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)

Life with Passion

April 5, 2022 Palm/Passion Sunday Luke 22-23 Life with Passion Year C Opening Song Welcome Blessing of the Palms (Do not PRINT) Bless these parade palms, O God of Celebration. May they remind us of the simple joys of living. May we remember the excitement that comes with following Christ. Bless these protest palms, O God of Justice. May they remind us that Empire is not a thing of the past. May they make us bold and brave to stand up against injustice. Bless these funeral palms, O God of Comfort. May they remind us of the road that lies ahead. May they encourage us in times of grief and pain. We give you thanks for the parade, the protest, the processional. Guide our steps through this holiest of weeks as we cry out together "Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna!" Amen. ~ written by Rev. Caela Simmons Wood, Pastor, First Congregational United Church of Christ in Manhattan, Kansas. Call to Worship The story of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, tells us that after his celebrated arrival. He went into the Temple and looked around at everything. As we gather here for worship today may it be with a sense that Jesus has walked in too and is looking around. May our eyes be open to see Him, may our hearts be ready to be seen by Him, may our worship be worthy of His presence, and may we be transformed so that we see the world through His eyes. Amen. (Ann Sidell) Responsive Reading Psalm 118:1-2,19-29 UMH 839 Song of Praise God of Grace and God of Glory UMH 577 Prayer of Confession (Luke 19) Lord Jesus, we are a fickle people, quick to turn away. We are quick to flock to you when all is well, but we are prone to scatter when there is opposition or criticism. Too often we have kept silent before you, afraid to proclaim your praise. It is easy to join the crowd as you ride triumphantly into Jerusalem— singing our joys and expectations, dancing our hopes and dreams. It is far more difficult to stand by you as the crowd cries for your crucifixion. Forgive our weakness when we turn away. Strengthen us for the journey ahead as we relive your suffering and death, that we might stay beside you to the end. Give us the courage to shout our hosannas, not only today, but each and every day. Amen. (Bryan Schneider-Thomas) Words of Assurance (Psalm 118) The Lord is our strength and might. Jesus is our salvation. In Jesus our sins are forgiven. In Jesus our cries are answered, our salvation is at hand. Blessed be the name of the Lord. (Bryan Schneider-Thomas) Scripture Luke 23:1-9 Sermon Life with Passion 1. If you look in the dictionary- there are 2 definitions to the word passion. strong and barely controllable emotion. "a man of impetuous passion" 2. the suffering and death of Jesus. "meditations on the Passion of Christ" From Oxford Languages Today is Palm Passion Sunday. In the 50’s and 60’s (way before my time) these used to be two different Sundays. In the 70’s the catholic church changed it, and so did other churches that follow the liturgical calendar of seasons. Rarely, do I do a palm Sunday sermon, because usually, I want everyone to relive the passion story in preparation for Easter. This year I felt that I had to preach this sermon. I know that some of your have heard of Rob Bell. Our Sunday School class has at least talked about looking at some of Rob Bell’s videos. He is a now former pastor who filmed a series about 20 years ago now, where he would explain Christianity in everyday terms. His series NOOMA is very popular. He continues to write and record audio books. His latest, which came out about a month ago is called “Handling your Fire – Passion, burnout, routines and resilience. This is a series of six sessions that talk about clergy and other Christians being burned out in their calling. After listening to the second session on passion – I knew that I had to share it with you, I don’t know if he meant it for palm Sunday – but it fits perfectly. His message shutters our traditional understanding of thinking about passion and prepares us for Easter new life. According to Bell, Jesus has a passion for the conditions of the people that he encountered along the countryside in the year long travel to Jerusalem. As he witnessed the poor conditions for himself, he knew that he had to go to the capital Jerusalem and to address the political powers that be. He knew that it would kill him. Power does all that it can to eliminate threats. They executed him as a enemy of the state – the status quo. But it was a death that made all of the difference in the world. Bell calls Jesus’ act his good gift to the world. Eucharist literally means good character, good act, or good gift. Jesus didn’t fight power with guns, threats, or even with power. He fought with love, his good character. He gave himself not just for a better more caring government, but for a better spirit in the world – a spirit of giving and