw Jesus Christ in the face of the needy and whether or not you gave yourself away in love in his name.” “Jesus teaches that God’s reign—the full revelation of which we await—is characterized in the present, not by powerful works and miracles, but by deeds of love, mercy, and compassion, especially toward those most in need. Jesus’ kingly ministry is to be reflected in his followers’ exercise of shepherding care.” (Feasting on the Word by Armstrong, Stegman, Buchanan, and Douglass)

I’m going to close with a story about a eighty-seven year old man named Carl, WW2 vet and quiet servant of the church, always there, quietly caring for the shrubs and flowers in the church yard. He was watering one day, when three rough and tough teens walked by and insulted the older man. He offered them some water, but they gave him the finger and walked on. A couple of weeks later, it happened again. This time when he offered them water, they turned the hose on him laughing, and stole his wallet and his watch. In the scuffle, Carl got tangled in the hose and fell. Shortly thereafter, the pastor arrived and found Carl pulling himself together.

About a week later, Carl was startled to find one of the boys back again. He quickly said, “I brought you your stuff back. Your money too.” Carl nodded and smiled, and the teen continued. He said, “I felt bad after that day we were so mean to you.” Carl said, “Thanks. What’s your name, kid?” He said, “Joe” And the two talked for a while about Joe’s life and why he had gotten involved with a rough group of teens.

Several months later Carl died, and at his memorial service, the pastor noticed Joe seated at the back of the church. Afterwards, the pastor and Joe talked about Carl and agreed that Joe would take over Carl’s watering job. Eventually, Joe became involved in the church and got baptized. You see, it seems that Carl was a gentle-minded sheep and Joe was a bullying goat, but Carl’s kindness transformed him.

We cannot really separate ourselves into sheep and goats. Only Christ can. We cannot judge ourselves or others. Only Christ the Shepherd King can. We can only live in tension between God’s warning and God’s promises. We can humbly respond with surprise and thanksgiving if we did anything pleasing to God and apologetically, if we failed to see and to care as we should have. “Lord, have mercy on our souls.” When I read this text, I understand what the Old Testament calls the “fear of the Lord” as an awe-inspiring respect and desire to please God. At the very least, this text should keep us from a cheap grace and a lazy faith.

'Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? ³⁸ And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? ³⁹ And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?' ⁴⁰ And the king will answer them, 'Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.'

Let us pray: Lord, inspire us to care for the people who are most needy. To remember as Mother Teresa said, “If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other….Let us care for the dying, the poor, the lonely and the unwanted according to the graces we have received and let us not be ashamed or slow to do the humble work. For we know that intense love does not measure, it just gives… Help us to see you in the poverty of being hungry, poor, foreign, or in prison. Help us also to be compassionate toward those who are unwanted and unloved, starting in our own homes and neighborhoods. Please forgive us for failing to see your face in all the people around us.

The Gift of Gratitude

Luke 17:11-19
Gratitude Season #5
Elizabeth M. Deibert

If we could only begin to appreciate all the healing work the Spirit of Christ is doing all the time, we would fall on our knees every hour in thanksgiving. Did you get better from the cold or flu? Give thanks. Are you beginning to process your grief over a terrible death? Give thanks to God for the healing process that is just started. Can you walk again after knee surgery? Give thanks. Is your heart functioning well, despite your arteries being previously blocked? Give thanks. Has your heartburn or blood pressure calmed down with meds? Is your bitterness over divorce subsiding? Your anxiety, your compulsions or your depression under control? Give thanks.

Jesus Christ is the great Healer. The story we will read today is one of twenty-one different stories about Jesus’ healing power in the Gospels. Some people find these stories hard to fathom because first of all, we cannot imagine having God in human flesh with us, walking through life with us. But secondly we want to say that miracles like these do not happen anymore. Oh, we understand a lot more about the human body now. We know why people get better. We can explain the science of it. And so we stopped thanking God for the miracles. It is not that God stopped performing great miracles. It is that we stopped giving thanks.

Jesus healed ten lepers and only one came back to give thanks. Ten cured of leprosy, but nine found to be sick with amnesia or dementia it seems. Or it could be attention defecit disorder, because Jesus sent them to see the priest, and though their lives were absolutely transformed along the way, they forgot to go back and thank Jesus. I suppose some of us have amnesia, dementia, or ADD, because there are a lot of us forgetting to be thankful as well. How can you possibly wake up in sunny Florida and not be thankful for the sun, for the moon, for the sunsets, for the green grass, and the flowers year ‘round?

