Grateful For . . . . ., Psalm 105:1-7, 11/24/13

Sermon 11-24-13 \nnnn

Psalm 105

¹ Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done. ² Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts. ³ Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice. ⁴ Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always. ⁵ Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced, ⁶ you his servants, the descendants of Abraham, his chosen ones, the children of Jacob. ⁷ He is the Lord our God; his judgments are in all the earth

Today we are talking about Something to be thankful for

 Series on thanks giving/gratitude

Not just for a day, a week, or a month, but for all year

May you become the kind of folks who are thankful..always

 

In everything give thanks for this is the will of God is Christ Jesus

¹⁶ Rejoice always, ¹⁷ pray continually, ¹⁸ give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5

Next week, advent series.  What will make it great?

We have expectations and hopes.

Join us, I am looking forward to this.

 What to be thankful for? 

Psalmist

One thankful song among many

I Can’t find it.  Friend who has received bad news.

I have done a bit of moping this week

Friday was at ku med ctr.

Left.  A bit down

Decided to take the road less travelled

I do that sometimes

I am thankful for that.  The road less travelled  #1

Quiet places that we find in life

In this case it was 39^th street

 

Decided to call my wife and see if I can pick her up for lunch

2 reasons.  I am down and I want comfort. And I was rude to her this morning

Sometimes we are rude to the people that we are closes\t to

And so I have found something else to be thankful for  #2

For people that love me and forgive my sins

They encourage me to do better, but they do love me

I hope you have people like this in your life

It is a gift. Something to be thankful for

 She can’t meet me.  She has already eaten

Not mad, just too busy and already ate.

So now I am looking for comfort food.

Is it wrong to be thankful for comfort food?  #3

Is there a quisnos in Westport?

2 blocks later I find jimmy johns.

That will work

Go in. order tuna salad sub, chips and drink

I am the only one there.

Perfect

I am discouraged.  Reflective.  Pensive.

I am sitting in the sad chair

The sad booth

I am looking out the window, sandwich infront of me

Emotions are raw

And suddenly the moment comes to life

I see it.  The trees.  The character of Westport.  I am here.  Present.

It’s amazing.  Electric

Like the scales have fallen off [acts 9]

A moment of clarity.

And I have found something else to be thankful for

Moments of clarity.  When we can see it for what it is  #4

I think back to when I went to see the eye dr. dr. drake.

I think I need new glasses.  I am having trouble seeing the ball in the outfield

My softball friends would have laughed, as if new glasses were going to help

She says, you don’t need new glasses

Does your family have a history of early cataracts?

I cried

A few months later I had the first surgery.

Went to see dr Brent parsons and he took the bandage off

I could see.  Clear colors.  Like I hadn’t before.  Clarity

I am thankful for clarity

Sometimes for me, we tend to find these moments more in the difficult times than in the easy ones.

No one likes the valleys – but without them, we don’t think we need God

Jesus and the man born   blind Jn 9

 
Jesus Heals a Man Born Blind

9 As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. ² His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

³ “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. ⁴ As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. ⁵ While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

⁶ After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. ⁷ “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.

 

¹³ They brought to the Pharisees the man who had been blind. ¹⁴ Now the day on which Jesus had made the mud and opened the man’s eyes was a Sabbath. ¹⁵ Therefore the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. “He put mud on my eyes,” the man replied, “and I washed, and now I see.”

 

Who sinned, him or his parents

Something has to be wrong with someone

This is how we think…..

We are good they are bad

Jesus says no, it’s so the glory of god can be revealed.

Always thought that meant that Jesus was going to heal him and God’s glory would be revealed

It probably does

But what if it also meant that god’s glory was going to be revealed in the excitement of the blind man.

Can you imagine?

What?  What’s that?  Oh, I can see.  How amazing.  How incredible.

Thanks be to god

Later witnesses to the Jewish leaders.

I don’t know, but this I know…. I once was blind but now I see…….

Gratitude is taking a different road

Not focusing on what is wrong

Seeing the good

Forgiving someone else

Gratitude is seeing the gift of life for what it is

There is so much that we take for granted.

We live our lives on auto pilot

Gratitude helps us to see the simple gifts

 Video – the thanksgiving chair

I once was blind but now I see

 I don’t have time for all of you to sit in this chair today.

If you’ve been sitting in the sad chair,

please take the thanksgiving chair with you, into this week.

Into your life

 Meister Eckhart- if in this life the only prayer I learn is thank you, it will be enough

 May you and I be and become

·        the people of thankfulness

·        the people of gratitude

·        the people of joy the people