The Grateful One

October 12, 2025 Luke 17:11-19 18th Sunday After Pentecost Year C The Grateful One Prelude Greeting Call to Worship Whether we live in an apartment or a house; if we reside in the suburbs or the city: God tells us to pray for the places where we live. Whether we are exiles or prisoners for the gospel; if we are young, old, insider, outcast: God says, 'when you search for me, you will find me.' Whether we have been wandering and lost; or if we have lived in the same place all our lives: God says, 'I will gather you from all your places and bring you home. (Lectionary Liturgies, Thom Shuman) Invocation Loving God, Compassionate Architect, You are the bearer of all our souls, the hope of all possibilities when walls surround us. You carve paths in mountainous regions when our roads appear blocked. You build bridges between people separated by gaps and distances. May we be ones who create channels so that your children continue to form relationships with one another and with you. Amen. (United Church of Christ Worship Ways, Michelle Torigan) Song Lord of the Dance UMH 261 A Sermon for all Ages Children’s Sermon: “Remember to Say Thank You!” Scripture: Luke 17:11–19 Theme: Gratitude, Mission, Discipleship, and Stewardship [Gather the children and sit with them at the front] Good morning, friends! Today I want to tell you a story Jesus told about ten people who were very, very sick. They had something called leprosy — it made them hurt, and no one wanted to be around them. They couldn’t go home. They couldn’t hug their families. They couldn’t even go to church! One day, Jesus was walking down the road — and those ten sick people saw Him coming. They shouted from far away: “Jesus! Master! Have mercy on us!” Do you know what Jesus did? He didn’t walk away. He saw them. He loved them. And He said, “Go show yourselves to the priests.” And as they walked away — before they even got there — they looked at their hands, their arms, their faces… and they realized: They were healed! All ten were healed! Isn’t that wonderful? But here’s the sad part — only one of them came back. One man ran back to Jesus, threw himself down, and said, “Thank you, Jesus! Thank you for healing me!” And Jesus said, “Weren’t there ten? Where are the other nine?” [Object lesson idea: 10 bandages] Let’s pretend these bandages are for the ten people. (You can place ten bandages or stickers on the children’s hands or sleeves as you talk.) Ten were healed… but only one came back to say thank you. So let’s take one bandage and put it right here on my hand — this one stands for the thankful one. Now, what do you think Jesus felt when that one person came back to thank Him? Yes — happy! Loved! When we remember to say thank you — to God, to our parents, to our teachers, to anyone — we make their hearts happy. And we make our hearts happy too. Connecting to Mission, Discipleship, and Stewardship You know, when we say thank you to God, it’s not just with our words — it’s also with what we do. • When you help a friend — that’s mission. • When you pray, learn about Jesus, and come to church — that’s discipleship. • When you share what you have — your time, your toys, your offering — that’s stewardship. Every time we do those things, we’re saying: “Thank you, Jesus, for loving me! I want to love others, too.” [Closing activity suggestion] Invite the children to think of one thing they’re thankful for. Go around and let them share: “I thank God for ______.” Then invite them to say together: “Thank you, Jesus!” (Encourage them to say it loudly like the healed man did!) Closing Prayer Let’s pray together: Dear Jesus, Thank You for loving us and healing us. Thank You for our homes, our families, our church, and all our blessings. Help us remember to say thank You — not just with our words, but with our actions, by helping others and sharing what we have. Amen. Generated by ChatGPT 5 Call to confession (based on 2 Timothy) Even when we are faithless, God remains faithful. Assured of God’s grace, let us confess our sin together: Prayer of confession (based on Luke 17) Holy God, When we are in need, we cry out for your mercy and healing. Yet, we confess that too often, we are confident in our own strength. We take the blessings to which we feel entitled and continue on our way, rather than returning to you in worship and praise. Jesus, have mercy on us! It is easy to take for granted the ease of life we so often experience, while failing to question why others are pushed to the margins and excluded. It is tempting to take pride in our health and strength rather than confronting ableism in all its forms. Jesus, have mercy on us! Help us to grow in compassion for all people. Redirect our paths so that we return to you, offering our praise and gratitude, now and always. Amen. (Presbyterian Outlook, Stephanie Sorge) Assurance of pardon (based on 2 Timothy) The saying is sure: If we have died with