How can you possibly wake up in the USA and not be overwhelmed with thanksgiving for the wealth, liberty, justice, and peace we have come to expect as normal? Why are we not dancing with gratitude every single day? We take our healing and run, just like the lepers. We take the beauty of every day and run through our daily activities without noticing. We take our comforts and freedoms and wealth, and run to spend more on ourselves. And Jesus stands there, waiting for a thanks, waiting for days, months, and years.

Here the word of the Lord from Luke’s Gospel:

Luke 17:11-19

On the way to Jerusalem Jesus was going through the region between Samaria and Galilee. ¹² As he entered a village, ten lepers approached him. Keeping their distance, ¹³ they called out, saying, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!" ¹⁴ When he saw them, he said to them, "Go and show yourselves to the priests." And as they went, they were made clean. ¹⁵ Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice. ¹⁶ He prostrated himself at Jesus' feet and thanked him. And he was a Samaritan. ¹⁷ Then Jesus asked, "Were not ten made clean? But the other nine, where are they? ¹⁸ Was none of them found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?" ¹⁹ Then he said to him, "Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well."

“Your faith has made you well.” Take that out of context and you will abuse it and many people will lose faith. If you say “Have faith and then you will be well,” people will assume that some level of faith is required, like a certain level of chemotherapy or radiation or a certain amount of advil should be taken to relieve the pain. No, no, no. The healing took place while the ten were in transit, as it often takes place in our lives, when we least expect. All ten were healed of leprosy, the disease that was so scary, so disfiguring, so dreaded by all. But one comes back to thank Jesus. And Jesus tells him, after he gives Jesus the gift of gratitude, that his faith has made him well. His faith has saved him. Faith seems related to giving thanks. What about the rest – the other nine? Their leprosy is healed, but are they well? We’re not sure. If wellness is about appropriately giving thanks, then perhaps not. Faith is not about quantity of belief, but about quality of trust expressed in thanksgiving. A life of gratitude makes us well, the word for “well” can also be translated “save” To be filled with gratitude saves us, whether we are physically well or not.

The nine were physically healed and rushing to get on with life. Going to the priest was required before they could circulate in soceity again. They had to be certified as clean, as not contagious, as not a danger to the public. They had been in total isolation, some of them for years, and now they were going to get their discharge papers from the rehab office, but they forgot to thank Jesus first. They were going back to work after a long time off, but they forgot to thank Jesus. They were promised a new freedom from disease, a release from pain, isolation, and the horrible judgment of others, and they forgot to thank the One who gave them release from misery. They were assured a new life with new relationships, the opportunity to work again, to start over again, and they forgot to thank their Healer, who gave them a new lease on life.

Back in 1860, on Lake Michigan in September, the ship Lady Elgin was filled with 400 passengers having a grand time. Unfortunately a schooner filled lumber crashed into Lady Elgin and the larger boat full of people began to sink. People survived on lifeboats and other pieces of wreckage for nearly six hours while the north wind blew them toward Evanston, Illinois. Local residents woke that morning to the sound of screaming people, and Edward Spencer, a seminary student at Northwestern, jumped into the water with a rope around his waist and rescued many people. One by one he pulled them to the shore. Thirty people survived there in Evanston, and seventeen of them were rescued single-handedly by Edward Spencer. Sadly however, Spencer never recovered from the ordeal. He was never the same again. Dropped out of seminary, became quite ill. When asked by a reporter about what he remember of this heroic night, he said, the only thing he remembered was that not one of the seventeen people thank him for saving them. Really? Do we all become so consumed with taking the gift that we forget to thank the giver?

Ingratitude. It is kind of repulsive to hear about it in a story like this one, but we hardly notice the ingratitude in our own lives. Ingratitude is our first step away from God. I have noticed in twenty-one years of ministry that the most meaningful relationships are with those who suffer but are still full of gratitude toward God and gratitude toward humanity. Whereas those who suffer and increase in bitterness are exhausting. They suck the life of the people around them. As embittered people age, they often become more isolated because no one wants to be around them.

