Thankful

Dear Fellow Children of God,

 

I recently helped a family with some problems.  (Actually, St. John has helped many families recently, but I am thinking now of just one family.)  Now, my helping this family does not reflect so much on me.  The job of a pastor is to help people see and grow in God’s love in Jesus.  Sharing that love takes many forms.  So, in a way, I was only doing the job I was called to do.

 

However, I want you to focus is on the response to this help.  The family I helped came back and thanked me with genuine, heart-felt, appreciation for the help given by St. John through my efforts as called pastor.   Honestly, a response of thanks is not totally uncommon.  The sincerity of this response was somewhat different.

 

But, on the other hand I have run across people who do not show thankfulness when helped.  They have told me, “Isn’t this the job of the church?”  I have had times that I helped people who were upset that I did not help in the way or as much as they wanted.  And their understanding of how God helps might be different than God’s understanding, or different from the understand of God’s people.

 

The bottom line is that when someone says “thank you” it touches the heart of those who have offered help.  Consider the account in the Gospel Luke of the one formerly leprous man who returned to give Jesus thanks for his healing.  Jesus had actually healed 10 men, but only one man returned.  Jesus’ response is instructive.  “15 One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. 16 He threw himself at Jesus' feet and thanked him-- and he was a Samaritan. 17 Jesus asked, "Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? 18 Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?" 19 Then he said to him, "Rise and go; your faith has made you well." Luke 17:16-19)

 

The man who was healed and who returned showed that he knew the source of His healing.  God worked through Jesus to take away his illness.  And, Jesus indicates that, because of the man’s thanks and faith, the man who returned to give thanks is also blessed.

 

Paul shares his thankfulness for those who stood beside him in prayer and in faith and in effort to do the work of sharing the Good News of Jesus.  Paul tells the Christians in Philippi, 3 I thank my God every time I remember you. 4 In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.  (Philippians 1:3-6)  Paul gives thanks to his fellow Christians and to God for the partnership in this life changing work.

 

Today I want to thank God, and to thank God’s people.  Last week, as I shared, I went to God in prayer for some concerns for the St. John Colony Days’ Picnic.  I had concerns for volunteers, and concerns about the weather.  I believe you know that, while we had fewer people sign up to help, we had more people helping with the picnic.  Perhaps you also know that while we had the forecast of a 70% chance of rain on Saturday, the rain stopped around 8 a.m. as we started setting up, and that the rain came down hard again around 3:00 p.m. as we were picking up.  That is not a coincidence.  So . . .

• Thank you Lord that so many of your children turned out to share God’s love.
• Thank you Lord, that the weather gave us a window to serve.
• Thank you St. John members for donating food.
• Thank you to all who helped to organize and help with the parade entry!
• Thank you St. John members for giving of your precious time at the picnic to serve God and others by planning, organizing, setting up, cooking, serving, and taking down.
• Thank you to those in the community who have taken ownership in this event by bringing your resources, your publicity, your activities, and by bringing music.
• Thank you to all who supported our youth in their rummage sale that helped raise money to go on their mission trip.  The youth raised significantly more money this year than in the past.
• Finally, thank you again, Lord, for your grace in Jesus who calls all people to mercy and service, and thank you, Lord, for your blessing on our efforts to serve you.

 

I was moved by the thankfulness of the couple who returned to say, “Thank You.”  It is important to say “Thank You” to our Gracious Lord and to His people as we seek to live for the one who saves us in love.

 

A Child of God, Thankful to God and His People,

Pastor Jonathan

 

P.S.  Here are some pictures from this year’s Colony Days Picnic.  https://picasaweb.google.com/114993745799525883148/6295157187330949681

 

 

 

 

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ABOUT ‘THOUGHTS FROM THE PASTOR’ -   I am sending these e-mail messages, hopefully weekly, to all St. John members and friends whose e-mails I have.  (I am regularly adding new names of friends and members – in case you are just receiving this e-mail for the first time.)  However, if you don’t want to receive this e-mail, please let me know, and I’ll gladly leave your name off my list for this message.

 

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