November 24th, 2011

The Sermon

Psalm 100

A gentleman by the name of Paul Ouster likes to tell stories about the nanny he had when he was growing up. The nanny’s name was Belle. Belle was notorious - notorious in a good way - for offering the sincere and heartfelt prayer: “Much obliged Lord, much obliged.” By his own admission, Ouster was a bit of a smart aleck kid and he liked to challenge Belle about her prayer. On one occasion, Ouster and Belle were sitting down for lunch. Belle, as usual, raised her eyes heavenward and prayed: “Much obliged for the food, Lord, much obliged.” Ouster asked Belle why she bothered to pray. He pointed out that the food was their for her to eat whether she gave thanks or not. Belle replied: “Sure we get our food whether we give thanks or not but gratitude makes the food taste better.” On another occasion, Ouster asked Belle: “What are you thankful for today?” Belle replied: “When I woke up this morning, I asked myself ‘what is there to be thankful for today? You know what? I couldn’t think of anything. Then, from the kitchen, came the most delicious smell that ever tickled my nose - the smell of coffee. I thought to myself “Much obliged for the coffee Lord and much obliged for the smell of it too.” On still another occasion, Ouster simply asked Belle: “Why are you so thankful all the time?” Belle replied: “When I read my Bible, I always read about people who found a reason to be thankful. I am trying to follow their example.”

Many years later, Ouster stood at Belle’s bedside as she lay dying. Seeing her in so much pain, Ouster couldn’t help but think: “I wonder if Belle can find something to be thankful for now?“ Just then Belle opened her eyes. When she saw him and some other friends, she raised her eyes heavenward and prayed: “Much obliged for such fine friends, Lord, much obliged that they are here with me now.“

Ouster says about Belle: “She had an attitude of gratitude.“ And he admits that because of her thankful attitude, he makes an effort to find something to be thankful for each and every day.

While we seek to cultivate an attitude of gratitude daily, this Thanksgiving morning we have a special opportunity to thank and praise our God. The Psalmist invites us to “Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.” Why should we enter the Lord’s gates with thanksgiving and praise? The Psalmist explains: “For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.” Focus on the blessings we enjoy because of the Lord’s goodness, love and faithfulness and we will find plenty of reasons to thank and praise the Lord.

The encouragement is to focus on the blessings we enjoy. We need that encouragement because we are sometimes tempted to focus on the things we don’t have instead of the things we do have. In some parts of Mexico, hot springs and cold springs are found side by side. Because of the convenience of this natural phenomenon, people bring their laundry to these springs. They wash their clothes in the hot springs and then rinse their clothes in the bold springs. A tourist, who was watching the procedure, commented to his Mexican guide: “I imagine that people think old mother nature is pretty generous to supply them with clean hot and cold water. It is not only side by side. It is free.“ The guide replied: “No, senor, there is much grumbling because mother nature does not provide soap.“ Unfortunately, that is the way it is, right? We are surrounded by the Lord’s blessings but we don’t seem to notice the blessings we have but the blessings we think we don’t have.

So on this Thanksgiving morning, take a moment. Thank about the blessings that we enjoy because of the Lord’s goodness. These blessings include the blessing of a house or an apartment. Much obliged Lord. Thank you for giving us a place to live. These blessings include a vehicle to drive to church. Much obliged Lord. Thank you for supplying us with transportation. These blessings include the blessings we are wearing right now as well as the blessings that fill our closets and our dresser drawers. Much obliged Lord. Thank you for clothes to wear. These blessings include the food that will be on the table later today as well as the good that fills the refrigerator and pantry. Much obliged Lord. Thank you for providing food and drink. These blessings include the bank account, the savings account and perhaps even an investment account or two. Much obliged Lord. Thank you for allowing us to live a very comfortable life.

And that is just the beginning, isn’t it. Thank you Lord for our families. Thank you Lord for our friends. Thank you Lord for our neighbors. That you Lord for all those little things in life, those intangible things, that make life joyful and happy. Thank you Lord for the blessings of living in the United States of America. Thank you Lord for those men and women who are serving in the military. Thank you Lord for all of the blessings that we have failed to put on our list. There is a kneeling cushion in St. Mary’s Church in Cambridge, England. The cushion has two words embroidered on it. Think and thank. That is what the Psalmist is saying: Think about the blessings you enjoy because of the Lord’s goodness and you will find reason to thank him today and everyday.

Focus on the blessings you enjoy. We need that encouragement because sometimes we are tempted to take our blessings for granted. [The Jones’ family moved into the house next to Alice’s house. Alice wanted to do something nice for her new neighbors. She decided to bake them an apple pie. Alice took the pie next door. Mrs. Jones said: Thank you so much. You don’t know how much we appreciate it. You are so thoughtful. Thank you.“ Since Mrs. Jones was so appreciative Alice decided to bake the Jones’ another pie the next week. She took it next door. Mrs. Jones said: Thank you. We appreciate it. The next week Alice baked another pie. Mrs. Jones said: thanks. Alice baked another apple pie. Mrs. Jones said: we are really getting sick of apple pie. Don’t you bake any other kind? Alice was going to bake them a cherry pie. But she had a really busy week and just didn’t get around to it. Mrs. Jones saw Alice in the backyard. She hollered from the porch: Hey, where’s our pie.

The Lord pours blessing after blessing into our life and we begin to take them for granted. We no longer see them as blessings to be thank for. We expect the Lord to give them. So take a moment and think about the blessings we enjoy because of God’s love. Much obliged Lord that you do indeed provide all we need for body and life. Much obliged Lord that you protect us from harm and danger. Much obliged Lord that you make all things work for our good. Much obliged Lord that you hear and answer our prayers. Much obliged Lord that you sent your one and only Son, Jesus, to be our Savior. Much obliged Lord that you allowed your Son to live for us that we might be righteous in your sight. Much obliged Lord that you allowed your Son to take our sins on himself and offer himself as the atoning sacrifice for our sins. Much obliged Lord that you called us by the Gospel made us the redeemed people of God. Much obliged Lord that you enlightened us to see the blessings we enjoy because of our Savior; the forgiveness of sins, peace, joy, confidence, a new life now and everlasting life in heaven. Much obliged Lord for your Church. Much obliged for the means of grace, the Gospel in Word and sacrament. Much obliged Lord for all the other blessings we failed to list - blessings of your goodness and love.

Beecher made the following observation. He writes: If someone should give me a dish of sand and tell me that there are particles of iron in it, I might look for the iron with my eyes and search for the iron with my fingers and still be unable to find the particles of iron. But if I would take a magnet and sweep the magnet through the sand the particles of iron would be drawn to the magnet. The unthankful heart, like my eyes and fingers - does not find the blessings of God. But the thankful heart sweeps through each day and as the magnet finds the particles of iron so the thankful heart finds the blessings of God.