What makes us so ungrateful? There are three things for sure. Unrealistic expectations. Entitlement attitudes. Forgetfulness.

Do we expect too much from God? Does God owe us anything? When we begin to assume that our simplest blessings are owed to us, then we are on a slippery slope toward ingratitude. God promises never to forsake us, but God never promised us a cushy life. Do we deserve a life free from pain and suffering when God in human flesh had a life full of pain and suffering? Suffering is part of life. We are not promised to live to seventy, although most people these days do. We are not promised to outlive our children, even though most people do. We are not assured a happy childhood or a loving marriage. If you happen to have one, give thanks to God. Have you had the pain of losing your spouse to death, half of all married people do, at least once.

Do you know why people like us need to go on mission trips? It is not so we can help the people in under-developed countries, it is so they can help us grow in gratitude, as we witness their abject poverty and foundational insecurity coupled with grateful hearts, trusting in God.

There is no better gift we can give God or the world than a heart of gratitude, which overflows in generosity. This is the gift that keeps on giving, because it not only pleases God but it is a gift to our families, our friends, our neighbors, our congregation.

“To practice gratitude intentionally changes an individual life, to be sure. It also changes the character of a congregation. When Christians practice gratitude, they come to worship not just to “get something out of it,” but to give thanks and praise to God. Stewardship is transformed from fundraising to the glad gratitude of joyful givers (with little money in their pockets but lots of rocks). The mission of the church changes from ethical duty to the work of grateful hands and hearts. Prayer includes not only our intercessions and supplications, but also our thanksgivings at the table. There are those who believe that worship—this practice of gratitude—is almost primal, an essential part of being human. (human in the sense of our best selves, not our worst selves) John Burkhart once wondered whether “humans can survive as humans without worshiping. To withhold acknowledgment, to avoid celebration, to stifle gratitude,may prove as unnatural as holding one’s breath.” Worship is certainly at the heart of the Christian life, and the story of the leper who returns to give thanks points us to that truth.” (Kimberly Bracken Long, Feasting on the Word)

“Go on your way; your faith has made you well” is no longer a problematic saying, even when physical healing does not come. Instead, it is a description of a life of blessing for the church: as we go on our way, we rejoice and give thanks; for in giving thanks in all things, we find that God, indeed, is in all things.” (Kimberly Bracken Long, Feasting on the Word) So in all things and at all times, we offer prayers of thanksgiving, we make offerings of gratitude, we give promises of faith, committing ourselves to the service of God.

These acts of faith, these efforts at trust become our participation in the work God is doing to heal us, to make us well, to save us from all that would tear us away from our identity as God’s beloved children. Karl Barth was fond of saying that the basic human response to God is gratitude.

Perhaps that is why every year, Peace’s Gratitude Season lengthens because we are learning just how much we need gratitude to be well. I was inspired this week by someone in this congregation who has been practicing gratitude with great discipline. She is stopping every hour to give thanks to God for something, and here’s the real deal: no repetition. So 15 waking hours a day, remembering to give thanks for something different, and then the next day finding 15 more new things. Live into the wholeness, into the salvation which is yours in Christ, by practicing gratitude, in all circumstances.

Let us bow before God now and silently count our blessings, beginning with the boundless of Jesus Christ, which gives us new life.

Gratitude & Generosity

2 Corinthians 9:6-15
Gratitude Season #4
Elizabeth M. Deibert

Several months ago, I mentioned to my sister Carol, a Baptist, that at Peace we have this really amazing way of working on a life of gratitude. We keep rocks in our pockets to help us remember to say thanks to God for the many gifts we receive throughout the day. So instead of griping about life, as is so easy to do, we give thanks for all the good. She thought that was a great idea, and shortly thereafter, she sent me a book, called “Choosing Gratitude.” She said she had found it very helpful, in her own life, particularly as she struggles with a chronic illness to choose gratitude over grumbling, worship over whining. Several years ago, if my sister sent me a book, I might have grumbled even about that, thinking I have nothing to gain from her theological perspective, but lately the Spirit of God has challenged me to a greater sense of unity in the midst of Christian diversity. So I read the book and was grateful for it, and in fact, it helped shape this sermon series on Growing in Gratitude this year.

