As you well know we had a fundraising campaign here at the church to help offset the cost of the roof replacement. We achieved our goal, which is incredible to me and is a testament to the commitment you all have to ensuring that Westworth continues to be a place of worship and service. For each donation I wrote a thank you card. It was a lot of thank you cards and they were an honour to write. But I have a feeling that the art of the thank you card has kinda gone the way of the dodo. I mean, why write a card when you can send a text or an email? Its so much easier and much less taxing than writing something BY HAND. I mean, think of the environmental impact of mailing cards…
In all seriousness, there is something special about knowing that someone has taken the time to acknowledge a gift or a donation in such a way. I remember the seemingly endless task of writing thank yous for wedding and baby gifts. A task done partly out of obligation because that’s just what you do, but also because I was thankful for the gifts that someone took the time and thought to give me. I was grateful.
I am particularly thinking about the task of writing thank you cards because it is Thanksgiving Sunday, and because of the scripture we heard about the ten lepers. Typically I would launch into a sermon that talks about the importance of practicing gratitude especially in a world where there is more to be worried about than thankful for. You’ve all heard me say before that we need to live with a mindset of abundance instead of constantly being in a scarcity mindset – which in this economy is legitimate. You know these things. Gratitude comes from a deep appreciation and recognition of things in our lives that stir us to say “thanks” not out of obligation but out of awe and real gratitude. This is more than a quick “thank you” said because your mom gave you the “look” when you forgot.
So what does this have to do with a leper who turns around. Lets describe him fully: he is a Samaritan leper who doesn’t follow directions very well. Jesus sends all ten lepers to their priests – we assume the other ten are likely Jewish people but we don’t know for sure – with the direction to go straight there to show themselves to those priests. As they leave, they are healed… again we aren’t sure if the other ten figured it out before they got to their priests or saw they were healed but kept going because Jesus told them to. It is this double outsider (leperous Samaritan) that doesn’t follow direction because he realizes he’s been healed, and it acknowledges that it was Jesus who did it. So he unabashedly throws himself at the feet of Jesus to praise him and to give him thanks for the miracle. It is the recognition of what has happened and who has done it that prompts the praise that comes from the now healed leper’s lips. It is the depth of gratitude shown by the Samaritan for a healing that is rooted in God’s deep love for all, not just some. That’s worthy of gratitude, for the Samaritan and for us.
Now, it’s fairly easy to say thank you to one another – it’s kinda a knee jerk reflex especially for us Canadians. Thank you follows sorry in popular uses. I was reading this week a sermon written by Nadia Bolz Weber about this scripture and what she said resonated with me. So I am going to share, in a bit, some of her sermon. In it she wonders, given the response of the one leper who returned, if she gives thanks to God enough. It is way easier to lament and complain at God, while it somehow seems trickier to, as she says, “cut loose and praise God.” Especially for us United Church people.
But what does it look like or sound like to offer God real, honest unabashed gratitude and praise? The point, and I think you know this, isn’t to stroke God’s ego, telling God how awesome they are as if God created us just for that purpose. We are not here to use empty words to praise out of obligation but rather it is an act of freedom that doubles the joy of what was received.
But what does that look like. Well, for thing, it will differ for each of us. Helpful, I know but that is the reality of each of us having a different relationship with God. How we approach praise and prayer will differ. Instead of talking about praise, I want to offer you an example that comes from Nadia Bolz Weber, that I adapted for our context. This is written with the scripture from today interspersed
On the way to Jerusalem Jesus was going through the region between Samaria and Galilee
That you, God, are one who comes to us in the regions between – the uncategorizable spaces that we often fail to notice or we fear altogether. I thank you. Thank you for those who bring water in the desert danger of border-crossing. Thank you for the space between my wakefulness and sleep where what I foolishly call intuition kicks in. Thank you for the fluidity of gender and sexuality. Thank you for being in the regions between we try to pretend are not there.
As he entered a village, ten lepers approached him. Keeping their distance, they called out saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”
For your approachability in Jesus, O God, I give thanks. Thank you for coming to us in the most vulnerable way possible – contained in human skin. Thank you for revealing your glory in the person of Jesus whom lepers approach.
When he saw them, he said to them, “go show yourselves to the priests.”
That you see me, O God, that you see us, I give you thanks. Thank you for seeing the hidden things. Thank you for seeing hurt and fear. Thank you for seeing hearts and humor. Thank you for seeing that we are stronger than we think and that we are not nearly as strong as we think. Thank you for seeing this broken-ass world in all it’s beauty and especially thank you for seeing all of these things and then responding in nothing but completely mad love.
Thank you for how you have sent these your people to show themselves to me and – in sending the gay kids and babies and retired folks and tired parents and business people and social workers and students that you have shown yourself to me. Knowing as you do that without the stories, gifts and scars of each of these people I would never see enough of you.
And as they went, they were made clean.
That healing happens in community, O God, I praise you. Thank you for the way in which you bring your people together to be healed. For the ways in which we harm each other instead, forgive us.
Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice.
Praise you God for the ones who turn back. Thank you for all the people in my life, in our lives, who speak your name, who bravely point to you as the source and ground of all goodness, who dare to recognize you as God and who remind us that you are real and you are actively redeeming us and them and all of creation.
He prostrated himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him. And he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus asked, “were not ten made clean? But the other nine, where are they? Was none of them found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?”
Blessed be God the Word who came to his own and his own received him not for in this way, God glorifies the stranger. Thank you for revealing yourself in the foreigner. I think. I mean, it is one of the less comfortable aspects of discipleship, Jesus. But thank you for loving us too much to allow us to stay too comfortable for too long. Thank you for interrupting pride and refusing to leave us as is. It’s uncomfortable but in your faithfulness you always lead us through death to more abundant life.
Then Jesus said to the Samaritan, “Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well.”
For all the things that, in going on our way, we might have failed to even notice, we give you thanks today. Thank you for this community. Thank you for the chaos and curiosity of children. Thank you for the trees that burst into colour at this time of year. Thank you for friends who text and call us back. Thank you for coffee. Thank you for clean water, safe-ish roads, electricity and garbage pick up. Thank you for the babies. Thank you for never leaving us. Thank you for that time spent with beloved ones this week. Thank you for the laughter. Thank you for creating us to sing. Thank you for the fact creatures that live with and beside us. Thank you for the way we are fed at your table of grace and for allowing your word to be shared in this place. Thank you for giving us one more day to be grateful for. And for every other gift I am too blind to see that totally comes from you – thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Amen.
