A Web of Gratitude

October 25, 2009

Deuteronomy 24:19-22

When you reap your harvest in your field and forget a sheaf in the field, you shall not go back to get it; it shall be left for the alien, the orphan, and the widow, so that the LORD your God may bless you in all your undertakings. When you beat your olive trees, do not strip what is left; it shall be for the alien, the orphan, and the widow.

When you gather the grapes of your vineyard, do not glean what is left; it shall be for the alien, the orphan, and the widow. Remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt; therefore I am commanding you to do this.

Leviticus 25:1-5

The LORD spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai, saying: Speak to the people of Israel and say to them: When you enter the land that I am giving you, the land shall observe a sabbath for the LORD. Six years you shall sow your field, and six years you shall prune your vineyard, and gather in their yield; but in the seventh year there shall be a sabbath of complete rest for the land, a sabbath for the LORD: you shall not sow your field or prune your vineyard. You shall not reap the aftergrowth of your harvest or gather the grapes of your unpruned vine: it shall be a year of complete rest for the land.

Leviticus 25:19-24

Should you ask, "What shall we eat in the seventh year, if we may not sow or gather in our crop?" I will order my blessing for you in the sixth year, so that it will yield a crop for three years. When you sow in the eighth year, you will be eating from the old crop; until the ninth year, when its produce comes in, you shall eat the old. The land shall not be sold in perpetuity, for the land is mine; with me you are but aliens and tenants. Throughout the land that you hold, you shall provide for the redemption of the land.

NRSV

The local United Way office realized that it had never received a donation from the town’s most successful lawyer. The volunteer in charge of contributions called him to persuade him to contribute.

“Our research shows that out of a yearly income of more than $600,000 you give not a penny to charity. Wouldn’t you like to give back to the community in some way?”

The lawyer mulled this over for a moment and replied, “First, did your research also show that my mother is dying after a long illness, and has medical bills that are several times her annual income?”

Embarrassed, the United Way rep mumbled, “Um ... no.”

“Second, that my brother, a disabled veteran, is blind and confined to a wheelchair?” The stricken United Way rep began to stammer out an apology, but was cut off.

“Third, that my sister’s husband died in a traffic accident,” the lawyer’s voice rising in indignation, “leaving her penniless with three children?!”

The humiliated United Way rep, completely beaten, said simply, “I had no idea ....”

On a roll, the lawyer cut him off once again, “... And I don’t give any money to them, so why should I give any to you?!?”

How different an attitude we hear from the Scripture passages this morning.

GRATITUDE FOR EACH OTHER

“When you reap your harvest in your field and forget a sheaf in the field, you shall not go back to get it…When you beat your olive trees, do not strip what is left…When you gather the grapes of your vineyard, do not glean what is left: [all what you leave]…shall be for the alien, the orphan, and the widow. Remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt; therefore I am commanding you to do this.”

Isn’t that beautiful?

God has demanded us to be thoughtful to one another. Generous. Humble. And God framed it with the command to remember when you were a “slave”—when you felt dependent and weak.

When you think about it, we’ll all feel like slaves at different points in our lives, won’t we? When our health fails, our business fails, our relationship fails, our mind fails: Those are the times you realize how totally dependent you are upon others. Those are the times when you rely on the gifts of others to see you through.

Well, I’ve got news for you. Every day we live we depend on others, and we’re enriched by others. When we realize the gifts that are lavished upon us each day that makes life rich and fulfilling, then how the world turns more beautiful and amazing.

This realization dawned on a woman during a time of reflection while sitting in church. She said this:

Suddenly the human landscape around us is transformed by the intention of seeing others as gift-bearers, and as gifts. I think of our little congregation, and how surprised one older woman might be to hear her habit of showing up a little early described as a gift, or the neighbor, a non-member, who occasionally slips in and sits in the back, reminding us regular lot of the neighbors near our doors who care that our small church is there, even if they often don't come. I think of a young man who has taken it upon himself to put chairs back in order after a class, and of a young woman whose humming as she works lightens the spirits of the people around her in a busy kitchen. And I remember a wise woman at a prayer retreat who responded to the invitation to consider what her gift to her community might be (after pondering the matter in silence), "I've been through things."

I invite you to share this woman’s revelation today. Look at others as “gift-bearers,” freely giving to you.

Someone greeted you with a smile and a handshake today. That person didn’t need to. Perhaps that person just lost his/her job, but shook hands and smiled at you any way.

Someone got here a little earlier today to make sure the coffee and juice and pastries were out for you to enjoy. Perhaps that person really wanted to sleep in today, but got up any way so that people could mingle as they ate muffins and orange scones.

