First United Methodist Church
November 24th, 2024
Rev. Lauren Hall
Thanksgiving for all People
Yesterday a group of us from Tyner, Pretty Lake, Trinity and First worked together to fill 30 flood buckets in Pretty Lake’s fellowship hall. While we were setting up, I noticed a poster on the wall that said, “What would happen if you woke up this morning with only the things you thanked God for yesterday.” Think about that for a moment. What would you have?
Let’s pray:
Our year is quickly coming to an end, and as we prepare for Thanksgiving and Christmas, I wanted to spend some time today being thankful. This congregation provides a lot of support for our community, and whether you personally participate in our missional ministries or help make it possible through your tithes and offerings, your generosity is not taken for granted.
Before I do too much preaching, I’d like to take some time to just say thank you for your hard work and your commitment to the ministries of this church. I’ve asked some our committees to share their appreciation today.
Missions, Social Concerns, Community Meal, Worship, Outreach, Blueberry Stomp
Our Scripture today is a tough one. Why? Because Jesus tells us not to worry. After everything that Jesus counsels and commands in the Sermon on the Mount – blessed are the poor, turn the other cheek, be salty – this is the part that challenges us the most. We constantly worry. Not just “what will we eat and drink?” or “what will we wear?”, but also “will our kids be healthy?” and “will I find someone who accepts me as I am?” and “will I be able to afford to retire?” and “what do people think of me?” and “will we go to war?” and “will the sound system work properly today?” and on and on and on.
It’s interesting that Jesus raises the same questions that I had to ask myself over and over again while I was away from home visiting my family. “What will I eat?” “What will I wear?” My routine was disrupted, and I was living what I call a reactionary life because other people were making all the decisions.
But the truth is, even though I usually have a plan and don’t spend too much time worrying about these things, when I do worry, that worry is amplified. Our culture, which is consumer driven, has bombarded us with advertising that encourages us to feel inadequate so that we will purchase the product that they want to sell us whether we need it or not because it promises to reduce that feeling. (Snickers satisfies, or You deserve a break today). As a result, our worries are even more complex: It’s not just “what will we wear?” but rather “will what I wear make me acceptable and attractive to those around me?” And it’s not only “what will I eat?” but “is what I eat tasty, low-fat, sugar-free, and organic?”
And this is why Jesus’ counsel is both timely and important. The problem with worrying about such things is that we too easily fall prey to the belief that life consists only of these things, rather than the relationships that actually constitute our lives. St. Augustine once said that we were made to love people and use things, and that sin causes us to confuse these two. Worry – particularly advertising-induced worry – seeks to exploit our tenacity to hoard. Rather than trusting that we will be able to find what we need tomorrow, we purchase two today. Remember the toilet paper and flour shortages during the pandemic?
The problem is that incessant worrying also slowly but surely erodes our trust in God and invites an unhelpful self-centeredness. We end up feeling like it’s all up to us, like there is no one around us to help. Or, worse, that those around us are competitors for scarce resources rather than God-given collaborators in sharing a rich and abundant life. Which is why Jesus simply and quietly reminds us that God knows we need these things already. For as we trust God more, we begin see all that God has already given us and move from a sense of scarcity to abundance.
At this point, I know, it’s easy and perhaps fair to protest that while God may indeed know our needs, certainly many – far too many! – needs go unmet in this world. But I wonder: is the poverty that characterizes too much of our world caused by God not providing enough resources or is it a result of too many of us hoarding and misusing these resources because we are dominated by a sense of scarcity and inadequacy?
That’s a topic for another day. But I would like to leave you with a thought to consider this Thanksgiving:
Imagine what the world would be like if all of us did what Jesus suggests - seek the kingdom of God first? In other words, what would happen if we loved God by loving our neighbor, honored God by honoring our neighbor, and kept God’s commandments that seek first and foremost the welfare of our neighbor? I would imagine that there would be a lot less worrying, because people’s needs would be taken care of.
Let’s enter into this Christmas by being thankful for who we are and what we have and especially the relationships we have with God and one another. Let us pray:
Prayer: Dear God, draw our eyes, first, to you, that we may be reminded of the abundant life you have promised and provide and, second, to our neighbors, that we may see and respond to their need. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Invitation to Discipleship:
As you celebrate Thanksgiving this week, be filled with thanks and praise.
Allow it to overflow into every word you say, every choice you make, and every moment you live. Be generous with one another and give glory and praise to God. Go in peace.
