Nov 18 sermon..Thanksgiving in All Circumstances

Thanksgiving is.... Nov 18, 2007 PUMC Rory Swenson
I pointed out that the words from Paul in Philippians 4 were going to be the Bible verses for the sermon
and it is,,
Paul says in verse 11 (chpt 4) "I have learned to be content with whatever I have"
"to be content with whatever I have...full or empty
to have a little ..or to have a lot
then he says.. In verse 13 "I can do all things through him
who strengthens me."
Eugene Peterson in his version of this called the Message
he says
Whatever I have
wherever I am
I can make it through anything
in the One who makes me who I am
you hear that the one who makes me who I am
he seems to be trusting God for his life.
For .who I am he says
how ever it is.
.now that’s interesting
because some people might say
they might say
that Paul had a hard life at least after he became a Christian
why should he be content with it!
why should he feel good about his life?
you can read about all the things that the went though in 2 Corinths chapter 11
hard ships
hunger
prison
ship wrecks
beatings..
He Got whipped..
Run out of town..
Didn’t seem to have much money.
Lived on the road..
anxiety stress...
Lack of sleep
we Don’t know much about his family life at all
he did say
that he had this thorn in the flesh
that troubled him,,
we don’t know what it was.
Some aches
some chronic panic..an eye disease..
Some kind of problem..
.but it was not an easy life..
Yet
. Even with all of this
Paul also talks about thanksgiving in his letters
,,he give thanks
he is always thanking God for this and that.
.and now as I said
he says
he had learned some deeper contentment in the circumstances of his life .
The secret of contentment
Peterson has another interesting way of translating Paul’s words in the verses
just before this
in the same chapter,,
verse 7 ..
You get those words
.those words
about the peace of God that passes understanding
you see this not a head thing..or a rational..reasonable thing..
but it passes deeper than understanding..
Peterson put it this way
Paul says
Before you know it..
a sense of God’s wholeness.. ..
Everything coming together for good..
will come and settle you down...
..
Get that?
a sense of Gods wholeness for Good
You see
I think that what is at the center of thanksgiving
it’s the secret of contentment
I think that what thanksgiving is really about
this is more than just being grateful for a lot of good food
and family
and warm house..and maybe watching some football
and counting your blessings
.as in ..grateful for all the good stuff..
Thanksgiving is something way deeper
its not about just counting up the good things...
even though that’s a good thing to do.
Don’t get me wrong here..
.but I think its about seeing
the larger wholeness
and
then trusting
some essential .
maybe even a hidden good ness
a spiritual presence behind it all.
and through it all
and even in spite of it all
what if thanksgiving is not just conditional ....depending on the conditions to be right
and Thanksgiving is not circumstantial..as in //I will be thankful if the circumstances are right
but thanksgiving is somehow about trusting God ,,,
for life..
.for life ..even as it is..
Maybe even inexplicably
For good or bad..
. up or down. Or as Paul says
empty or full
Paul says
In any and all circumstances.. I have learned the secret.
In all circcumstances
.that would be the secret
I believe of saying thanks..
For the life you have
it is saying thanks for th life that you have

I think that’s what Paul is talking about
and it s kind of trust..
Its kind of knowledge
its kind of wisdom or truth
that’s what Paul has in Jesus Christ..
the gospel that god is there.
.and God is god
and God is at work,....all the time
No matter what the circumstance might be.
So
as I said
Thanksgiving
then is about saying yes to your life.
..being at peace with your life...
Profoundly
..and maybe in a more than rational kind of way..
But something at the core.
Saying yes to your life..in the wisdom of God
now hold that thought
Now let me try a story along with that.

Once upon a time, long ago,
before the emperors and the mandarins ruled in china
the wise ones and the poets moved way up to the highest mountains
and the power and the wisdom of the land
they believed
came from those holy ones
who lived up in the clouds and the mist
Everyone know about their truth and their guidance
so even the simplest and plainest people of the land
would plan their lives around a pilgrimage
to see those wise ones
and to just to ask them one question
those wise ones
lived their life in silence and looking at the mountains
or down into t he great canyons.
And they say that wisdom came from those years of looking and living in those mountains
now
during this time
there also lived a man who had been born in those mountains
he was poor and he could not read or write
but because he was born in the mountains
he know those wise ones who lived there
..he knew them like they were his own relatives
they lived so close to him.
But this man was not wise
he was just simple man
who worked at this trade
it was the same trade that his father had taught him when he was young
he was the one who carried the packs and the baggage
while the pilgrims came to see the Holy ones in the mountains
he would carry the packs
so they would not have to worry about the trail
and they would have what they needed.
But this simple man also had a dream
some day
if he worked very hard at his trade
and did his work
if he took extra trips up the mountains
perhaps he could retire early
and build a small and simple hut to live in..
Then he too
could sit and watch the mountains himself
and maybe he too could have some small bit of wisdom before he died.
he too could understand and see some truth.
So he lived on this dream..

