Thanksliving

There is a ‘trendy’ thing going on in the social media world during this month of November.  It seems that people are listing one thing a day they are thankful for – 22 days of thanksgiving from November 1 to November 22.  First off, I think the idea is wonderful.  Secondly, I think it is theologically wise.  Perhaps even much more wise than some folks may realize.

                Much of what I know about healthy relationships – with God, with self, with others like friends and family – is related to gratitude.  Often when I am working with couples who are planning for and praying about and working on their marriages we talk about the aphorism:  “we never say thank you enough.”  Theologically one of the bedrock concepts of Reformed thinking (which is the theological foundation for what Presbyterians believe) is the interrelatedness of grace and gratitude.  Grace is what God has done and is doing.  Grace is God’s love and forgiveness.  It is God’s gift in Jesus Christ.  Gratitude is our response to grace.  It is expressing thanksgiving through the choices we make, and through the lives we are living.  All that we have comes from God, and all that we are is to be a hymn of gratitude for all that God has done.

                This brings us back around to the theological wisdom of 22 days of thanksgiving.  What have I noticed by watching the posts and comments from my friends?  What does an unscientific survey reveal about what we are thankful for?  It runs from the incredible and the overwhelming to the simple and the sublime.   Some of my favorites:  grandparents, health, friendships, fall colors, veterans, God’s love,  decaf coffee, Oreos.  A friend who is a Youth Minister at a church here in North Carolina closed the theological circle when she wrote last week simply:  “Day 6:  I am thankful for grace.”

                 A few years ago I wrote about an idea that I had based around a made-up word – “thanksliving.”  I wrote:  “Thanksliving would be a way of living so rooted in grace and gratitude that we would always be writing spiritual thank you notes, always acknowledging blessings, always giving thanks as an hourly, daily, weekly, life-long practice.  Saying thank you whether or not the gifts arrive broken, on-time, or properly wrapped.  Imagine writing thank you notes to God, neighbor, friends, whether or not the gift was received or even anticipated – like saying thank you before the gift is even given, and then continuing to say thank you even if the gift never arrives.“  In two decades of theological study I am resolutely convinced:  we never say thank you enough.  The Psalms suggest that every breath is thanksgiving and they are correct to do so.

                Be sure to read this newsletter closely.  Thanksgiving is a little different this year at White Memorial – we are not having a Thanksgiving morning service.  Instead, I hope you’ll join us on Sunday afternoon and early evening, this Sunday, November 18:  either at Hot Dish and Hope or at the Oberlin Road Community Thanksgiving Service at St. John’s Baptist.  I also hope you’ll be with us at White Memorial during Advent and Christmas.  Mostly I hope we’ll be a church which practices an ethic of thanksgiving so intrinsic to who we are we are a community of thanksliving.