generosity. I will have to talk more fully about Rob Bells audio book at some other time. But basically, he uses the term eucharist – not just to talk about Jesus, but to also talk about his followers, including us – the body of Christ. We are all called to give ourselves to make the world a better place. We are all people of passion in the first definition. There is something inside of each of us – that we love to do. That something brings us joy. It may be something that we do so much or so passionately that we are worn out sometimes. We get tired, but it is a good tired. When we are down, this is the thing that makes us feel better. It is the thing that brings us true joy. It is the thing that bubbles up from our deep center. Our deep center is where God lives inside of us. But you know life does not always does not always encourage us to live in our deep center, or to even spend too much time there. As we get older, we are told there are more important things in life. Life is not about us. If we live in our truth for too long, we will be crucified. Jesus followed his passion, knowing that he would suffer, and yet he seemed to know it was for a greater good for himself and others. Our common understanding of the passion story is that Jesus suffered for our sins. So during holy week we are supposed to feel guilt, shame and sorrow. We are supposed to wallow in our sins all in the name of reliving the passion. Bell points out that as Jesus followed his passion for the healing of the world – he was well aware that there were evil heartless people in the world. And yet fear of suffering was not enough to stop him. Good Friday was just one story in a year long ministry. He knew there would be pain, but it would not be the final word. Suffering was not the price of sin. It was not a necessary evil to experience the good. For Bell, suffering is a part of the life that we live on this earth. Whether we are in touch with the God in our center, or we never open a bible in our life – our lives are full of problems. No matter who we are, something is going to happen in life. For some of us, suffering is all that there is. It stops us from acting. All we can see is darkness in the world beyond. For others, we get up, we live, we trust the unknown, we move forward on spite of our suffering. Suffering is a condition, not a life sentence. The difference is passion – a determination to move through to our destiny. Jesus passion was healing a broken world. That passion was his gift to the world. That gift, the eucharist, was he whole life. He knew that his joy was beyond the cross. As Bell talks about his own fall from grace, he talks about eucharist living, eucharist giving, eucharist gauge and eucharistic rhythm. Eucharistic living is listening to that deep inner voice that tells us what brings us true joy. Eucharistic giving is giving out of our deep inner joy and not out of our suffering. Eucharistic gauge – is the ability to realize when we are empty and depleted inside. It is not just giving, but also receiving. We as Christians are always encouraged to give, but we are reluctant to receive. We forget that we have two different hands, and giving and receiving are not one act, it is two. We get to the point that we don’t realize that we don’t have anything to give. Burnout is feeling guilty to receive. Eucharistic rhythm is knowing when you are empty inside. Acknowleging that you are tired, knowing what fills your spirit. Working and resting in rhythm, giving and receiving in joy. Bell says that Jesus knew eucharistic rhythm very well. He poured out his life, emptying himself in order to restore the system and others. But it was not an obligation. I thought this was an important message for passion Sunday. I think we are all suffering in some way. We watch others around us suffer. We watch suffering on tv every day. So I don’t think that palm Sunday should be a time to relive more suffering and focusing on negativity. Negativity is already here, we don’t need to create it. Living in this world for the last two and a half years has been exhausting. I started reading Bell’s book because I am exhausted, not quite at burnout, but just exhausted. Some of that exhaustion was there way before the pandemic started. I have talked to so many of my colleagues who are saying, I don’t want to be a Christian anymore – I think I need an easier life. And yet we forgot the meaning of eucharist – the good gift. We are in the habit of giving, but have forgotten how to receive. We lost sight of the meaning of the passion of Christ. Christ knew his joy was beyond suffering, he trust God with his prayers, he gave out of his generosity, not obligation. What if he mission on the cross was not a sacrifice – where he loses so everybody wins. Would that stop us as Christians from sacrificing ourselves on behalf of everybody else. What if Christ was not a living sacrifice, but a living eucharist – good gift? How would that effect our