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SEARCHINGS
Today among the roses
I looked and found God there.
Later, alone in a chapel
I found Him again in prayer.
I found Him in creative urges
Of the young, the old and the wise.
I found Him within my being
When He opened my spiritual eyes.
-Sybil Austin Skakle
*SEARCHING – Rocks Revelations Rainbows, pg 25
published by Xlibris Corporation, 2001
REBIRTH
by
Sybil Austin Skakle
Seeking to find Truth You are
I found malice, greed, pride. lust
confronted fear, doubt, disbelief
Before I found Your forgiveness.
You accepted me as I am
covered my sins with your love
absolved my guilt with your death
Imparted freedom, joy,and peace.
Thank You, Jesus!
Since this is Thanksgiving week, I trust that the thoughts of all of us are turning towards thanking God for the many ways he has blessed us. More than forty years ago, shortly after my wife Tillie and I moved our family to a new community, we attended a Thanksgiving Day worship service that was a joint effort by the churches of the community. It was the Baptist pastor’s turn to preach the service; and although I don’t remember what he said, I do remember the gist of his message. It was encapsulated in the title, “The Attitude of Gratitude.”
I don’t have a great memory, so when I remember something for more than forty years, it must have gotten my attention. I believe my response was, I would like to have an “Attitude of Gratitude.” And I believe I have had such an attitude through the years. At any rate, that’s the subject I would like to share with you in this brief essay.
The Scripture focus is Colossians 3:12-17. The larger context (3:1-17) is a passage in the letter where the Apostle Paul is exhorting the Colossians about several things at the center of the Christian life. In the immediately preceding paragraph (vv. 5-11), Paul encourages them to strip away their old selves, by which he meant the worldly, sinful aspects of their lives, and to put on their new selves by which he meant their new nature in Christ. And then comes 3:12-17. Please read these verses before continuing.
As you have just read, Paul laid out a long list of characteristics that should be part of our Christian new self: compassion, kindness, lowliness, meekness, patience, forbearance, forgiveness, love, peace, and last of all, gratitude. “Be thankful,” he says (vv. 12-15). And then in verse 16 he declares that we should study God’s Word and worship “with thankfulness.” Or as the NRSV translates it, “with gratitude.” And finally in verse 17, Paul exhorts, “whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God.” That is “The Attitude of Gratitude.” The Apostle Paul certainly believed in it. And so do I.
I should point out that the Colossians would not have been living what we here in America normally think of as the “good life.” Many of the church members would have been poor, and some probably were slaves. Even apart from that, it was not easy to be a Christian in the cities of the first-century Roman world. So if you seem to have little for which to be thankful, remember they didn’t either. But three times in these few verses Paul exhorts them to be thankful.
Paul himself was a thankful person. You may remember that when he and Silas were in prison in Phillipi, a very difficult and stressful situation, they demonstrated thankfulness. The book of Acts tells us that, although the men were in prison with no idea what was going to happen, Paul and Silas were praying and singing praises to God (Acts 16:25). That’s an “Attitude of Gratitude.” Now such an attitude doesn’t always lead to the miraculous opening of prison doors, as occurred in that case, or a miraculous healing, or the meeting of our desperate need; but many Christians have found that it does always make life’s problems bearable.
Unfortunately we find in the Bible some instances where an “Attitude of Gratitude” was called for, but not found. You probably remember that Jesus once healed ten lepers (Luke 17:11-19). One returned to Jesus praising God and thanking him. But the other nine didn’t have an “Attitude of Gratitude.”
I’m fairly confident that all ten lepers fantasized being healed. And when they prayed for healing, or dreamed of a deliverer coming to heal them, they would not have thought of themselves as unthankful. But when their dream came true, somehow they were unthankful. They didn’t have an “Attitude of Gratitude.”
Now I trust that none of us would be like those nine ungrateful lepers. Indeed I believe most of us have, perhaps many times, expressed grateful praise and thanksgiving for deliverances of one kind or another: for the rescue of a child from a fire, for coming out of a terrible car crash alive, for a successful heart surgery, and on and on. That is good. We should be thankful when delivered from crisis situations.
But biblical gratitude goes far beyond being thankful for deliverance from crisis situations. Biblical gratitude praises God for everything. In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul exhorted that church to give thanks “always” and “for everything” (Eph. 5:20). That’s the key.