Someone is teaching your child or grandchild this morning. This person took time out of a busy schedule to study the lesson, get supplies, and come early to set up.

Someone is quietly teaching you this morning. You might discover this person is grieving over the death of a spouse, or even a child, yet his or her presence here is telling you there’s hope regardless of any awful thing life throws at you. That is a powerful sermon that person’s giving you, spoken without words.

Look around, and see the many, many gifts people give you. If you cultivate that eyesight, then you’ll never look at the world the same.

Coach John Wooden once said, “You cannot live a perfect day without doing something for someone who will never be able to repay you." That’s true. But never forget that people are doing things all the time for you, and you’ll never be able to repay them.

From the Scriptures you have gratitude for people, and then

GRATITUDE FOR THE CREATOR

“Six years you shall [work the land]…but in the seventh year there shall be a sabbath of complete rest for the land, a sabbath for the LORD…Should you ask, ‘What shall we eat in the seventh year, if we may not sow or gather in our crop?’ I will order my blessing for you in the sixth year, so that it will yield a crop for three years….[Remember:] the land is mine; with me you are but aliens and tenants.”

Hear that last verse:

[Remember:] the land is mine; with me you are but aliens and tenants.”

Wow. We get that reversed, don’t we?

We say, “Thanks, Lord, but remember: I have the deed to my property. And I have my degree that I worked for. And I got my job, and keep my job, through my hard work. And I do healthy things for myself, to keep myself healthy. I am managing quite nicely, Lord, but thanks for the thought.”

If we’re honest with ourselves, this is the attitude we live out.

Sounds sort of tacky, doesn’t it?

Just as tacky as what one woman once said to her pastor. He had just commented that she must be very thankful to God for all that she had. She replied,

“I’ll have you know I’ve earned all I have.”

After the shock wore off, the young pastor reflected,

“People today don’t think of God as providing shelter, clothes, transportation and food…[But] God causes the grain to grow so we have bread to eat. God causes the animals to gain weight so we can have hamburgers and steaks. God makes water flow in rivers and streams so we can drink. We should give thanks to God for these things rather than just patting ourselves on the back.”

—Dennis J. Prutow, “Our gratitude to God,” Daily Wisdom Web Site, November 11, 2001, Gci.gospelcom.net.

We talked about developing eyesight to see the gifts people give us and sustain us with every day. It’s even more important to develop the eyesight to see the gifts God gives, and we don’t acknowledge, and we don’t say thanks for.

• Who started your heart beating? [Ask someone, and prompt for the response, “God!”]
• Who put wisdom in your body, to make it heal and grow?
• Who put wisdom in your mind, to help you grasp things and create things?
• Who put beauty all around you—the sunsets, blue skies, cool rain, autumn leaves?
• Who orchestrates a symphony of sounds to accompany you—the birds, the crickets, the frogs, and, of course, the wonderful laughter of children?
• Who orchestrates “coincidences” that remind you that at the base of life is mystery, and you find life when you give up control and rest in that mystery?
• Who…well, fill in the blank.

We’re ending 28 Days of Praise today. I hope, if it’s done nothing else, that it’s opened your eyes to seeing the gracious, amazing love God lavishes you with every day.

We are, indeed, caught up in a web of gratitude.

GRATITUDE FOR EACH OTHER

GRATITUDE FOR THE CREATOR

Today we have an opportunity to express our gratitude for this web of gratitude.

Over the next few minutes, come with your commitment card, put it in the baskets. Linger in prayer up here if you’d like, before returning to your seat. And as you come, look around you, and keep saying two words:

THANK YOU.

Thank you for [xxx]. Thank you for Jesus. Thank you, God, for this precious, profound gift of life.

A teacher in an inner city school told of a food drive her school had during her first year of teaching. Her class had a decorated box near the front, and students daily would bring their contributions.

On the last day of the drive, one of her broadly-smiling first graders came up and placed a big can in the box. The white label on it caught her eye, and she peeked in to see what it was. In black letters she saw, “Commodity Boned Chicken.” A tear came to her eye. The little boy’s family had food because of a government program, yet they were sharing what they had—sort of what God told us to do with harvest in the field, remember?

This woman went on to say that now, after 35 years of teaching, and many food drives, this child’s offering still stands out. The boy had no way of knowing that his family had been chosen to receive food from that drive that year. He just wanted to share in the act of giving to someone in need. She concluded her story by saying, “He inspired me to be more generous with my possessions as well as my time. His generosity was a life-shaping lesson for me.”

--Patricia K. Summey, Upper Room, 1/2/08

That little boy knew the joy of living in the web of gratitude.

So may you, so may I.

Come…