faith? Would we really think of Easter as new life? Christ actions should remind us that we are the eucharist – the body of Christ. We are God’s good gift to heal the world. We find that gift by listening to the joy within ourselves. Giving that gift away in order to receive more joy. We give ourselves permission to rest, we develop a language for being tired. We give out of what we have and not what we lack. Finally, don’t get me wrong I do think that there is a place in our lives for sacrifice, for suffering, for guilt, for shame. And even in our faith. It just shouldn’t stop us from following Christ to the cross and to the resurrection. May Christ’s actions bring us peace, justice and wellbeing in the days to come. Let us pray…… Prayer Wonderful God, we bow before you in gratitude for the life you have given us in Jesus Christ. In him, you have shown us that your love has no boundary. There is no place you will not go to be with us and for us. As you came into Jerusalem long ago, come into our hearts this day. Hear our cries and heal our hurts and hold us close. We pray for our world, your world. We pray for all that is happening in Ukraine, for refugee and soldiers, for leaders and aid workers, for citizens struggling amidst terror and violence. We pray that your spirit would bring forth peace and righteousness, comfort and strength. We pray for those who are sick, for those on the long road of recovery, for those struggling with uncertain diagnoses and seemingly never-ending treatments. We pray for those who mourn, for those bearing the burden of grief day by day. We pray for those who wait and watch and pray as loved ones suffer. We pray for those who are alone, those who are hungry, those without hope. We pray for the discouraged and the downtrodden, for those unable to look beyond the troubles of this day. We pray for those facing difficult choices, those weighing many options, those dealing with unclear directions on life’s journey. We pray for those beginning new ventures, trying new things, opening themselves up to fresh possibilities. O God, as this holiest of weeks unfolds before us and we retrace the suffering and the death of Jesus and claim once again the promise of resurrection, we pray that you would seal in our hearts the message of these holy days — that in Jesus you are with us and for us in all things, even suffering, even death and that in Jesus you have overcome every power that would hurt or destroy. AMEN (John Wurster) Lord’s Prayer UMH 895 Stewardship Moment Moment for Stewardship Luke’s description of that long-ago procession includes so many gifts! The owners of the colt, willing to let the disciples take it for Jesus. The people spreading their cloaks on the road. Those singing out their praise, “Blessed in the king who comes…” In this time of worship, what gifts have you brought to offer? Something you treasure? Something personal? Something from deep within? When we recognize how God continues to abundantly provide for us, and what amazing grace it is for Jesus to have shared his very life blood, let us offer the best of our lives! Prayer of Thanksgiving Good and giving God, we offer these gifts to you as fuel for the fire of your on-going creation. May all we offer be received, used, and taken in to expand the power of YOU in this world. (Center for Faith and Giving) Song of Dedication Were You There UMH 288 Announcements Closing Prayer Passing from joy into sorrow and on to elation, we come to Christ this holy week. Today is only a part of the story. Jesus’ triumph leads to his death, his death to his resurrection. May the journey of this week lead you into the fullness of Christ’s love. (Bryan Schneider-Thomas) Community Time Stripping the Sanctuary First Verse of Psalm 22 with Response 1 Leave in Silence and darkness Children’s Sermon 1. Prominently display two crowns: a golden crown (perhaps from the Christmas pageant props) and a crown of thorns. In the sermon, explore two kinds of kings. The first lives in a palace, is strong enough to scare off enemies, and make rules for the country. Paint a picture—not of an evil king, but of one who is authoritarian. Then describe the king that Jesus became by spending his life taking care of his people and finally dying for them. 2. After describing how we treat kings (we do whatever they say, we try to please them, we give them the best of everything, we bow or defer to them), explore who and what we tend to treat as "king of our life." Children often let a special adult, such as a teacher or professional sports figure/hero, become their king. In some neighborhoods, a child may become king of the block and totally run the show (this king may be an overtly evil gang leader or a benevolent natural leader to whom the other children always defer). The scriptural challenge is not to let anyone but Jesus be King in our lives. Jesus and his ways are to be more important than any other child or adult leader. (Carolyn C. Brown) Additional