We all share the routine burdens and common sorrows of life. And the biblical “Attitude of Gratitude” enables us to make it through each day without complaining or whining. It enables us somehow to feel the hand of God even in the bad or difficult things and times. It is a grace given by God that brings joy and power into our lives. I remind you once again of Paul’s experience in the Philippian jail. The author of Acts did not show Paul and Silas praising God after the earthquake opened up the prison, though they may have done that. No, he showed them praising God before the earthquake, when they had no idea that the jail doors would be opened.
Now a word of caution. An “Attitude of Gratitude” is not the same thing as a stoic fortitude and resignation. Fortitude and resignation amount to surrendering to the vicissitudes of life. It is accepting whatever comes our way as the ancient Stoics did. It is the attitude that since I can’t control everything in my life, I will grit my teeth and let fate have her way with me.
An “Attitude of Gratitude” is not that. On the contrary it is joyful thanksgiving for all of life, because we know the God of all of life. This God of life also is the God of love, whose love for us is so great that he came to earth and to the cross to save us from our sins and bring us into his family. His love so captivates us that it brings a loving purpose to our darkest hours. And it brings a genuine “Attitude of Gratitude” to our hearts.
We already have talked about Paul’s “Attitude of Gratitude.” Now I would like to turn to the attitude of Jesus. Jesus also demonstrated “An Attitude of Gratitude.” When her fed the multitudes he showed thanksgiving for the common things of life by thanking the Father when breaking the bread (Mt. 15:36). Likewise at the last supper when he instituted the sacrament of communion, he thanked the Father before distributing the bread and wine (26:27). Once during his public ministry Jesus stopped to thank the Father for the deeds of power that God was working in the world (Mt. 11:25). And in the garden of Gethsemane, although Jesus never used the word “thanks,” he nevertheless poured out his thankful heart. On that night when he was betrayed, when Jesus knew the terrible suffering and death that awaited him, he submitted his will to the will of his Father in a great prayer with an attitude of gratitude.
Well, what are we to take away from this? It is a simple message that each of us can understand. I believe most of us would agree that it isn’t the person who takes an occasional shower or bath that is a clean person. Likewise it isn’t the person who is occasionally grateful that is a thankful person. On the contrary, the more we thank God for our everyday blessings and mercies, the more we enjoy life. The more we follow Paul’s exhortation to give thanks always and for everything, even the difficult things, the more likely we are to be full of gladness. I challenge all of us today to ask God to help us grow an “Attitude of Gratitude.”
Sermon by James K. Wagner given at the United Methodist Church of the Master at Westerville, Ohio on June l1, 2006
Title: “No Wrinkles on the Soul” Texts: Matthew 22:34-40; 2 Corinthians 4:16-5:1
In the Book of Genesis (chapters 37-50) is the inspiring story of Joseph, who as a young boy was sold into slavery by his jealous brothers. Many years later came a devastating famine throughout the world, except in Egypt, where there was a surplus of food.
As the story goes, the great Hebrew Patriarch Jacob, along with his many sons and their large families, made the long trip from Palestine to Egypt to buy food. In Egypt Jacob discovered, to his total amazement, that his son Joseph not only was alive, he was now the Governor of Egypt, a personal friend of the Pharaoh, and in charge of food distribution,.
Following a very tender and emotional reunion with Jacob, Joseph took his father to meet the Pharaoh. Notice how the introduction went. The Pharaoh did not say, “Welcome, Jacob,” or “Glad to meet you,” or “Make yourself at home.” But in customary, Mid-eastern fashion the Pharaoh’s first words of greeting to Jacob were: “How old are you?”
This may seem quite strange to us. It certainly is not the way we greet one another in Western Culture. However in Eastern countries the older a person is the more revered and honored that person is.
Joseph said, “O Great Pharaoh, I want you to meet my father Jacob.”
The Pharaoh asked, “How old are you?”
Jacob responded: “I am 130 years old.” And the two of them are off to a beautiful relationship. (See Genesis 47:7-10).
One of the interesting discoveries coming from the science of aging is that each one of us is three different ages all at once.
First is our chronological age. This is determined by the number of years we have lived since our birth. What year were you born? What year is this? That’s your chronological age.
When Pharaoh asked Jacob how old he was, he was inquiring about Jacob’s chronological age.
Second is our biological age. The condition or state of our physical health determines our biological age. My Mother who will be 92 on the 4thof July recently was told by her optometrist that she has the eyesight of a 50 year old. Chronologically my Mother is 91, but biologically her eyes are only 50.
Third is our psychological age: Is it not true that some days you actually feel older or younger than you really are? How you feel and how you act is your psychological age. Has anyone ever said to you, “Act your age?”
