Saturday, our congregation had the privilege of serving almost 200 people as we provided support for the first Amish Country Running Festival. People came from our region and state, around the United States, and from Canada to participate in the event, which included runs from one mile to a full marathon, all through the scenic beauty of Amish country.

Some of our people participated in the race. One of our youth sang the National Anthem. Some helped provide direction and support along the course. Many came to cheer and encourage the runners along the way. Most came to make delicious food to feed the runners and community as they enjoyed the day’s activities.

The event coordinators thanked us for all we did, but we were the ones who were thankful. We did not offer our help to get recognition, we simply wanted to offer hospitality as an expression of our faith, our support of our community, and our love for people. Sharing the gift of hospitality is a blessing, one that can easily be overlooked, but that makes a difference in the world and in our own lives.

Once, while working at a community food pantry in another town we lived in, I experienced the confusion that often surrounds the ministry of hospitality. Many people were coming to receive the food they needed for their families. It was humbling to help people who needed what I often took for granted. I thanked every person who came.

After one of my, “thank you,” moments, another worker came to me and said, “Why are you thanking them? We are the ones giving them free food. Shouldn’t they be thanking us?” I was so caught up in the blessing of serving that the question surprised me. I never considered that the other workers were not experiencing the blessing I was receiving. I did my best to explain what a gift it was to share hospitality with others, but I am not sure my thoughts and feelings were completely understood.

I confess that I left that moment thinking the person who asked me that question was a little callous, but after some prayer and reflection, I think the proper word was confused. Too often, we are never shown what a gift hospitality is to the one who offers it. Those around us frequently point out what others receive when we share hospitality, while neglecting to teach us the spiritual gift serving produces in us. The supernatural reality of hospitality is that it blesses everyone, the one who offers it, those who receive it, and the world that is touched by it. Our acts of love and compassion change far more than individual lives. When we live with hearts of love and service, we change communities and destinies, and the ripple of those actions change the heart of humanity.

I love the encouragement found in the book of Hebrews, “Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.” (13:2) At first this might seem like a warning, “show hospitality because it might be a test from God.” I prefer to think of it as inspiration, “show hospitality because you never know the difference you are making, You might even be demonstrating to angels the power of God’s love in human hearts.”

Hospitality is not just about helping someone else, and it is certainly not about feeling good about ourselves because we did something. Hospitality is about making a difference, changing the world one act at a time. It is about revealing the heart and nature of God through acts of kindness. Hospitality helps the world see that God’s eye is on them, that God knows them and calls them by name. We demonstrate God’s love and provision, and declare the sacred worth of every life, created in the image of God. In actions large and small, we tangibly declare that the world matters to God, and that we were made for the blessing of community.

You may not be supporting a race today. You may not be working at a food pantry, or any other organized program, but thankfully, you don’t need an event or a program to practice hospitality. Opportunities abound all around us. We can serve our families. We can listen to someone who thinks no one hears their voice. We can share our blessings with those who feel forgotten. We can rejoice with those who need to celebrate with someone, and cry with people who are hurting. Everything we do will make a difference. Jesus said even a cup of water offered in his name could change the world.

So, lets not miss the gift of hospitality. Instead, embrace it, for together, we can change the world through the power of God at work within us.

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We always seem to be searching for the extraordinary. There is a sense that we almost crave what is new, different, and more unique. That desire fuels creativity and invention, and pushes us to explore new frontiers. That same desire can lead to pain and destruction, and can cause us to miss the blessings that are already ours.

During our recent Adirondack vacation, we decided to go out for pizza. The pizza shop we chose had tables outside, and a decent size arcade attached to the building. While we were enjoying our food, two families sat down at a nearby table with their’s. The parents were busy talking and making plans for the next day, while the children were eating as quickly as possible so they could go play in the arcade. I am not sure they tasted their meal as they focused on games to be played and prizes to be won.

Watching this unfold made me smile, as I remembered similar times with our children, but it also made me think about how easily I become so captured by what is coming next that I forget to enjoy what I am doing now. I think we all have our versions of missing the moment while striving to get to the next one.

“Living for the weekend,” is a way of life for many people. Mondays are despised, and we celebrate completing “hump day,” all in the desire to get to our brief time off before we do it again next week. Look closely, and you realize that people are trying to power through almost two-thirds of their lives to enjoy what is left. I wonder how often those weekends were worth the rush.

