Below is an excerpt from the sermon Sunday, November 23, 2014…

I thank God for all of you.  I remember you in my prayers, and give thanks for the ministry we have done together over the years.

For many months now, I have been trying to think of a way to thank you who have answered God’s call on your lives… you who live out your faith with passion and serve others with love, and look to the future with great hope in your hearts.   Everything I thought of as a way to say thanks and acknowledge your faith and dedication required more effort upon some of you.  This defeated the purpose of a special thank you.

I do however give thanks to God for you, and I’ve come up with a way to acknowledge my thankfulness before God and all of you.  Here’s how this is going to work… I’m going to mention many of the things and ways you give of your lives to God and Jesus Christ.  When I mention something you have done, raise your hand and you will be given a flower.  There are many of you who do more than one thing, raise your hand every time something you do is mentioned.

Let’s get this thankfulness fun started…

I give thanks to God for those of you who are here to Worship God and Jesus Christ this morning… flowers will be passed out to everyone.  Taking the time to worship is something many in our culture choose not to do.  It would be easy to stay at home, go shopping, or on a nice day garden or golf.  But, your faith has propelled you to be here this morning worshipping and sharing your heart, soul and mind with God and all those within our faith community.  I thank God for you as you are a visible witness to the world beyond these walls that spending time with God in God’s house is important.

• I thank God for those who have served as Moderator at any point during the history of the church…     The Moderator’s role in our midst is to work closely with me and navigate the business of the church.  This requires a great deal of prayerful work and savvy.  Your dedication, faithfulness and love of our congregation has enabled us to move forward together with hope and promise.  Thank you!
• I thank God for our Elders and Elder Emeriti…       I often refer to the Elders as the Associate Pastor of this congregation, because collectively this is how I rely on them.  They regularly visit our specials needs members and serve them communion, they make hospital visits, they pray along with me for our congregation, they watch over the spiritual health of the congregation, they care for the pastoral care needs of the congregation in my absence, and serve in many other ways to build up the body of Christ here at FCC.
• I thank God for our Deacons, Deacon Emeritus and Junior Deacons…     Our deacons are the hands of Christ in our midst.  These quiet servants are so often the first that anyone encounters when they come through our front doors.  It is through them that we experience Christ’s presence as they carry and serve the bread and cup.  While some are here earlier than most, preparing the table; other deacons stay later than most cleaning up communion and our sanctuary.
• I thank God for those on our General Board and Cabinet…     These folks serve as the leaders of our church.  They direct, guide and lead the ministries of our congregation.  Their work ranges from creating mission and ministry opportunities to setting our church budget.  They are the key think tank for our ministry together.
• I thank God for our youth…     Our young people are to be treasured.  They bring hope in promise into our midst simply by being here.  They inspire us to be stronger and more passionate in our faith – for God has entrusted their spirits and souls to us.
• I thank God for those who sing in the choir and provide special music…     The choir is the most dedicated group within our church.  They faithfully meet nearly every week to practice and prepare to lead us in worship.  No other group within the church meets with this regularity and provides leadership in worship as often or as melodically as they do.
• I thank God for those who volunteer in the office including those who help with the newsletter…     The bulletins you have on Sunday mornings, the newsletter you receive, the phone calls they answer, the visitors they receive, the supplies they order, and the minute day-to-day details they handle is what keeps the church functioning.  These faithful volunteers are a blessing beyond words.
• I thank God for those who teach – this includes anyone who helps with Bible Study, Sunday School, CWW…     Teaching is one of the spiritual gifts mentioned in scripture.  Where would any of us be without teachers of the faith?  It is because of these that our children grow in their understanding of God and Jesus Christ.  It is because of these that our own wisdom and passion in the faith grows.  They dedicate themselves to learning and growing in their own faith, so that they can share that with those God has entrusted to their care.
• I thank God for our Sunday morning prayer group…     These faithful people come on Sunday mornings and pray for our church and those in our congregation who need extra prayers.  In many ways, they set the tone for our day of worship.
• I thank God for all our custodial volunteers…     We now have a custodial service. But prior to their arrival a couple months ago, there were those in our midst who swept floors, emptied trash cans, dusted, mopped and cleaned the bathrooms.  I once read about a colony of Buddhist monks who lived in such a way that it was viewed that the ones cleaning the toilets were the most enlightened.  They believed this because it was only out of true humbleness and gratitude that one could serve others in this manner.
• I thank God for CWF women…     The women of CWF remind me much of house churches in the first century.  Much like the house churches, the CWF circles care for one another with love and Christ-like compassion.  They do this while also extending an arm outside their circles to do mission and service to those in need.
• I thank God for those who care for our Property – this includes serving on a lawn team or coming for Property Workday…     these folks git ‘er done!  They do whatever is necessary to keep the building and property in working order.  The things they do range from cutting the grass to taking care of swarming bugs in my office and bees in the kitchen.
• I thank God for those who serve Hope House, SHALOM and our other Outreach ministries…     Those of you who serve in this capacity are sharing the heart of Christ with every meal you make, every food basket you put together, every delivery you make, and every moment you give.  You are directly impacting the lives of those who Christ calls us to serve.
•  I thank God for our Financial Team this includes counters, financial secretary and treasurer…     Those of you serving in these roles are sharing your financial and math skills in a way that keeps the business of the church running smoothly.  I want you to know that the countless hours you give are noticed.
• I thank God for our Trustees and Wills, Gifts and Memorials members…     Your willingness to oversee the legalities of the church and the invested funds is a blessing to us all.  Your care and attention to detail are appreciated as you represent us.
• I thank God for our Tech Team…     Our tech team is more than just running the computer and sound in worship on Sunday – which I am abundantly grateful.  They also are the first to call when we need help with the alarm system, phones or computers during the week during the week.  They use their expertise to keep us at the top of our game in these areas.  They’ve also been known to reach out within our congregation and help many of you with your personal tech issues as well.
• I thank God for those who have served on a Worship Theme Team over the last year…     This year has been a grand adventure with the Worship Theme Teams.  We have had a great deal of fun creating with God and each other.  I also want to acknowledge that it has also been a lot of work.  Many hours have been put in creating the worship space and services that raise our spirituality.