Christ, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him. We are clothed with the righteousness of Christ. Our sin is forgiven! Thanks be to God. (Presbyterian Outlook, Stephanie Sorge) Prayer for illumination God of Wisdom, By the power of your Holy Spirit, open us to receive your Word today. Lead us in wisdom and courage as we seek to follow Jesus, in whose name we pray, amen. (Presbyterian Outlook, Stephanie Sorge) Scripture Luke 17:11-19 Sermon Grateful One Magic Words When our grand-daughter Sarah was two years old, she was extremely active. She was always busy, always moving and always in a hurry… because at two years of age, she had already realized that there are so many exciting things to do and see and experience in this incredible world God has given us. One day Sarah interrupted her play-time just long enough to run into the kitchen in search of a mid-afternoon snack. Hurriedly, she said to her mother: “Banana, Momma, Banana!” Jodi, her mother, handed her a banana. Sarah quickly grabbed the banana and turned to rush back out of the kitchen. However, before she took very many steps, her mother said: “Sarah, come back. What are the magic words?” Sarah screeched to a halt, turned back around and said: “Please! Thank You! You’re Welcome! God Bless You! And I Love You, Mommy!” At this point, Sarah got a second banana!... And a warm hug! The magic words Sarah’s mother was looking for were “Thank you.” She got more than that… but those were the words she was looking for… because Sarah’s mother knows how important it is… for us to learn how to stop and say thanks.” James W. Moore, Collected Sermons,www.Sermons.com We all know the importance of the magic words – thank you. We have all been taught that lesson, and more than likely we have taught that lesson to countless others. The words thank you are the key to today’s lesson. We are encouraged not just to say those words, and to say those words boldly. We are encouraged to live them. During our stewardship campaign, we are encouraged to think about mission, discipleship and stewardship. Mission, discipleship, and stewardship are not separate things — they are one living response to grace. Mission — seeing others and going where Jesus leads. Discipleship — turning back to Christ again and again. Stewardship — giving back from grateful hearts. All three of those things begin with the magic words – thank you. But they don’t end there. Thank you is so much a part of our lives that we get comfortable and start to take those words for granted. Those words might be present in our hearts, but sometime we forget to say them out loud. Sort of like the story of Ed Spencer. This story is near to me, because Ed went to the same seminary that I went to. And even though this story happened in 1860 – I know exactly where it happened. Northwestern’s campus looks a lot different today then it did then. At one time most of the campus was right next to Lake Michigan. Until the 60’s or 70’s when they filled a lot of the lake in to build more buildings. Ed Spencer’s story is one of gratitude – or the lack there of. Most of us have felt the sting of ingratitude, but few have felt it as painfully as Ed Spencer. He was a divinity student at Garrett Theological Seminary in Evanston, IL. On September 8, 1860. Spencer was drawn into a situation that changed the direction of his life. That night he was awakened by the shouting of fellow seminary students, who reported that there was a shipwreck directly off shore from Winnetka. A cruise ship had collided with a lumber freighter and was sinking. Ed Spencer jumped out of bed, dressed in a hurry, and ran the three miles to Winnetka. It was a stormy night and the lake was tossing vigorously. Few would be rescuers were willing to brave the turbulent waters and the dangerous undertows. Ed was a strong swimmer, from his childhood days of swimming the Mississippi near his home in Rock Island. He jumped right in and proceeded to pull people to shore one after the other. He had to fight huge waves and painful buffeting from pieces of debris. By the light of dawn he had personally rescued fifteen survivors. As he was warming himself by the fire with a cup of coffee, a cry came that there were two more survivors clinging to flotsam for dear life. Despite his sheer exhaustion, je jumped in and barely made it to the hunk of shipwreck. He manages to draw them in with his last ounce of strength, after which he collapsed on the breach. That night, 287 people lost their lives but of the 98 who were saved, Spencer personally rescued 17. Ed Spencer never got back to seminary. He spent the rest of his days as an invalid in California. As an old man, he was interviewed by a Los Angeles newspaper and asked what he recalled in particular about the rescue. Spencer replied “Only this: of the seventeen people I saved, not one of them every thanked me.” (the story is based on “A Window on the Mountain” by Winston and Winnie Pearce). This story is special to me, but I think that we can all relate to Ed’s feelings of someone forgetting to say thank you, when we did the right thing, when we made a sacrifice, and someone didn’t say thank you. Even Jesus expresses his disappointment in today’s scripture story. Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem to meet his fate/ destiny. He is nervous about the trip because at this point he has no idea of what will happen in Jerusalem. He takes the long way on his journey. He travels north through no man’s land in hopes of reaching more people. He is not at home, but he is a long way from his destination. He is on the border of insiders and outsiders, between the clean and the unclean, between religion and rejection. Some of the most important lessons in the bible happen when Jesus is on his journey. All throughout Luke, Jesus teaches us that the borderland is where mission happens – where we come out of our comfort zone in order to meet the needs of others. During Jesus’ journey he hears the cries of 10 lepers as they ask for help. Even in the midst of his own uncertainty he is willing to reach out and help others. He can’t save himself, but he knows that he does what he can to save others. Jesus doesn’t heal them directly, he tells them to go to church talk with the pastor, reclaim your life Jesus tells them that their faith heals them. All ten take off on their healing journey – only one comes back to say thank you. That’s one more than returned to Ed Spencer. But even Jesus asks – where are the other nine, weren’t they healed as well? So even Jesus reminds us of how important it is to say thank you. It is a reminder for all of us who follow Jesus. God’s grace comes to us all. I am sure there were others who were grateful, but they just never returned to make their feelings known. Ten were healed. One came back. Ten received mercy. One entered relationship. Discipleship begins in that turning back — not just enjoying the gift, but seeking the Giver. The Samaritan comes back praising God in a loud voice. He falls at Jesus’ feet — the posture of worship, the symbol of surrender. He returns not to earn healing, but because his heart overflows. That’s what discipleship looks like. It’s not checking boxes or being perfect; it’s choosing, day after day, to turn back toward Jesus. It’s reorienting our hearts toward gratitude and relationship. The other nine obeyed the instruction — and that’s good! But the one who returned discovered something deeper: that following Jesus isn’t just about what He can do for us — It is about who he is us 3. Stewardship: Gratitude That Gives Back When the man comes back, he doesn’t whisper thanks. He shouts it! He praises God with a loud voice. His gratitude is contagious — public, generous, overflowing. That’s what stewardship really is. Stewardship is not just about money — it’s about living thankfully. It’s recognizing that everything we have — our breath, our blessings, our bank accounts — are gifts of grace entrusted to us by God. And the natural response to grace is generosity. When we give to the church — when we support missions, pay apportionments, maintain the building, care for our pastors, and reach our neighbors — we’re not paying bills. We’re praising God with a loud voice. Every pledge card, every volunteer hour, every offering is a modern way of falling at Jesus’ feet and saying, “Thank you, Lord. You’ve healed me. You’ve blessed me. I give myself back to You.” “Your faith has made you well,” Jesus says. But the word He uses — sozo — means “made whole,” “saved.” The nine were healed physically, but one was healed completely — in body, mind, and spirit. Gratitude completed the healing. Generosity completed the faith. Jesus was disappointed in the other nine, but they still experience his grace. They are not wrong or bad. This story is important because the one who said thank you, is a model for us. He shows us what it means to be thankful. In order to live a life of thankfulness we have to 1. Look at our lives with appreciation 2. Identify your blessings 3. Practice disciplines that cultivate a life of gratitude He is a model for us, so that we can be a model for others. Not only do we encourage them to say thank you, but to live a life of thankfulness. The Seeds of Discouragement An old legend tells how a man once stumbled upon a great red barn after wandering for days in a forest in the dark. He was seeking refuge from the howling winds of a storm. He entered the barn and his eyes grew accustomed to the dark. To his astonishment, he discovered that this was the barn where the devil kept his storehouse of seeds. They were the seeds that were sown in the hearts of humans. The man became curious and lit a match. He began exploring the piles of bins of seeds round him. He couldn’t help but notice that the greatest majority of them said, “Seeds of Discouragement.” About that time one of the devil’s helpers arrived to pick up a load of seeds. The man asked