Illustrations There Is Still Hope The reality is that, if we figure to survive in this world, we had better have hope. The ancients knew that. Do you remember Pandora? Mythology has her as a lady endowed with every charm...the gift of all the gods. She was sent to earth with a little box which she had been forbidden to open, but curiosity finally got the better of her...she lifted the lid and out from that box escaped every conceivable kind of terror. Pandora made haste to close the box up again, but it was too late. There was only one thing left...HOPE. That was the ancients' way of saying how important hope is. Even when all else is lost, there is still hope. This was what had sustained the Israelite faithful from generation to generation. This was what energized the crowd along Jesus' parade route that day. David E. Leininger, Sunday's Coming! The Tomb Is Easier than the Cross In just a matter of days Holy Week takes us from the mountain of festive palms to the mountain of Golgatha’s despair. And that is why we resist it so. I mean, do we really need the emotional rollercoaster of Holy Week? What’s so wrong with just jumping from one parade to the next and skipping all the sacrifice and death stuff? What’s wrong with simply moving on to the joy of Easter, with its white bonnets, Easter eggs, family, friends, big ham dinner, and of course the empty tomb. Well, I think we know the answer to that. For starters, an empty tomb, at face value, is a lot easier to deal with than a dying, bleeding Savior on a cross. Add to that all the pain and suffering that comes with Holy Week, is it any wonder that the human tendency is to try and ignore the events of the week and simply move on to the Easter celebration? But as much as we’d like to skip Holy Week we know that the only way to Easter is through the cross. We know where the parade of Palm Sunday leads and we also know that we’re part of that parade. That is to say, we know this intellectually. Our hearts are another story. Our hearts may be more in sync with the disciples and the fear and disbelief that led them to run away. It would seem that 2000 years later Jesus’ disciples are still running away. Jeffrey K. London, And When You Think It's All Over The Triumph and the Tragedy Go with me now to the year 1942. The first American troops are marching into London. We are entering the conflict known as World War II. The people of London are cheering the American soldiers. The friendly reception exhilarates the young soldiers. They sing as they march. Suddenly the troops turn into a main street and a strange hush falls over the scene. The happy songs die on their lips. They are looking for the first time upon an area in London that has been blown to bits. They see the great wounds on the city inflicted by falling bombs. They suddenly realize the city has suffered terribly. In these young soldiers’ hearts, one moment celebration; the next, great sadness. The triumph and the tragedy. Palm Sunday. Good Friday. Life happens. King Duncan, Collected Works, www.Sermons.com Save Us When we wave our palms and boldly cry out, "Hosanna," do we dare imagine what we really want God to save us from? Save me from anger. Save me from cancer. Save me from depression. Save me from debt. Save me from the strife in my family. Save me from boredom. Save me from getting sent back to Iraq. Save me from the endless cycle of violence. Save me from humiliation. Save me from staring at the ceiling at three a.m. wondering why I exist. Save me from bitterness. Save me from arrogance. Save me from loneliness. Save me, God, save me from my fears. In viewing Palm Sunday from that angle, we can begin to see the potential for some real depth in this celebration, for embedded in our quaint pageantry is an appeal to God that originates in the most vulnerable places inside of us; and it bubbles, almost beyond our control, to the surface. "Hosanna." "Save us." Please God take the broken places that will tear us apart and make them whole. We beseech you, God, jump into the water and drag our almost-drowned selves to shore. "Save us." "Hosanna." Scott Black Johnston, Save Us What Is Good For Us Is Hidden Martin Luther often spoke of this aspect of the theology of the cross, concerning how God works in a hidden way through contrasts. In a series of lectures that Luther gave in 1515 and 1516 on the Book of Romans, he wrote: "For what is good for us is hidden, and that so deeply that it is hidden under its opposite. Thus our life is hidden under death, love for ourselves under hate for ourselves ... salvation under damnation, heaven under hell ... And universally our every assertion of anything good is hidden under the denial of it, so that faith may have its place in God, who is a negative essence and goodness and wisdom and righteousness, who cannot be touched except by the negation of all our affirmations." Martin Luther had one more observation about why God operates this way - under contrasts