Ordinary seems boring, but ordinary is a blessing. Ordinary is what makes some of the most meaningful experiences in marriages and vocations. When we only strive for the extraordinary, we can suffer great dissatisfaction with our lives and relationships, believing there is something better somewhere else. If we are not careful, we stop caring for what we have while we pursue an elusive dream. Ordinary is the source of structure and a sign of some stability. Ordinary makes up most of our lives, and those parts are no less valuable than the exciting, extraordinary moments.

The early Christians sought to mark the year with days and seasons that helped retell the gracious message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The set aside Easter Day and Eastertide to celebrate the power of the Resurrection. They affirmed the 40 days of Lent to prepare for that celebration. They marked the birth of the Savior with the Christmas season, and gave us the season of Advent to discover the deeper meaning of anticipation. Still, in all of the church calendar, the longest single season is, you guessed it, Ordinary time. It is a season that covers the time following Pentecost in late May, till the first day of Advent in early November. The ancients knew that life, even the Christian life, was mostly ordinary time.

Jesus taught the blessing of the ordinary as well. When he taught, he used illustrations from the daily lives and experiences of the people to convey powerful truths about the kingdom of God. Agricultural references, experiences with friends and neighbors, and symbols of creation made regular appearances in his teaching. Perhaps the greatest example is found in the moments of the Last Supper, when our celebration of Communion was instituted. With all the resources and options at his disposal, Jesus chose the ordinary, basics of life, bread and wine, to represent his life broken and poured out for all the world. In these simple gifts, we find the most extraordinary truth: God takes ordinary things and ordinary people and makes them beautiful expressions of God’s love.

Something else happened during our pizza shop experience. I saw a deer, a beautiful doe who wandered through the parking lot, nibbling at some grass along the edges. Seeing deer in the mountains is not surprising, nor is how easily everyone else missed the ubiquitous visitor. Still, just because she was ordinary, she was no less beautiful and, while I’ve seen many deer, I never saw this one before. What some would call “ordinary,” I call a blessing, one more sign of beauty and a great memory.

Maybe, it is time for us to stop running from the ordinary and embrace it instead, as the place of God’s great blessings. Instead of striving to get to something else, we can appreciate what we have right here, right now. Maybe we need to be more intentional about seeking, “eyes to see and ears to hear,” in order to celebrate what God is doing and saying in the present moment. We can still rejoice in extraordinary times, but we can find peace in ordinary moments with an extraordinary God. Together, may we realize how rich we truly are with God’s ordinary blessings.

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Scripture has a lot to say about words. The Bible begins with an expression of their power as God speaks creation into existence. It ends with a warning not to add or subtract to the words God gives. Along the way, God promises, “So will my word be which goes forth from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.” (Isaiah 55:11) Clearly, God believes words are powerful, and it is not just God’s words that matter, ours have an impact as well.

Proverbs 18:21 tells us that, “the power of life and death are in the tongue.” Our words create, or destroy; they bless, or they curse. We too, created in the image of God, create with our words. Unlike God, our words do not always create wholeness, and sometimes they actually harm. What we say is truly powerful, and it changes our lives, affects the atmosphere around us, and impacts others. Words are not neutral, they make a difference. This is a stunning reality in a time when we flippantly throw words around, without thought of what we are creating. 

I wanted to write something last week, but with all of the words flooding the world, it seemed prudent to wait. As I reflected with my wife on all that was coming through my social media feeds, it became clear that many words were being spoken without much thought about their effect. It has become a way of life for us. We post every thought, every feeling, in real time. What would have been reflected upon and discussed with a few close friends before others knew, is now on the internet for the world to see, often faster than we can type.

It can feel good and cathartic to put our words out there for the world to see. Sometimes, someone has already put our words into a meme, and it even saves us the effort of typing. What seems good, however, is not always what it seems. I know that all too well. There are a number of posts and replies that I wish I could take back, but they are out there, and they have an impact, not all of it representative of God, or even the best of who I am. That quick image or 140 character tweet, whether sent by those in the highest offices, or the average individual, changes the world. 

The ease with which we toss our thoughts out to others when there is so much power in them is stunning, and what is even more sobering is that God has some serious opinions about what we say. In Matthew 12:36, Jesus says, “I tell you, on the day of judgement people will give an account for every careless word they speak.” Yes, we will answer to God for every word we spoke, texted, tweeted, and posted – every word.

