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• The Attitude Of Gratitude, Joel 2:21-27, Psalm 126, by Rev. Frank Schaefer  (see below)
   

• Being Thankful, Luke 17:11-19, by Florida Ron
   

• Don't Worry--Be Happy! all lessons, by Rev. Frank Schaefer
   
• God is Enough!  Matthew 6:26-33, by The Iowa Starr
   

• I Want To Be The One, Luke 17:11-19, by Rev. Frank Schaefer
   

• A Cure for Spoiledness, dialog sermon based on Deut. 8:7-18, by Jim from B.C
   

• Remember the Goodness of God and Be Thankful!  Deuteronomy 8:7-18 by Rev. Frank Schaefer

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The Attitude Of Gratitude
a sermon based on Joel 2:21-27, Psalm 126
by Rev. Frank Schaefer

Our scripture readings on this Thanksgiving Day offer a tremendous promise.  Psalm 126  acknowledges the reality of suffering and loss in this life.  In fact, the Psalm recalls one of the biggest  joys of Israel following one of the biggest periods of destruction and suffering: the Babylonian captivity.  At one point, Israel was finished; the temple was destroyed, the people were scattered. And yet, the people were reunited and they began to rebuild their nation once again.  And they knew, according to the promise of God, that even though they may be sowing in tears, they were going to “reap with shouts of joy.”

Likewise, the prophet Joel envisions the restoration of God's people.  He is focusing our attention on a bountiful future God has in store for us and encourages us to have no fear, but be hopeful and thankful instead.

Joel evokes images of a bountiful harvest. On Thanksgiving Day we can very well relate to this word, indeed this is what Thanksgiving is all about.  In a day and age of plenty for most of us, how can we really appreciate the metaphor of the plentiful harvest as expressed in Joel?

Given the size of our modern-day  harvester machinery, the fact that we end up with so much produce that we have to dump the excess, and the fact that we have such a variety readily available may make it difficult for us to appreciate food for the blessing it is.  In fact, the excesses and varieties of  foods have become a temptation, even a curse, to our society in which many struggle with overweight and obesity.

The fact is that we have plenty to eat, plenty to wear, plenty to get around with. 

The thing about thankfulness is that it should be more than a fleeting expression--it should be a life-style and an attitude.  You may call it the attitude of gratitude.  It is an attitude with life-changing power.

When we say "thank you" to God--even in the midst of a crisis-- it almost seems as if our worries subside. Perhaps this is so because we may remember how God has helped us in times past.

Thanking God reminds us that God is a God of protection and provision.  Even in times of adverse circumstances we know that God is a compassionate, caring God who has promised to come to our help and rescue us.  In Joel 2:25 the LORD even promises to make good the sufferings of his children: "I will repay you for the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter, my great army, which I sent against you." And in Verse 2:26: "You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and praise the name of the LORD your God..."

Recent studies suggest that there may be a direct connection between an attitude of gratitude and one's state of health--not merely emotional well-being, but actually physical health! TV talk show host Oprah brought this study to public awareness in the United States some time ago.  She suggested to her audience that making a mental list of things we can be grateful for before going to sleep at night (and/or before getting up in the morning) will have a very positive impact on a person's life and health.

Making such a mental list of things we are grateful for does not only make us aware of the many blessings we have in our lives, but it can actually change our perspective.  As one African American preacher put it: making a such a mental list led one father to a new attitude:  he went from feeling angry and frustrated over not having enough to provide his children with much-needed shoes, he started to thank God for having two sets of feet that belonged to healthy children.   In this way, his problem became a "good " problem to have--even though it was still a problem.

We really do have a choice about our attitude.  We can be critical and complain about everything that happens to us.  Or we can look on the positive side with an attitude of faith that the God who promised us a joyful harvest just might still be at work in the world and in our lives.

Why is it so hard for us to have a positive attitude sometimes?  It seems so easy to complain about dirty dishes, stinky laundry, and unmade beds.  It's so easy to look on the negative side.  I suppose the Israelites got really tired of quail and manna after they had tried Manna Soup, Manna & Quail Casserole, Quail & Manna Casserole, Hot & Spicy Shredded Manna, Baked Quail with Sour Manna Sauce, and Sweet & Sour Manna.  I'm sure they got tired of the same food every day, but they had the wrong attitude.  They forgot how bad things would be without God's help.

One lady demonstrated the attitude we need to have when she wrote this unusual prayer:
 
Dear Lord,
Thank you for this sink of dirty dishes; we have plenty of food to eat.
Thank you for this pile of dirty, stinky laundry; we have plenty of nice clothes to wear.
And I would like to thank you, Lord, for those unmade beds; they were so warm and comfortable last night.  I know that many have no bed.  My thanks to you, Lord for this bathroom, complete with all the splattered, messy, soggy, grimy towels and the dirty lavatory, they are so convenient.

Attitude is a choice, but it makes all the difference. Let us make a choice to be thankful all the time, not just on this Thanksgiving Day.   Let us be Thanksgiving people all the time--people who have an attitude of gratitude. Amen.