and opposites. In another of his sermons, he put it this way: "He thrusts us into death and permits the devil to pounce on us. But it is not his purpose to devour us; he wants to test us, to purify us, and to manifest himself ever more to us, that we may recognize his love. Such trials and strife are to let us experience something that preaching alone is not able to do, namely, how powerful Christ is and how sincerely the Father loves us. So our trust in God and our knowledge of God will increase more and more, together with our praise and thanks for his mercy and blessing. Otherwise we would bumble along with our early, incipient faith. We would become indolent, unfruitful and inexperienced Christians, and would soon grow rusty." Mark Ellingsen, Preparation and Manifestation, CSS Publishing Palm/Passion Sunday In the newer church calendars, today is called Palm/Passion Sunday. I must admit I have a hard time remembering that. For me, last Sunday will always be Passion Sunday and this Sunday is Palm Sunday. However, the liturgical experts in the church are trying to remind us that the two Sundays belong together because you cannot divorce the two; the significance of Jesus' entry into Jerusalem is that it was all a misunderstanding of His life and mission which eventually led to His death upon the cross. Jesus committed the unpardonable sin of not being the kind of Messiah everybody was expecting. The word "Passion" may give us pause. We're used to the kind of "passion" that Hollywood puts out. But the first meaning of the word given in Webster's Unabridged is "originally, suffering or agony, as of a martyr," and the second meaning: "the agony and sufferings of Jesus..." How about that? "When he drew near and saw the city he wept over it, saying, "Would that even today you knew the things that make for peace...." (Luke 19:41-42a) Donald B. Strobe Closed for Good Friday The bank meltdowns in 2008 reminded me of a true story that I ran across somewhere about a man who was standing in line at a bank last spring when there was a commotion at the counter. A woman was distressed, exclaiming, “Where will I put my money? I have all my money and my mortgage here!! What will happen to my mortgage?!” It turned out that she had misunderstood a small sign on the counter. The sign read, "WE WILL BE CLOSED FOR GOOD FRIDAY.” I guess she wasn’t familiar with the events of Holy Week, because she thought that the bank was going to be closed “for good” that coming Friday. “WE WILL BE CLOSED FOR GOOD . . . FRIDAY.” King Duncan, Collected Sermons, www.Sermons.com Eight Days Eight days changed the world. These eight days have been the topic of a million of publications, countless debates, and thousands of films. These eight days have inspired the greatest painters, the most skilled architects, and the most gifted musicians. To try and calculate the cultural impact of these eight days is impossible. But harder still would be an attempt to account for the lives of men and women who have been transformed by them. And yet these eight days as they played out in Jerusalem were of little significance to anyone but a few people involved. What happened on those eight days? During the next eight Sundays of Lent and Easter we will look at these eight days in depth but for now let’s summarize: 1. On Sunday the first of the eight days, Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey to the shouts of Hosanna, fulfilling an old prophecy in Zechariah 9:9. 2. On Monday he walked into the Jerusalem Temple overturning tables where money exchange occurred, Roman drachmas were being exchanged for Jewish shekels. Roman coins were not allowed. The image of Caesar was a violation of the second commandment. But the Temple authorities were using the Commandment as means to cheat the people and making the Temple a place of profit rather than a place of prayer. 3. On Tuesday Jesus taught in parables, warned the people against the Pharisees, and predicted the destruction of the Temple. 4. On Wednesday, the fourth day, we know nothing. The Gospel writers are silent. Perhaps it was a day of rest for him and his weary and worried disciples. 5. On Thursday, in an upper room, Jesus celebrated the Passover meal with his disciples. But he gave it a new meaning. No longer would his followers remember the Exodus from Egypt in the breaking of bread. They would remember his broken body and shed blood. Later that evening in the Garden of Gethsemane he agonized in prayer at what lay ahead for him. 6. On Friday, the fifth day, following betrayal, arrest, imprisonment, desertion, false trials, denial, condemnation, beatings and sentencing, Jesus carried his own cross to “The Place of the Skull,” where he was crucified with two other prisoners. 7. On Saturday, Jesus lay dead in a tomb bought by a rich man named Joseph. 8. On Sunday, his Passion was over, the stone had been rolled away. Jesus was alive. He appeared to Mary, to Peter, to two disciples on the road to Emmaus, and to the 11 disciples gathered in a locked room. His resurrection was established as a fact. Brett Blair and Staff, www.Sermons.com