I thank God for all of you!

with love, Laureen 🙂

⁴Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. ⁵Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. ⁶Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. ⁷And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.                                 (Philippians 4:4-7, NRSV)

Thanksgiving is upon us.  In Philippians, Paul tells us that we should have an attitude full of thankfulness and joy.  And, through this we will receive God’s peace.

This “peace” Paul promises does not come about through the absence of strife or hardship.  Paul’s own difficult life clearly points that out.  The peace which Paul speaks about is a peace that comes from within.  When you are truly connected to God through prayer, an inner peace, an inner calm washes over you.  No words can explain it, but when you experience it you know that in all things you can give thanks, because God’s loving peace has entered your life.

God’s joy and peace cannot be seen, touched, purchased or possessed – like food, clothing, cars, boats or homes. And yet, they are the very greatest gifts we ever receive. To give thanks for the intangibles is what Paul is calling all of us to do.  We are called to give thanks for everything – especially the things that are intangible.  It is in thanksgiving that you can recognize that it is all about God and not about you.

In Antoine de Saint-Exupery’s classic book The Little Prince, the fox character is saying goodbye to the little prince, and as he leaves he says, “And now here’s my secret, a very simple secret: It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.”

“What is essential is invisible to the eye,” the little prince repeats, so that he will be sure to remember.  This fox’s insight is right in line with what the apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians:

We look not at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen; for what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal (2 Cor. 4:18).  It is the unseen that is eternal. What is essential is invisible to the eye.

This approach to Thanksgiving runs counter to conventional wisdom, and it refuses to fall into step with the swarm of shoppers that will surge into shopping malls on Black Friday to begin the Christmas buying binge.

Paul doesn’t give thanks for gold jewelry, PlayStations, leather jackets, computer tablets, or trendy toys.  Throughout the scriptures, he refuses to focus on the things that can be seen, because he knows that these things are temporary.

Instead, he looks only at the essential and eternal things that are invisible to the eye. When he counts his blessings, he lists absolutely nothing you can buy, and nothing you can own – only faith, love, a spirit of wisdom, a spirit of revelation, God’s inheritance, God’s power.

Paul reminds us to appreciate is the immeasurable greatness of God’s gifts in our lives – and give thanks for them!  Whether we are rich or poor, homeowners or homeless, working or unemployed, we have access to an amazing set of essential, eternal, unseen treasures – God’s love, joy and peace – all of which pass all our human understanding!  When we remember these, we can honestly say to God, “Thanks for everything!”

with love, Laureen 🙂