Remembering Thanks

 

I preached yesterday at church.  I, who am quite shy and uncomfortable around people..  preach.  And the thing is, I love preaching.  I love, LOVE standing in front of people and telling them about the hope and the love and the grace and the forgiveness and the wonderful act of Jesus Christ. 

It’s an honor.  A blessing to do that.  And it stirs me..  rouses me up, feeds me with passion as I share the Gospel in a way as to encourage others  and push them into the arms of Christ.

It’s also a God thing.  Totally, completely a God thing.  I’m shy, quiet, not one for seeking attention.  Put me in a room full of people and I talk to the dog or cat..  (seriously..)  I’m a social nerd..  awkward and weird and anxious…  But then God takes all of that and puts me in a pulpit…  has me lead bible studies and work with teenagers…    it’s crazy good. 

And one day I’ll tell you the story of when I first realized that God’s plans for me included pastoring..  all the way back when I was a mere 15 years old.. 

For now.. here’s an exert from my sermon yesterday..  Remembering Thanks..

“And when we can’t remember anything more, or remembering is just too painful, we remember that which we are most thankful for

Christ

Christ Jesus.

Romans chapter 8, verse 32 says – He who did not spare his own son, but gave him up for us all, how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things ?

God gave us Jesus. When we feel like we have nothing to give thanks for – we give thanks for this. For Jesus Christ, what else do we need? What could be better then the very act of our creator God allowing his very own self to be a sacrifice in our place? We give thanks because God loves us, because Jesus died for us. We remember this, this glorious, magnificent act of love and we need nothing else in our lives to be thankful for. Because Jesus died for our sins and we’ve been forgiven and we are loved and saved and redeemed and made new and when all of life fails us and our memories hurt and we feel as though God has done nothing for us, we remember the cross and the nails and the hands and the feet and the grave and the stone and the miracle that happened in the rolling back of that stone and we watch and feel as the stones of our heart get rolled away and in God’s grace, we give thanks. And as we give thanks, we remember who God is and what God does and we trust that there is good in our lives because God is good”

‘.

Happy Thanksgiving.