Did you Remember to day Thank You

October 13, 2019 Luke 17:11-19 18th Sunday after Pentecost Year C Did You Remember to say Thank you Object: A bow (from a gift) Good morning, boys and girls. There are some words that are more important than all others. For example, "œI love you." Wow, those are important words. Would you like to get an instant smile from your parents or your grandparents or someone close to you? Simply say, "œMom, I love you. Or Dad. Or Grandmother, I love you." None of us probably say those words enough. There are two other words that are almost as powerful. They are "œThank you." I brought this bow with me to remind us that all of us enjoy getting gifts. Some of you have birthdays this time of year. Soon it will be Christmas--I know that you are not looking forward to Christmas. Oh, you are? I'm not surprised. One of the most important lessons you can learn in life is to say, "œThank you." Our lesson from the Bible this morning is about ten men whom Jesus healed from a terrible disease, but only one of them came back to say thank you. You know, God has given us many gifts, hasn't He? He's given us healthy bodies, good minds, families that love us, sunshine and rain and flowers and trees--and the list goes on and on. That's one of the reasons we come to church each week--to say "œthank you" to God. When anyone gives us a gift, we need to say "œthank you." God has given us more gifts that we can possibly even imagine. So let's remember to say thank you to God. Dynamic Preaching, Collected Sermons, by King Duncan Stewardship Moment When I visited Greece during a tour in 2000, we were all surprised that everyone that we met spoke English. Someone explained that the economy of Greece was dependent on tourist, so they had taken a lot of time to communicate with us. But they felt that the least that we Americans could do was to learn to say hello and thank you in Greek. I can’t remember hello, but luckily one of my friends taught me an easy way to remember thank you. Say F. Harry Stowe. So now you can say thank you if you ever found yourself in Greek. Modern Greek has changed a little from the greek that we know from the bible. Efaristo is the modern pronounciation for Eucharisto or Eucharist. When we take eucharist or communion it is our way of saying thank you. But it is important for us to remember that thank you is more than words of endearment – they are a way of life. it is how we treat other people, it is how we prioritize life, it is our relationship with God, it is how we live our faith. In today’s scripture Jesus says that it is that Eucharistic faith that heals us and makes life better. How do you say thank you? Luke 17:11-19 Common English Bible (CEB) Jesus heals a Samaritan 11 On the way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. 12 As he entered a village, ten men with skin diseases approached him. Keeping their distance from him, 13 they raised their voices and said, “Jesus, Master, show us mercy!” 14 When Jesus saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” As they left, they were cleansed. 15 One of them, when he saw that he had been healed, returned and praised God with a loud voice. 16 He fell on his face at Jesus’ feet and thanked him. He was a Samaritan. 17 Jesus replied, “Weren’t ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? 18 No one returned to praise God except this foreigner?” 19 Then Jesus said to him, “Get up and go. Your faith has healed you.” Common English Bible (CEB) Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible Imagine being a young man, in the prime of your life, just married the woman of your dreams, and one day she notices some white spots on your neck – and your life as you know it is over – because she has to report to the community and the priest that you have leprosy – and have to immediately move away from the community. Or imagine that your first child has been born two months ago – a son to carry on your name – and you too are diagnosed with leprosy- Or after a long period of trying to find your life work – you realize that you want to go into farming with your father – and as you celebrate your new found life – you lose it to leprosy. The laws in the book of Levitcus are very clear – if anyone notices a swelling in his skin or a scab or boil or pimple with transparent skin they are to be brought to the priest for examination. If the spot turns white – or if it looks more than skin deep, then the priest must declare him a leper. It could happen to anyone at any time in life. If they were a leper- the most important thing was protecting the rest of the community from they – so they were to live outside the gates of the city. They were to keep their distance from everyone and to declare to all that they were one of the untouchables. Life as they knew it