“A Thankful Heart…”

November 22, 2015

Stetson Memorial UMC

Psalm 118:1, 19-29 NIV Bible

Ephesians 5:18b-20 NIV Bible

Colossians 3:16-18 NIV Bible

Colossians 1:11-13 NIV Bible

 “A Thankful Heart…”

Prayer for the Spirit’s leading…

Instead, be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, 20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Well, here we are standing on the door step of new season of remembering when love came down for all of humanity. We are also getting ready to celebrate thanksgiving with our friends and family. We really do have a lot to be thankful for. The past few weeks kind of ushered us in to this time of thankfulness.

16 Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. 17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

We all received a piece of beach glass to remind us that through all the pressure and storms in our lives the sharp edges we have are being smooth out so that we will become who God intends us to be. We have come to realize, if we hadn’t already, that we are broken and may have been discarded by the world but God sees that thing of beauty in us and it is from there our reconstruction comes and we are created new. (Spirits leading)In this we can have a thankful heart…we are made new

We also talked about a safe place and the fact that we all NEED to have that place where we are safe from all the negatives in life and can be who we are… broken vessels that God uses for His glory…those imperfect perfect vessels for God…and it is within this brokenness that Jesus’ light shines through us. If we were perfectly made…there would be no cracks in which our light can shine through. (Spirits leading) Even in our brokenness we can have a thankful heart for Jesus’ illuminating power.

We now realize that this safe place is in community and it is within the community of the church… the body of Christ…that we should feel the safest…that there is change in how we think and how we see community as we strive to live together as the body of Christ. As each of us represents a piece of beach glass, when we are put together we create a beautiful mosaic of God grace. As we think of holy vessels as we have the past few weeks, I can’t help but think…imagine how we would look as we go our into the world as God’s vessels to be poured out onto the world around us. I am sure they would all look different as we all come from a different place but always beautifully created. (Spirits leading) We can have a thankful heart as we live and grow in community.

We have so much to be thankful for. As I read the Psalm this morning so many images came to mind. Images of God opening the gate for us through which we can enter in…that gate being our Risen Lord Jesus Christ…for He is the gate of the Lord through which all must enter in to be saved. The image of Jesus in the manger as God answered our plea for salvation…the very person that was rejected has become the way to freedom. The image of God shining His light on humanity as we comfort in song because of what He has done…He is our God whom I shall praise and exalt on High. There are many images in this scripture and I invite you to read these words and contemplate the season that we will be entering next Sunday…the season of Advent.

11 being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, 12 and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you[a] to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. 13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves,

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever…

Amen