Help. Thanks. Wow.
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SR 1 Thess 5:16-18
Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and I have been saved from my enemies. The cords of death entangled me; the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me. The cords of the grave coiled around me; the snares of death confronted me. In my distress I called to the Lord; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears. The earth trembled and quaked, and the foundations of the mountains shook; they trembled because he was angry. Smoke rose from his nostrils; consuming fire came from his mouth, burning coals blazed out of it. He parted the heavens and came down; dark clouds were under his feet. He mounted the cherubim and flew; he soared on the wings of the wind. He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him— the dark rain clouds of the sky. Out of the brightness of his presence clouds advanced, with hailstones and bolts of lightning. The Lord thundered from heaven; the voice of the Most High resounded. He shot his arrows and scattered the enemy, with great bolts of lightning he routed them. The valleys of the sea were exposed and the foundations of the earth laid bare at your rebuke, Lord, at the blast of breath from your nostrils. He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters. He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me. They confronted me in the day of my disaster, but the Lord was my support. He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me.
“Help. Thanks. Wow.” Three prayers or three components to a prayer.
HELP
Americans don’t like to ask for help. Sign of weakness? Are we inconveniencing someone?
Experience of being in a store or online and someone is not helpful/roadblock or someone who is very helpful.
Story of calling Rhonda Lowry
Help, I need somebody
(Help) not just anybody
(Help) you know I need someone, help
When I was younger
So much younger than today
I never needed anybody's help in any way
But now these days are gone (these days are gone)
I'm not so self assured
And now I find I've changed my mind
And opened up the doors
Help me if you can, I'm feeling down
And I do appreciate you being 'round
Help me get my feet back on the ground
Won't you please, please help me
Our faith is partly worked out in our relationships with each other, Scripture tells us to forgive each other, bear with each other, lift each other up, encourage each other. Our faith is relational. Of course, our most important relationship is with God. We need to ask for his help. He told us to ask for his help!
In my distress I called to the Lord; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears.
I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip— he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
Our help is in the name of the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.
As we look to greater outreach and impact in this community, let’s pray to God, “Help.”
THANKS
I’m always willing to explain to anyone who will listen why Thanksgiving holiday is better than Christmas.
Harvard Medical School
Gratitude is a thankful appreciation for what an individual receives, whether tangible or intangible. With gratitude, people acknowledge the goodness in their lives. In the process, people usually recognize that the source of that goodness lies at least partially outside themselves. As a result, being grateful also helps people connect to something larger than themselves as individuals — whether to other people, nature, or a higher power.
In positive psychology research, gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness. Gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, deal with adversity, and build strong relationships.
People feel and express gratitude in multiple ways. They can apply it to the past (retrieving positive memories and being thankful for elements of childhood or past blessings), the present (not taking good fortune for granted as it comes), and the future (maintaining a hopeful and optimistic attitude). Regardless of the inherent or current level of someone's gratitude, it's a quality that individuals can successfully cultivate further.
Research on gratitude
Research on gratitude
Two psychologists, Dr. Robert A. Emmons of the University of California, Davis, and Dr. Michael E. McCullough of the University of Miami, have done much of the research on gratitude. In one study, they asked all participants to write a few sentences each week, focusing on particular topics.
One group wrote about things they were grateful for that had occurred during the week. A second group wrote about daily irritations or things that had displeased them, and the third wrote about events that had affected them (with no emphasis on them being positive or negative). After 10 weeks, those who wrote about gratitude were more optimistic and felt better about their lives. Surprisingly, they also exercised more and had fewer visits to physicians than those who focused on sources of aggravation.
Another leading researcher in this field, Dr. Martin E. P. Seligman, a psychologist at the University of Pennsylvania, tested the impact of various positive psychology interventions on 411 people, each compared with a control assignment of writing about early memories. When their week's assignment was to write and personally deliver a letter of gratitude to someone who had never been properly thanked for his or her kindness, participants immediately exhibited a huge increase in happiness scores. This impact was greater than that from any other intervention, with benefits lasting for a month.
Wow. Our science folks are affirming and reinforcing what we know. Being grateful is good for you. It’s good for your spirit and your body. We’re following God’s commands, we’re recognizing that God has been gracious and merciful. We see that there is a source of life and blessing outside of ourselves—that we didn’t create this world and that we have received abundantly.
Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!” When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed. One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan. Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?” Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”
When you’re thankful you stand out. You’re different. Did the others think to themselves, “My leprosy wasn’t all that bad. That bath I took really helped.” Did they not think it was a big deal to offer thanks and praise? Jesus also points out that the one returning to give thanks was a foreigner—not in the club of God’s people. Is there something about being an insider where the wonder and awe have worn off? Where the blessings of God have become old hat? Where we’re no longer thankful for the consistent gifts of live and love?
Lessons to learn from the Samaritan leper
Be thankful, go back, say it loud and clear
As we look to be a blessing and serve in this community, let’s pray to God, “Thanks.”
WOW
Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!” He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!”
Yosemite two weeks ago.
Experienced crispy fall weather, red and gold leaves. Wow.
The big buck with huge antlers that attempted to run across the road right in front of us. Wow.
Climbing Clouds Rest for the first time and looking out over the Valley from 10K feet. Big puffy clouds with sunlight beams spotlighting on the mountains, Half Dome, El Cap. Wow. Wow. Wow
There are a number of things in life that create awe and wonder. Maybe it’s not always a trip to the beautiful outdoors like Yosemite, but a small blessing like coming home from work and your son has done the dishes (still waiting to be wowed on that one). Ash saying “there’s certain people you would love to have on a camp out.”
Children are easily awed and delighted. A little toy, a shiny object, a small piece of candy can bring great joy and wonder. Sometimes as we age, we might lose that sense of wonder and we have the potential to become jaded and we might lose that sense of the awe that is in this world. We also listen to “the news” too much . . .
God wants to wow us. Just like parents and grandparents like to give good gifts to their children to see the joy and delight in their face, to bring joy God wants us to recognize his hand in creating and in life and to be awed by what he has done. Sometimes his biggest problem with his people is they forget: Didn’t I bring you out of Egypt, didn’t I lead you through the water, didn’t I provide food and water, haven’t I rescued you . . .”
For the director of music. A psalm of David. A song. Praise awaits you, our God, in Zion; to you our vows will be fulfilled. You who answer prayer, to you all people will come. When we were overwhelmed by sins, you forgave our transgressions. Blessed are those you choose and bring near to live in your courts! We are filled with the good things of your house, of your holy temple. You answer us with awesome and righteous deeds, God our Savior, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas, who formed the mountains by your power, having armed yourself with strength, who stilled the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, and the turmoil of the nations. The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders; where morning dawns, where evening fades, you call forth songs of joy. You care for the land and water it; you enrich it abundantly. The streams of God are filled with water to provide the people with grain, for so you have ordained it. You drench its furrows and level its ridges; you soften it with showers and bless its crops. You crown the year with your bounty, and your carts overflow with abundance. The grasslands of the wilderness overflow; the hills are clothed with gladness. The meadows are covered with flocks and the valleys are mantled with grain; they shout for joy and sing.
As we look to be a city on the hill in this community, let’s pray to God, “Wow.”
Benediction
May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.