was over – no family, no job, no meaning in life. Just gathering together with other lepers – totally dependent on the goodness of others to live. I find it interesting that the modern interpretations of this verse identify the 10 subjects of this story as men with a skin disease. Whereas older versions just calls them lepers. Their whole sense of humanity is tied up in their sickness. It takes over everything about their life. They couldn’t be with family, they couldn’t work, go to temple. All they could do was to sit by the side of the road and ask for mercy. That is exactly what they ask of Jesus – mercy. But Jesus gives them so much more than that. It is no surprise that Luke as a doctor would be the only one to tell this story of a physical healing that turns into so much more. We know that Jesus heals all ten of the lepers, we know that only one bothers to come back to say thank you. We know that the one who comes back is not only an outsider because of his physical condition, but also because he is a Samaritan. Even Jesus calls him a foreigner. Perhaps the other nine were jews. And they did what jesus told them – go show yourself to the priest so that you can return back to your life. perhaps instead of saying thank you, they chose to live thank you. Living thank you is a matter of stewardship in the way we give to others, it not only requires repentance, but being grateful also means returning. Maybe that it why we go home for thanksgiving to be with family and friends in order to return to the things that we are grateful for. But for the one that does return to Jesus – Jesus gives him another gift – he says that your faith has made you whole. Or in some interpretations, your faith has saved you. Our version says your faith has healed you. Who packed your parachute story Every now and then someone sends you something on the email which is worth Keeping. Some years ago a friend, and I can't remember who it was now, sent An email entitled "who packed your parachute". I was interested to see Recently that it is doing the rounds again. It was one of those you are meant to send on to people who have a special Place in your life. It is the story of a US fighter pilot from the Vietnam War, called Charles Plumb. After 75 combat missions, his plane was destroyed by a surface-to-air Missile. Plumb ejected and parachuted into enemy hands. He was captured and Spent 6 years in a Vietnamese prison. He survived the ordeal and now Lectures on lessons learned from that experience. One day, when Plumb and his wife were sitting in a restaurant, a man at another table came up and said, "You're Plumb! You flew jet fighters in Vietnam from the aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk. You were shot down!" "How in the world did you know that?" asked Plumb. "I packed your parachute," the man replied. Plumb gasped in surprise and gratitude. The man pumped his hand and said, "I guess it worked!" Plumb assured him, "It sure did. If your chute hadn't worked, I wouldn't be here today." Plumb couldn't sleep that night, thinking about that man. He says, "I kept wondering what he might have looked like in a Navy uniform, a white hat, a bib in the back, and bell-bottom trousers. I wonder how many times I might have seen him and not even said, "Good morning, how are you?" or anything because, you see, I was a fighter pilot and he was just a sailor. Plumb thought of the many hours the sailor had spent on a long wooden table in the bowels of the ship, carefully weaving the shrouds and folding the silks of each chute, holding in his hands each time the fate of someone he didn't even know. "Now," Plumb asks his audience, "who's packing your parachute?" Everyone has someone who provides what they need to make it through the day. Plumb also points out that he needed many kinds of parachutes when his plane was shot down over enemy territory --- he needed his physical parachute, his mental parachute, his emotional parachute, and his spiritual parachute. He called on all these supports before reaching safety. Transactional Theology Barbara Brown Taylor, a professor at Piedmont College and Columbia Seminary, in an article “Easter Preaching and the Lost Language of Salvation,” writes: On the occasions when Jesus praises peoples’ faith, most Christians automatically assume that he means their faith in his divinity, which he then rewards by helping them out; but that is just another sorry example of transactional theology. According to this theology, if you believe the right things about Jesus, then he will help you. If you don’t, he won’t. I am not sure where this idea comes from, but in the first three gospels Jesus seems much more concerned with making people well than with making them believe in him. (p. 21) Jesus does not proclaim himself, but the coming of God’s kingdom. The only thing people have to believe is that God can help them. In Luke’s gospel, when Jesus heals the ten lepers and the lone Samaritan among them