Let’s remember where we’ve been these last three weeks. We began with Paul’s rejoicing over the steady faith of the Thessalonian Christians, despite persecution. We talked about gratitude being the bedrock of faithfulness. Gratitude grows in a heart that trusts in and loves God, no matter the circumstances. We heard the story of Jonni Eareckson Tada, who says that many decades in a wheelchair have taught her to thank God even for her quadriplegia. It’s a gift wrapped in black she says. It is a bruising of a blessing, the shadowy companion that walks with her daily, pulling and pushing her into the arms of Jesus. The next week was our equation – Guilt + Grace = Gratitude. We were challenged to have an attitude of gratitude. Because it is no platitude that we will not wilt, our heart riddled with guilt. Go on, full tilt, in this race of full of grace, always ever seeking Christ’s face, never willing to step out of pace, working for God, with God conquering sin, ready every day to do it again.

Last week we read the story of the rich farmer who thought that a bigger barn was the perfect the answer to his surplus, but God called him a fool for being storing up so many treasures on earth. We must guard against the greed we see in this story because we recognize that we are the rich, living in a country with 1/20 of the world’s population, consuming ¼ of the world’s resources. There are multiple ways to simplify our lives, but it begins with a commitment to being rich toward God. We need to grow toward a pattern of God getting the top 10, savings getting the next 10% and then living on the 80% that left, unless you are blessed with a larger eighty, in which case you might be even more generous.

Today we are focused on the connection between gratitude and generosity. If we were mathematical again this week, the sermon title would be as you see there at the bottom of the screen. (click) I worked on this equation quite some time yesterday so I do not want you to miss its full value. X Gratitude divided by N E grumbling + I B greedy = Y B generous. For those of you who have never enjoyed word problems in math, let me offer this simple explanation. Grumbling and greed steal away our generosity, no matter how much gratitude you had in the beginning. Faithfulness begins with gratitude to God, but if when you start to feel sorry for yourself, grumbling about this or that, and if you start to let the world’s values about money and your own fears of the same start making you cling to your possessions, then there’s not much left to give away. If on the other hand, we have arrived at gratitude from the sum of guilt and grace, and we add on generosity to that, then we find that instead of negative numbers, we have the positive factor of a grace-filled life which then leads to more gratitude.

It is time now to read what Paul is saying to the church in Corinth, a church about which he could have grumbled quite a bit, because they were questioning his pastoral authority and generally demeaning his person, just because he had some physical weakness, some near-death experience or thorn in his flesh. But Paul did not grumble, he just challenged them to be generous toward others in need because of the surpassing grace of God which is a gift from God.

2 Corinthians 9:6-15

The point is this:

the one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly,

and the one who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.

⁷ Each of you must give as you have made up your mind,

not reluctantly or under compulsion,

for God loves a cheerful giver.

⁸ And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance,

so that by always having enough of everything,

you may share abundantly in every good work.

⁹ As it is written, "He scatters abroad, he gives to the poor;

his righteousness endures forever."

¹⁰ He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food

will supply and multiply your seed for sowing

and increase the harvest of your righteousness.

¹¹ You will be enriched in every way for your great generosity,

which will produce thanksgiving to God through us;

¹² for the rendering of this ministry not only supplies the needs of the saints

but also overflows with many thanksgivings to God.

¹³ Through the testing of this ministry

you glorify God by your obedience to the confession of the gospel of Christ

and by the generosity of your sharing with them and with all others,

¹⁴ while they long for you and pray for you

because of the surpassing grace of God that he has given you.

¹⁵ Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!

The key factor is the surpassing grace of God. If we are overwhelmed by the surpassing grace of God, such that you see it as an indescribable gift. If you start with the perspective that you deserved nothing and got everything, then you understand surpassing grace, the indescribable gift. If you thought you were dead and found out you were living by the gift of God, then you have gratitude for the indescribable gift. If you’re like the Mission Beth-el farmworker kid living in a crowded and dilapidated down mobile home and you receive your first brand new bike for Christmas, then you know the feeling of an indescribable gift. If you lost a job, or a house or and by the grace of God and the help of friends and family, you are still able to pay your bills somehow, then you know the indescribable gift of God. If you’ve lost a marriage or a child or a close friend, and you are still able to wake up in the mornings with gratitude in your heart, then you know the depths of God’s gift of grace. Grateful hearts are always full, and easily contented, while an unthankful heart is never content, always dwelling on scarcity, never having enough this or enough that.

