Sermon for Sunday, August 17, 2014
Heidelberg450 Series: Lord’s Day 45
First Presbyterian Church ▪
Lake Crystal, Minnesota
Rev. Randal K.
Lubbers, Pastor & Teacher
Gratitude Takes Nothing
For Granted
Heidelberg Catechism
Q&A 116 & 117
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18;
Psalm 116; Matthew 7:7-8
I felt it once on a drive
through Northeast Iowa when leaves of the trees were orange and red and yellow
and gold and the sunlight made the hills seem like they were on fire.
I felt it just this week on an
early-evening bike ride as I passed the high school on the trail and the speed was
creating a breeze—the cool air evaporating my sweat—the sun nearing the horizon.
I felt it when Elyse was
born—Luke too, of course, but I thought of Elyse first when I wrote this
because she’s the one going off to college this week.
As you might remember from last
week’s sermon, Sheldon Cooper felt it when Penny gave him the napkin signed by
Leonard Nimoy and he gave her all seven or twelve gift baskets—or however many
there were—it really doesn’t matter because like Sheldon said, “I know, I know,
it’s not enough.”
And perhaps you have felt it
too. It’s that surge of joyful energy flowing through your body; it’s a powerful
and authentic feeling; it’s a VERY REAL THING… it’s the rush you feel when you
become fully aware and appreciate that you have been given a gift, many
gifts—indeed, you become aware that you are “surrounded by a profusion of
gifts” (Don Postema, Space for God, p.
53).
It’s the feeling of gratitude.
The Heidelberg Catechism puts both
the Ten Commandments and the Lord’s
Prayer in the context of gratitude. The Heidelberg says, “Prayer is the MOST
IMPORTANT part of the thankfulness God requires of us.”
Prayer can be confession,
pleading, lament, or praise. Prayers can be happy or tearful—sometimes even
both. But interwoven through every prayer is gratitude.
What a contrast to envy and
greed, the very things we are taught to guard against in the tenth commandment—we
talked about this last week.
What a reminder—once again—that
the commandments are gifts from God to help us live in freedom. Envy and greed
shackle us, enslave us. Gratitude set us
free.
Gratitude takes nothing for
granted.
A friend of mine fixed her
daughter pork chops, green beans, baked potato for supper just before sending
her off to college. Gratitude recognizes the dinner as a gift and is aware of that it was Mom who prepared
the dinner.
Have you received a card or a
compliment recently? Gratitude recognizes the card as a gift—and the person
sending the card too. Gratitude makes us aware of the LOVE involved in the
smallest, most ordinary, everyday gifts. Gratitude recognizes the person
behind the gift. So when we say thank you to these persons in our lives, we’re
learning how to pray. Mother Teresa
said, “There is more hunger for love and appreciation in this world than for
bread.”
And yet there’s a deeper
dimension… when we PRAY we become MORE AWARE of the gifts we have been given,
more aware of the people in our lives. Not only does gratitude move us towards
prayer—prayer moves us to gratitude. In praying, we become more aware, more
alive, more grateful.
Thomas Merton wrote, “Gratitude
takes nothing for granted, is never unresponsive, is constantly awakening to
new wonder, and to praise of the goodness of God….
[Piano
begins playing “How Can I Keep from Singing?”]
“To be grateful is to recognize
the LOVE of God in everything (God) has given us—and (yes) (God) has given us
everything. Every breath we draw is a gift of His Love, every moment of
existence is a grace…” (Merton quoted by Postema, pp. 50, 53).
When we become more aware, we
become more alive… and then every moment of life becomes precious and
perfect… And then prayer and gratitude and joy and love and awareness of God's good gifts… these
all weave together like an endless song…
[Segue
to the congregational hymn, “How Can I Keep from Singing?”]