comes back to say thanks, Jesus does not say, “Rise up and follow me.” He says, “Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well.” The faith that helps Jesus do his saving work; the faith that makes people well; is their full-bodied trust that God can act in their lives, both to forgive and to heal. (p. 22) Barbara Brown Taylor, ‘Easter Preaching and the Lost Language of Salvation’, quoted by Don Fisher, Saving Faith After hearing this story, of how a leper, a foreigner , made a long journey to becoming a healed whole of God. it is not surprising that Jesus intentionally created a church of outsiders, and refeguees. In his ministry he went after the gentiles, and hoping that one day the insiders would join him as well. No matter who we are, some of us are in need of healing, some of us are well, some of us are insiders, some are oustiders. But we our faith has made us whole – as long as we remember Jesus is the one who packed our sails. As we take communion – let us remember to say F. Harry Stow – thank you in all that we do. Let us pray… Extra illustrations…. 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 Continuing Gratitude A friend began his ministry at little First Presbyterian Church in Aberdeen, Mississippi. His first year as pastor he was visited by three men inquiring about one of his members, a widow who lived by herself. Was she getting out? Were her friends in Aberdeen keeping in touch? Was there anything they needed to know? The three men explained the situation, gave him their cards—one lived in New Jersey, another in Oklahoma, the other in California—and he was told to call them if there was anything they could humanly do to make her life happier or easier. These three men arrived each year bearing presents their wives had picked out in the shops of San Francisco and New York. The men had hired a family who mowed the woman’s yard, trimmed the bushes, and checked on tree branches and gutters. One of the men prepared the woman’s tax returns each year, another contracted repairs on her house or made them himself. Sometimes they helped her shop for a new car. They were meticulous in wanting to check on everything and anticipate every difficulty the woman might face. Each year they visited the President of the Bank of Mississippi in Aberdeen—there was a regular turnover in young bank executives—passed out their cards, explained that he was to notify them of any worldly need this woman might have, and they explained to the Bank President the situation. The situation was this: Sixty years ago the three men had been three soldiers standing on the ground floor of a house in Normandy just a few days after D-Day when a German potato masher grenade came bouncing down the stairs. A fourth soldier, the woman’s husband, threw himself on the grenade, absorbing most of its impact. The three men lived because of his death. After the war was over in 1945 the three men began making their way to Aberdeen, Mississippi on a regular basis to make sure that this man’s widow would lack for nothing they had within their power to provide for her. They had been doing that for more than twenty-five years when my friend was pastor of First Presbyterian Church. Isn’t that a remarkable story? I’ll tell you another remarkable thing: there were eighteen soldiers on the first floor of that house in Normandy. All eighteen of them were spared by the action of that one soldier’s leaping on a grenade, and after the war was over three of them made their regular pilgrimages to Aberdeen, Mississippi. Three out of eighteen: that’s 16 2/3%. How difficult it is to imagine 100% gratitude. What does it take for us to recognize that life is a gift, and the only possible human response is gratitude? Patrick J. Willson, Deep Gratitude God In the Ordinary Once upon a time, there was a far-away land that was ruled by a vicious king. His iron hand reached into every corner of his subjects' lives. Every corner - except one. Try as he might, he couldn't destroy their belief in God. In his frustration, he finally summoned his advisors and asked them: "Where can I hide God so the people will end up forgetting about him?" One suggested hiding God on the dark side of the moon. This idea was debated, but was voted down because the advisors feared that their scientists would one day discover a way to travel into space travel and God would be discovered again. Another suggested burying God in the deepest part of the ocean. But there was the same problem with this idea, so it was voted down. One idea after another was suggested and debated and rejected. Until finally the oldest and wisest advisor had a flash of insight. "I know," he said, "why don't we hide God where no one will ever even think to look?" And he explained, "If we hide God in the ordinary events of people's everyday lives, they'll never find him!" And so it was done. And they say people in that land are still looking for God - even today. ChrstianGlobe Illustrations