True story. A church group from New Bern, NC went to the Caribbean Islands on a mission trip. They went to a leper colony, and that evening in worship, they were profoundly afffected to see so many people with such disfigured bodies. At the end of the service, the pastor invited the congregation to choose a final hymn, and one of the lepers, a woman who had no nose and no lips, stood up weakly and asked for the hymn, “Count Your Blessings.” Are you grateful for the roses on thornbushes, or griping about the thorns on rose bushes? (Choosing Gratitude, p.89-90)

German pastor Martin Rinkart, who wrote the hymn Now Thank We All Our God, a hymn we sang a couple of weeks ago, served in the walled town of Eilenburg during the horrors of the Thirty Years War of 1618-1648. Eilenburg became an overcrowded refuge for the surrounding area. The fugitives suffered from epidemic and famine. At the beginning of 1637, the year of the Great Pestilence, there were four ministers in Eilenburg. But one left his post for healthier areas and could not be persuaded to return. Pastor Rinkhart officiated at the funerals of the other two. As the only pastor left, he often conducted services for as many as 40 to 50 persons a day--some 4,480 in all.

In May of that year, his own wife died. By the end of the year, the refugees had to be buried in trenches without services. Yet, while living in a world dominated by death, Rinkart wrote this timeless prayer of thanksgiving for his children. This was their table blessing:

Now thank we all our God With hearts and hands and voices;

Who wondrous things hath done, In whom this world rejoices.

Who, from our mother's arms, Hath led us on our way,

With countless gifts of love, And still is ours today.

We should never measure our own generosity by what we give but by what we have left. And it is amazing how God supplies what we need when we actively trust and give generously. As Anne Frank said in her diary, “No one has ever become poor by giving.” When we give to God, we are just taking our hands off what already belongs to the Creator of heaven and earth.

So we should give to God what’s right, not what’s left. :) Some people say we should give til it hurts. But it seems from this passage, we learn to give until it feels good, until our hearts are so practiced at trusting that we are joyful and even cheerful, knowing that our lives are no longer in our hands, but in God’s hands. Rejoice in the indescribable gifts of God and take the seeds God’s given you and cast them out, knowing that the more you cast out, the more you will reap. We give not to prove our devotion to God, but because we are filled with gratitude because of God.

God is able to provide you everything in abundance, so breathe. Breathe in gratitude and breathe out generosity. The key is believing that God is able to provide, but you can’t believe it until you give enough to have to trust it. As you are giving more than you think you can, don’t count what you are giving away. Count your blessings, name them one by one. Keep an inventory of the gifts of God, and keep reaching in your pocket for that gratitude rock to remind you that God has given you the best gift you’ll ever receive – everlasting love.

This is love not intended to leave you as you are but love aimed at transforming you into the best person you can possibly be. And because of God’s abundant love, there will always be enough of everything you need and even more than enough, when you share generously.

Paul does not want the Corinthians to give because he is pressuring them. He wants them to give gladly and from the heart. It is truly more blessed to give than to receive. So we can be cheerful givers of God’s grace all that we have and all that we are, even in these hard economic times, remembering that we have so much for which to be grateful and thereby so much to give.

Every time I touch a gratitude rock, I am grateful to God for you and for the way the equation of gratitude and generosity rocks our little piece of the world when we live into it. Peace Presbyterian Church would not exist apart from the generosity of the people in this room, who have given their time, their talent, and their treasure “to make God known by growing as disciples of Jesus Christ, building a community of Peace, and caring for the needs of others.” You are a generous people. And in your generosity, you are discovering that you reap what you sow. For many of you, this is the first church, where you’ve had a strong sense of responsibility for the ministries of the church, and you never knew how meaningful it could be.

I’d like to end with a Thomas Merton quote:

To be grateful is to recognize the Love of God in everything he has given us – and He has given us everything. Every breath we draw is a gift of His love, every moment of existence is a grace, for it brings with it immense graces from Him. Gratitude therefore takes nothing for granted, is never unresponsive, is constantly awakening to new wonder and to praise of the goodness of God. For the grateful person knows that God is good, not by hearsay but by experience. And that is what makes all the difference.