him, “Why the abundance of discouragement seeds?” The helper laughed and replied, “Because they are so effective and they take root so quickly.” “Do they grow everywhere?” the man asked. At that moment the devil’s helper became very sullen. He glared at the man and in disgust he said, “No. They never seem to grow in the heart of a grateful person.” Keith Wagner, But Are We Grateful? What seeds are being planted in our lives, seeds of discouragement or seeds of gratefulness. The First Billionaire The very first person to reach the status of billionaire was a man who knew how to set goals and follow through. At the age of 23, he had become a millionaire, by the age of 50 a billionaire. Every decision, attitude, and relationship was tailored to create his personal power and wealth. But three years later at the age of 53 he became ill. His entire body became racked with pain and he lost all the hair on his head. In complete agony, the world's only billionaire could buy anything he wanted, but he could only digest milk and crackers. An associate wrote, "He could not sleep, would not smile and nothing in life meant anything to him." His personal, highly skilled physicians predicted he would die within a year. That year passed agonizingly slow. As he approached death he awoke one morning with the vague remembrances of a dream. He could barely recall the dream but knew it had something to do with not being able to take any of his successes with him into the next world. The man who could control the business world suddenly realized he was not in control of his own life. He was left with a choice. He called his attorneys, accountants, and managers and announced that he wanted to channel his assets to hospitals, research, and mission work. On that day John D. Rockefeller established his foundation. This new direction eventually led to the discovery of penicillin, cures for current strains of malaria, tuberculosis and diphtheria. The list of discoveries resulting from his choice is enormous. But perhaps the most amazing part of Rockefeller's story is that the moment he began to give back a portion of all that he had earned, his body's chemistry was altered so significantly that he got better. It looked as if he would die at 53 but he lived to be 98. Rockefeller learned gratitude and gave back from his wealth. Doing so made him whole. It is one thing to be healed it is another to be made whole. It appears that the one leper who returned and threw himself at Jesus' feet in gratitude was not only healed he was saved by his thanksgiving. "Rise and go," Jesus said, "your faith has made you well." Brett Blair, www.eSermons.com When we give to the church — when we support missions, pay apportionments, maintain the building, care for our pastors, and reach our neighbors — we’re not paying bills. We’re praising God with a loud voice. Every pledge card, every volunteer hour, every offering is a modern way of falling at Jesus’ feet and saying, “Thank you, Lord. You’ve healed me. You’ve blessed me. I give myself back to You.” “Your faith has made you well,” Jesus says. But the word He uses — sozo — means “made whole,” “saved.” The nine were healed physically, but one was healed completely — in body, mind, and spirit. Gratitude completed the healing. Generosity completed the faith. Illustration: The Circle of Grace Think of God’s grace like a circle. God gives to us — that’s the first half. We give back to God — that completes the circle. When we give thanks, serve others, and share resources, we keep that circle of grace turning. The more we give, the more gratitude grows. And the more gratitude grows, the more joy we find. That’s stewardship — living in the rhythm of God’s generosity. Bringing It Home: Mission, Discipleship, Stewardship Together Mission, discipleship, and stewardship are not separate things — they are one living response to grace. Mission — seeing others and going where Jesus leads. Discipleship — turning back to Christ again and again. Stewardship — giving back from grateful hearts. When we live this way, our church becomes more than a building; it becomes a movement of grace in motion. Imagine if every one of us lived like that one grateful leper — if every day, we found a way to turn back, give thanks, and give back. What might our community look like? What might our conference look like? What might our world look like? Closing Challenge So this week, remember the ten — and be the one. When you pray, return thanks. When you serve, see those others miss. When you give, do it with joy. And when you speak, let gratitude be loud enough for the world to hear. Because gratitude isn’t complete until it becomes action. Faith isn’t whole until it becomes service. And worship isn’t full until it overflows in generosity. Jesus said to the one who returned, “Rise and go; your faith has made you whole.” May He say the same of us. Closing Prayer Let’s pray. Gracious and generous God, You meet us in