And he learned the mountains very well
he knew all the paths and the details of every trail
he know where to find water and where to rest and spend the night
he know about the dangers and the pitfalls
He know even the unknown and the unvisited places.

So every morning he would begin again and the dream would be alive in his heart...
Someday Someday..
But then he would bend over and lift the baggage up onto his shoulders
and he would go make the long journey
up the steep mountain side

all the way
he would closely watch the path
he took care with every step...
not to fall off a cliff
or trip on a rock
or twist his foot.
each step
was act of concentration
he remembered that he too
was living there in those awesome mountains
it was there
but the only time he got to see them
was when he stopped to rest
He could lay down his burden
And take a quick look at the beauty around him
and this is how the years went by for him
as he bent down to pick up other peoples baggage
and carry ti up
and then back down the trails.
One day after many years
When he was around 73 years old
he began to realize that his dream was never going to be
he was older now
and the trips were harder
and more painful and much slower
he had not been able to sve up the money
or to build a hut ..
Or even find a place to start any of that on
so every night
he was just tired
from the work of life itself
it was hard
after he carried all the weight
every day
he would just fall asleep
the
n he would wake up early n the morning
and go right back to work
eventually he lost heart
he lost heart after awhile
he had no dream to live on any more
he thought of trying something else
but it was too late
and what else did he know ??!
what else could he do?!!
this simply was the path of his life
carrying baggage up a mountain
he would spend his life doing that.
He realized that he would never be able
to just sit ..as others could..
and watch these treasured mountains
he would never be wise.
So sadly
one day with
his heart not on it...
He went out to meet his next traveler
to carry his baggage
up the mountains
watching for the rocks
avoiding the dangers
along the way
leading other people
so they could see the see the view
and they could here the wisdom

but then
this time
he saw the trails in a different way
his old eyes
saw something new.

His eyes were now so comfortable
and so wise to the path.. Itself
That suddenly
he realized that the knew more about these mountains than he had thought
and something was so right about his life
he knew where the fresh water was
the cool running kind of streams
he knew the best paths to take
both the short cuts
but also the longer ways
that sometimes gave the most powerful views
he knew places where you could see the whole horizon
he knew where to rest under tall ancient trees
trees that gave shade on the hottest days
and he knew too..
before anyone else could tel..
he could see the signs of spring or fall or winter
and he knew those small and tender things
where the flowers grew in the meadows
he knew how to listen for the birds
and he knew their songs.
Sometimes he heard songs that nobody else seemed to notice.
And yes
he know about the dangers along the path
he knew where it was steep and rocky
he remembered where he had stumbled before.
and where his back would ache the most,
He also know where those wise old saints and poets lived
he knew where no one had lived yet
and of course he knew that path., itself
that path.
that went up and through the mountains
He thought about all of this
and some how he the journey
did not seem so arduous
even with the hardness of his life
even with the routine of it all..
.it was his like some gift
,,it was life
His life
and when he came to his resting place just then
and set down his burden
he straightened up
and looked around
and he stopped to revel
just to take it all in..
The mountains
the sky
the rock
and the cliffs
All of it
like a great cathedral around him
the mountains were the same
but yet
..something more
And then
he knew that his mountains
were also great and mysterious and even the path
was somehow true to him
it was his...
And what he could see with his eyes
he was now seeing also with his heart..
Simple and silent
.. And yet etched into his spirit.
..all was well..
all was well..
The person
whose baggage he had that day..
. Was ready to go back down to the valley
and the old man lifted up his pack
Took the burden
on his stopped shoulders
but this time
He smiled as he went down his path
it was the smile of a man who had lived long in the mountains
it was the smile of wisdom
it was the smile of wisdom and contentment

but I would call it the smile of thanksgiving..
-------------------------------------------
I offer you that little story
as something
to put on your thanksgiving mental menus
do more than put on the turkey and the pumpkin pies
and the tv football game
put on a moment
to see the view of your life with different eyes,,
not the eyes of wishing you had more of somebody elses life
but trusting the path of your own life
could you do that?
For just a minute
could you trust that your life
even with it s burdens
and its heavy loads
with all it ups and downs
even with its disappointment
with its grief and aches
the path of your life
is a path that will give you a view of God and a kind of wisdom

thanksgiving
.
it seems to me
is very spiritual place ..that glimpse..that wisdom
where really
you come to make peace with your life
.in the grace and faith of God
a deep trust..
So..
Could you be free for a moment
free from any jealously and resentment or regret
or envy
could you be free for just a moment
to just say "yes".to your life ..as it is.
Regardless of the circumstances
As it is..
What would that be for your life?
That’s thanksgiving
.because somehow
you know that God is still there..God is here.
You have God in your life
gratitude for the gift of your life.
Paul says that is the secret.
The secret of contentment is the strenght we have in jeus Christ..this assurance of power and grace at work...
trusting God in your life
maybe that’s what thanksgiving really is.

Adapted from Megan McKenna and Tony Cowan Keepers of the Story . 110-112
Orbis 1997