EVERY THANKS

Dearest Family,

The sticky spores of greed that blow in the wind at this time of year, with Red-eye Thursday and Black Friday, set the advertisements of Mammon up against the advent of the Messiah. There could not be two more opposing spirits. But before we self-righteously tut-tut the state of the ungrateful culture at large, it behooves us to check on the health of thanksgiving in our own personal and church life. The fact is, like everyone else, we do not seem to be grateful or thankful by nature. Dostoevsky described man as “the ungrateful biped”. We are easily discontented, dissatisfied, hard to please, unsub missive, opinionated, critical, judgmental, with a keen sense of our own rights and merits, and more aware of what we want than what we have. It is worth reminding ourselves that the failure of thanksgiving was at the root of the sin of our first parents. Amidst a feast of provision, they had nothing better to think about than what they were disallowed from having.

I gave you a short presentation towards a theology of thanksgiving, similar to a message that I shared a few years ago. I’m recycling here some short notes from a pastoral letter back then to jog your memories of Sunday’s exhortation. I began by giving you my simple 5-point catechesis on thanksgiving that leaves very little squirm room. Scripture teaches that our thanksgiving should be:

  1. AT EVERY MOMENT: “Continually offer to God the fruit of lips giving thanks ” (Hebrews 13:15)

  2. IN EVERY WORD AND DEED: “Whatever ... in word or deed ... giving thanks to God” (Colossians 3:17)

  3. IN EVERY CIRCUMSTANCE: “Giving thanks in all circumstances” (1 Thessalonians 5:18)

  4. FOR EVERYTHING: “Always giving thanks to God the Farther for everything” (Ephesians 1:20)

  5. FOR EVERYONE: “... thanksgiving be made for everyone ...” (1 Timothy 2:1)

Did you notice the emphatic common word? EVERY! As Paul summed it up: “God created everything to be received with thanksgiving” (1 Timothy 4:2) That does not leave a lot of exceptions, or exceptional circumstances. How are you doing? So what people, what things, what circumstances, what events, what timings are presently outside this call to obedience in your life?

I also made comments on the following biblical observations:

  1. We were created to give thanks

  2. As Christians, our priestly calling is to give thanks.

  3. There is a relationship between godly remembrance and thanksgiving. Forgetfulness is an enemy of gratitude.

  4. There is a relationship between prayer and thanksgiving. Thankless people are prayerless people. You cannot ask without thanking (Philippians 4:6) or thank without being buoyed in faith to ask God for more.

  5. There is a relationship between thanksgiving and healthy personal discipleship and healthy corporate community life.

The book of Revelation presents heaven as one long Thanksgiving Day. “We give thanks to you Lord God Almighty ...” seems to be the main song! So it would seem reasonable to be tuning up for that! As the psalmists put it: “Give thanks to the Lord our God and King, for His love endures forever.” If “forever” is the extent of His love then “forever” is the extent of our thanksgiving. Did you notice the word EVER? That is about EVERY moment. Let’s put the EVERY back in our thanksgiving. May this advent season recharge, refuel, and re-fire your thanksgiving as you say in Paul’s words to the Corinthians, “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift.”

Gratefully yours,

Stuart