11-1-20 Sermon Notes “Remember With a Thankful Heart”
This month, we will start a new sermon series: “With a Thankful Heart!” In the month of October, we spent some time in the Book of Job, and hopefully we gain some new insight on suffering, questions, and friendships. As we start November and look forward to the holiday of Thanksgiving…can we still be thankful, despite all our hardships and losses? Can we still have thankful hearts, even though we are going through a very divisive “political” season? I say, “Yes!” And we will start by remembering those of our church family who have gone to join the “Great Cloud of Witnesses” since this time last year.
This Sunday is All Saints Sunday. We will light candles. We will remember with thankful hearts. This Sunday’s sermon will be about three questions: Whom do we remember? What do we remember about them? Why do we remember? The scripture will be from 1 Thess. 2: 1-13…
You yourselves know, brothers and sisters, that our coming to you was not in vain, 2 but though we had already suffered and been shamefully mistreated at Philippi, as you know, we had courage in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in spite of great opposition. 3 For our appeal does not spring from deceit or impure motives or trickery, 4 but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the message of the gospel, even so we speak, not to please mortals, but to please God who tests our hearts. 5 As you know and as God is our witness, we never came with words of flattery or with a pretext for greed; 6 nor did we seek praise from mortals, whether from you or from others, 7 though we might have made demands as apostles of Christ. But we were gentle[b] among you, like a nurse tenderly caring for her own children. 8 So deeply do we care for you that we are determined to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you have become very dear to us.
9 You remember our labor and toil, brothers and sisters; we worked night and day, so that we might not burden any of you while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God. 10 You are witnesses, and God also, how pure, upright, and blameless our conduct was toward you believers. 11 As you know, we dealt with each one of you like a father with his children, 12 urging and encouraging you and pleading that you lead a life worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.
13 We also constantly give thanks to God for this, that when you received the word of God that you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word but as what it really is, God’s word, which is also at work in you believers. (1 Thess. 2: 1-13 NRSV)
We remember those who love and encourage us. We remember people for how they treat us.
After Tammy and I first got married, I took a leave of absence from full-time ministry for a while. I will always be thankful for the new perspectives I gained during those years – because all I had known was being on the “preaching” side of the pulpit (ever since I was 20 years old). For the first time, though, we had to find a church to join. A place where we would be on the “pew” side of worship. We visited several churches. In some of them, we felt as if we were intruders at someone else’s family reunion. In some, we didn’t feel connected to the worship style, music, preaching, etc… But we ended up where we ended up (Holmes Street UMC) because – not of what anyone said, per se – but because of how they made us feel.
Jim and Helen Underwood sat right behind us that first Sunday. (We sat up front, so as not to sit in anyone else’s pew). Jim and Helen immediately treated us as if we were their long-lost grandchildren. They showed genuine hospitality and love. Many others in that church did, too. So…that became our new church home. I will always remember those folks with a thankful heart.
What will you remember this Sunday? Whom will you remember? Why will you remember?
This Sunday, we will also celebrate Holy Communion. There will be two ways you can celebrate this sacrament with us: (1) Drive-thru communion from 5:00 – 6:00 pm at the portico of the church. (2) In-person, with individually sealed elements at your pew. Join us at 9:00 or 11:00, and bring a thankful heart!
Grace and peace,
Pastor Sam