the borderlands of life — in the in-between spaces where we often feel unseen. Thank You for seeing us, healing us, and calling us to follow. Forgive us for the times we rush ahead, forgetting to return in gratitude. Help us to live like the one who came back — joyful, generous, and grateful. Send us out in mission, keep us faithful in discipleship, and shape us into good stewards of all You’ve entrusted to us. Make us whole, Lord, that others may find wholeness through us. In Jesus’ name we pray. Am Song Through it All UMH 507 (sing twice) Prayers of the People (do not print) Compassionate God, you are God of all creation. Only you know the expanse of the cosmos and every small and hidden corner of creation. You have created us in love, and we join all of creation in singing to the glory of your name. We give thanks for your generous provision. Thank you for the basic elements that sustain life, and the joy and beauty that enrich it. We give thanks for your works of healing. While we live in a world still marked by pain and suffering, we acknowledge gifts of health and strength. For prayers answered, bodies healed, relationships restored, and hope that displaces despair, we give you thanks. We give thanks for your diverse creation. While we often get mired in our own particular lives, your care and concern cross all boundaries and borders. We are grateful for all of the different people in the world, each created in and reflecting your image. May we always return to you in gratitude and praise. We pray for the many needs in our world. We pray for those living in war zones, and all who have been displaced by violence, disaster, and trauma. Bring your peace and healing to the nations, and make us all ready to receive and support siblings in need. Help us to see our shared humanity, which is greater than the divisions we create and uphold. We pray for your most vulnerable children, especially those who are pushed to the margins, neglected, and worse. It can be easy to keep them out of sight and out of mind, to hold them at arm’s length as the perpetual “other,” or to look at their situations and simply give thanks they are not our own. We ask for miracles that change the difficult and deadly circumstances so many face, and that you ignite our own compassion. Give us wisdom to know how to respond, and the courage to act. We pray for all who are hurting, in body, mind or spirit. Jesus, have mercy, and heal what is broken. We pray for broken bodies, broken hearts, broken relationships, and broken spirits. Creator of all, re-create this world, so we can live in shalom together. We offer the prayers of our hearts… All of these we offer to you, including those that are known only to you (Presbyterian Outlook, Stephanie Sorge) Lord’s Prayer Stewardship Moment An old song includes the words, “Such as I have, I give you, willingly.” That describes the scene reported in Luke 17, where Jesus willingly healed the ten people known as lepers and one of them willingly turned back to praise God and thank Jesus for healing him. Can you identify a time when you willingly gave something life-changing to another? Someone might tell of giving a healthy kidney to someone on dialysis. Another might tell of giving a car no longer needed to a person struggling without transportation. Yet someone else might offer a remembrance of giving shelter to a person displaced by a hurricane, or being released from prison. Here at ___________ Church, we regularly give ______________ (describe an outreach which is a central part of your church identity). Your tithes and offerings help us make possible life-changing gifts as one way of living out lives of discipleship. Today, let’s rejoice and offer our praise to God as we share the resources we brought to offer. Prayer of Thanksgiving For the financial gifts shared today, for the time and talent which is yet to be shared, for the opportunity to more truly become “disciples” (followers of Jesus), as we offer our gifts and ourselves…we give you our thanks, God of Life and Love! AMEN (Disciples of Christ Center for Faith and Giving) Announcements Closing Prayer for Facebook Having prayed for the places where we live, we go forth. God sends us into the apartments and homes, into the streets and playgrounds to bring hope. Having gathered with God's people of every age, we go forth. We will join Jesus in serving folks whose birthdays are celebrated in decades, and newborns who are facing poverty and fear. Having shared prayers and songs with friends and strangers, we go forth. We will welcome those who the world forgets but who God loves, as surely as we have been embraced by the Spirit. (c) Thom M. Shuman Community Time Joys and Concerns Benediction Get up and go on your way! Go from this place to be builders of God’s beloved community. See the face of Christ in each person you meet. Follow the Spirit, wherever she may lead. Now go in peace. (Presbyterian Outlook, Stephanie Sorge)