Psalm 105:1-6 and
Matthew 6:25-34
This morning we are continuing our
stewardship sermons series by embracing new “Joy Practices” in our lives. We are combining scriptures from the Bible
with lessons from the “Book of Joy” to help us reframe the idea of
stewardship. Last week we discussed forgiveness
and tried to understand that forgiveness is a gift given to us by God. It is a gift that we can offer to each other
and to our very own hearts. This morning
we are going to look at gratitude, and try to understand that to thank God for
every day is good stewardship.
Like our sermon last Sunday, we are
going to be watching short video clips and doing a meditation as part of the
sermon. Let’s start with our first
video.
(watch #BookofJoy video)
I love these video clips and this book
because these two fellows are so happy.
As the Dalai Lama states in the video, all people have a desire to be
happy. And yet somehow, it seems that so
many of us are unhappy. We get down on
all the bad news in the world and we lose our sense of joy. This is not good stewardship. We know that both of these men, the Dalai
Lama and the Archbishop have lived lives marked by suffering. From the trials of apartheid in South Africa
to fleeing the homeland of Tibet, these men have experienced lives full of
suffering. And yet, those sufferings,
those experiences of darkness, haven’t stopped them from being happy. The secret to their happiness?? Gratitude!
Gratitude is to give thanks for all
the little things we enjoy in life. From
the strictly Christian point of view, gratitude is to give thanks to God for
all the blessings we have received. In
our Psalm for this morning, the whole worship community is called to give
thanks to the Lord. Everything else in
that Psalm flows from the first statement, the first act, the giving of
thanks. Singing, praising, rejoicing,
and sharing our faith all come from spaces of gratitude. We can do these things when we acknowledge
our gifts from God and when we express thankfulness for those gifts.
Another important part of this Psalm
is the act of remembrance. The people of
faith are called to remember the wonderful works of God. It is when we remember what God has done for
us, it is when we re-tell the stories of our relationship with God, that we can
most easily tap into those feelings of gratitude. The Psalmist also reminds people to seek God
out. When we are looking for God in the
world, when we are hunting for things to be grateful for, we will find
them.
I think that is what Jesus is talking
about in our gospel lesson for today.
This is a tough lesson for modern Americans because we are worrying
champions. Mothers, can I get an Amen?? We worry because we care, we worry because we
love, but we also know, perhaps better than anyone, that our worrying does no
good. We are well aware of the truth behind
Jesus’ question, “who by worrying can add a single hour to their life?” No one of course!
While Jesus is trying to teach us to
trust in God for our well-being, the tool he uses for his lesson is
gratitude. I think that is why he is
pointing out all the beautiful things in life.
From the birds of the air to the lilies of the field, there are
countless opportunities to notice the beauty and bounty of God in nature; and
in doing so there are countless opportunities for gratitude.
I am a big fan of the birds. I have several feeders in my backyard and
nothing brings me joy like seeing a little bird hopping around at the
feeder. From the Cardinals to the Blue
Jays, from the Chickadees to the Sparrows, I love watching them all and marveling
at the beauty of creation. From their
intricate feathers to the strength of their beaks, from the sparkle in their
eyes to the joy in their songs, I find great pleasure in sharing the world with
them.
Watching the birds makes me feel joy,
it makes me feel grateful, and it really does take my worries away. Yes, birds suffer, just like we do, and yet
their simple beauty reminds me of the providence of God. I think that is what Jesus was telling us to
do. Look at the world, enjoy the wonders
of nature, stop worrying about yourself and give thanks to God for the whole of
creation.
I think that both Jesus and the
Psalmist would agree that gratitude is a mindset, and a powerful one at
that. The Dalai Lama encourages people
to wake up every morning and think to themselves, “I am fortunate to be
alive. I have a precious human
life. I am not going to waste it.” To wake each day in gratefulness helps us to
approach each day with joy and in a spirit of generosity. This is good stewardship, to thank God for
the gift of each and every day.
The Benedictine monk, Brother David
Steindl-Rast says that “It is not happiness that makes us grateful. It is gratefulness that makes us happy. Every moment is a gift. There is no certainty that you will have
another moment, with all the opportunity that it contains.”
Gratitude is a state of mind. In noticing and giving thanks for all the
blessings of each day, we can’t help but live happier more joy filled
lives. A focus on gratefulness shifts
our perspectives from a narrow minded focus on fault or lack, to the wider
perspective of benefit and abundance.
Again Brother Steindl-Rast says, “Whatever life gives to you, you can
respond with joy. Joy is the happiness
that does not depend on what happens. It
is the grateful response to the opportunity that life offers you at this
moment.”
Just like last weeks’ lesson on
forgiveness, all this is supported by science.
Studies show that people who focus on gratitude, by keeping a list of
what they were grateful for, exercised more often, had fewer physical symptoms,
felt better about their lives, and were more positive about the week ahead then
people who didn’t. Grateful people
report more positive emotions, more vitality and optimism, and greater life
satisfaction as well as lower levels of stress and depression. It is gratefulness that leads to a healthier
life, and not a healthier life that leads to gratefulness. Gratefulness is also connected to stronger
senses of empathy and generosity.
Gratitude is good for you!
Gratitude is also good medicine for
your brain. It stimulates the
hypothalamus and the ventral tegmental regions which are part of the reward circuits
that produce pleasure in our brains.
When we are feeling grateful, we smile, and smiling stimulates our
neuropeptides to release serotonin in our brains. We smile when we are happy and smiling, in
and of itself, makes us feel happy.
Plus, it’s contagious. Try it,
and smile with me now and see if you can get your neighbor to smile with
you. This is the science of joy, this is
good stewardship, and this is something to be thankful for!
Our meditation for this week is to do
some reflecting on all the things we are grateful for. Just like last week, I ask you to trust me
and participate fully in this meditation practice. This is a journaling meditation, so before we
begin I want you to pull out that bulletin insert and find something to write
with. The ushers have extra pencils,
and so if you need one just raise your hand.
Now, let’s begin
· Sit comfortably in
the pew with the soles of your feet planted firmly on the floor.
· Close your eyes,
relax, and take a few deep breaths.
Center yourself here now, in this place, in this very moment.
· Now, call to mind,
three things from the past few days that you are grateful for. It could be anything from the kindness and
generosity of a friend, to the bounty of a meal, to the warmth of the sun, to
the beauty of the night sky. Be specific
about what you are grateful for. Specific moments in the past few days.
· Spend a few moments
relishing in the joyful feeling of gratefulness. Give thanks to God for life is good.
· Now open your eyes,
and jot down the three things you are grateful for.
This practice can be
done on a daily basis, and as you notice a variety of things to be grateful for, your
gratitude practice will grow and so will your joy. This is good stewardship of the good and
wonderful life that God has given us to live.
To approach each day with gratitude, thankfulness, and joy is to be a good
steward of all God’s gift
Let’s close with another video from our
friends . . .
(watch “made for goodness” video)
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