To these three related, yet unique ages that we all experience I want to add a fourth.
Our fourth age is our spiritual age. Our spiritual age is based on our relationship with God. Paying attention to the development of your spirituality influences your spiritual age. Some Christians I have met seem to be stuck in some kind of a spiritual nursery, and others I know seem to be very intentional about moving on to spiritual maturity.
Another way to look at this is that our spiritual age is not dependent on our physical age. The Apostle Paul said it well in his second letter to the Corinthian Church: “So we do not lose heart. Even though our outer nature is wasting away (the aging process), our inner nature is being renewed day by day (by day by day)” (2 Cor. 4:16).
In other words: THERE ARE NO WRINKLES ON THE SOUL. As St. Teresa of Avila said: “The soul is capable of much more than we can (ever) imagine.” Or Catherine Marshall in her book, SOMETHING MORE: “God always has something more for each of us.
So I simply ask you some questions this morning: How old are you? How are you feeling today? How is it with your soul?
Perhaps you have read the story about our sixth United States President, John Quincy Adams (1825-1829). When President Adams was 80 years old, a friend one day asked him, “And how are you, John?” With a twinkle in his eye, he replied, John Quincy Adams is well thank you, but the house in which he lives is sadly dilapidated. I think John Quincy Adams will have to move out before long. But he himself is very well. Thank you.”
Recently I read in The Upper Room Devotional Magazine this attention-getting meditation by
Gerda M. Dahl from Illinois (July 8, 1999).
“I live in a beautiful retirement community where residents of all faiths are invited every other Sunday to attend an ecumenical vesper service. The young Pastor in charge is also the Chaplain at our local hospital. Through music, prayer, and preaching he lifts our spirits and adds zest and joy to retirement living.
Last Sunday the Pastor thanked all of us for all we had done throughout the years in our various churches and communities to make known the Good News about Christ. He actually called us “saints of God.”
Then he challenged us with these words: “Even though you now live in a retirement community THERE IS NO OPPORTUNITY GIVEN TO RETIRE FROM OUR FAITH. THERE IS NO OPPORTUNITY TO RETIRE FROM OUR FAITH’S CALL TO LOVE AND TO SERVE.”
There it is again. Did you hear it? NO WRINKLES ON THE SOUL. There is NO OPPORTUNITY TO RETIRE FROM ONE’S FAITH. God always has SOMETHING MORE for each of us.
Let me ask you a rather personal question that might help you get in touch with your spiritual age this morning: ON a scale of 1 to 10 (with 10 being “wow-wonderful” and l being “in-the-pits), What number rating would you give your relationship with God right now? How is it between you and God these days? Are you at level 3? Or 6? Or what?
From God’s standpoint, you and I always are a 10. However, from a human viewpoint, my relationship with God usually is less than 10. What am I doing, on my part, to keep my soul WRINKLE-FREE?
Now throughout this message, I have been using the word “soul” over and over. But what exactly is one’s soul? I know that different religions have different definitions. Let’s focus for a moment on “soul” from a Biblical perspective.
The word “soul” is recorded over 500 times in our English Bibles and basically has the same meaning in both the Old and New Testaments.
1. Your soul is the true you, the real you.
2. Your soul is the “self unmasked.”
3. Your soul is your inner self, your essential self that you often keep hidden from the eyes of other people, even sometimes hidden from yourself; and at times you may even try to hide your true self from the eyes of God.
4. Your soul holds all the motivations and dreams that drive what you do in life.
5. Your soul is that dynamic, powerful, life-directing influence that is within each of us.
And 6. It is within your soul that you encounter God’s grace, mercy, love and forgiveness. And it is within your soul you discover that “balm in Gilead,” that healing presence of Christ, “to make the wounded whole and to heal the sin-sick soul.”
As we leave here this morning and as we live into all of our tomorrows, I pray we will ponder that introductory question put to Jacob by the Pharaoh: “How old are you?”
What is your chronological age? Your biological age? Your psychological age?
But most significantly of all, what is your spiritual age? What is the state or condition of your spiritual health? Are you stuck in some sort of a spiritual kindergarten or are you moving onto spiritual maturity?
For Christians that means growing in the mind and spirit of Christ. It means taking seriously and
intentionally everyday, not just on Sundays, the greatest commandment: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind” (Matthew 22:37).
Don’t forget: There are no opportunities to retire from our faith. God always has something more for each of us. And there are no wrinkles on the soul!