We can ease our conscious by saying, “Well, I was angry,” “I’m entitled to my opinion,” even, “I wasn’t thinking,” but we are still accountable for what we say. Our excuses do not change that reality that we are entrusted with a very powerful gift, and we are responsible for how we use it. Do we, like God, use our words to create beauty, to build up, to heal, or do we speak words that tear down and destroy what God created? When we attack a person, we attack one created in the image of God. When we pour out unforgiveness, hate, and anger on the world, we damage the world God created. It is worthy of reflection. The good news is that we also have the power in our words to help people see their true identity in Christ, discover their destiny, and live in peace with one another.

Maybe it is time to be careful with our words; to ponder them before God prior to releasing them on the world. Maybe it is time to recognize the tremendous opportunity we have to create a better world just by what we say, or don’t say. Maybe it is time to speak less and listen more, and to offer a much needed word at the right time. I know it is such a time for me. Maybe it is that time for you as well.

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For the last 15 years, I have been captivated by the power of the message of Psalm 1. Six simple, yet profound, verses establish the importance of where we choose to camp spiritually. The author of the Psalm begins by declaring blessed the person who does not camp on the paths of the wicked, sinners, and mockers. He then goes on to say that the person who puts their roots into the law of The Lord and meditates on it constantly will celebrate abundance in God.

This is a very powerful truth. If we follow the ways of the wicked and make our spiritual home there, we will miss out on tremendous blessings, and may suffer great loss here, and in eternity. However, if we delight ourselves in God’s way, we become like trees planted by streams of fresh water that give life, we flourish, bear fruit, and find strength. In the end, those who camp with God will prosper in what they do, for their foundation will be strong and solid.

In our day, as it was in the Psalmist’s time, there are a myriad of temptations to follow ways that are not of God. Some of these ways come with great cultural support, and we can even be made to feel that we are wrong for not embracing what the world around us says is right. The Bible is clear, however, that God’s ways are not our ways, nor are God’s thoughts our thoughts. It even says that the wisdom of the world is foolishness to God.

It makes all the difference where we camp, and it affects much more than our comfort in the experience. God’s way may not be popular, but it is always right, and if we want to flourish, we must be planted near the streams of healthy water that allow us to grow and thrive.

Unfortunately, there will be times when we will need to choose between being popular and accepted, or being where God calls us to be. When we face these difficult times, it is important to remember where life and blessing are truly found. The world, even our friends, may choose to camp in unhealthy and destructive paths, but we must wisely make camp where God calls us to go.

God’s call may lead us away from what others embrace, but God is not seeking to keep us from enjoying life, instead, God is calling us to the place of blessing, where we can experience God’s abundance, and prosper in all that we do.

May the tree of your life flourish and bear fruit, and may you prosper in all you do as you build your life upon the solid, healthy foundation of God.

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It is amazing how many things go under appreciated until we are in need. It is often these simple things that represent some of the most sacred gifts in our lives. Surrounded by divine blessings, we can walk blindly along and miss them all.

It is not without reason that Jesus chose to take the ordinary gifts of bread and wine and make them to be one of the most sacred meals we share. Out of the common, God creates the extraordinary. It is true of communion and it is true with countless details of our lives.

Every day we encounter simple, sacred moments and common, consecrated people. Life is full of God’s ordinary blessings. They come in the form of cardboard boxes that enable to move forward in the ministry that awaits us, or in the kind word of a friend, even in the time to pause for a cup of coffee. Blessings are found in each breath of air, each gentle breeze, and each beat of the heart.

When we invite God to open our eyes to the movement of the Spirit, our senses become attuned to the presence of God in the tiny details of our lives. We see beneath the surface and find there is greater depth than we ever expected. Before long, we come to understand that every moment is a gift of God because God is with us in the moment.

Life is full of blessings. May the Spirit make us ever more aware of the blessing of God’s presence in our lives.

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Life is full of unexpected blessings which we can savor if we are willing to open our spiritual eyes and be attentive to what is happening within us as well as around us. Even in challenging circumstances, there are windows of beauty and reasons for thanksgiving. Jesus told his disciples that he would be with them always, even to the end of the world. Such knowledge is itself, an unexpected blessing.

These blessings are all around us, but they require attentiveness to see them. Certainly, some blessings are so large, so obvious, that we cannot help but perceive them. The majority, however, do not shout for our attention. They enter our lives unannounced and often pass by with no acknowledgement, leaving us unable to rejoice in thanksgiving for another divine gift.

So, how do we position ourselves to taken more of these blessings? Here are a few suggestions:

1. Slow down – everything around us in our culture, encourages us to live at a frenetic pace that makes it difficult to take in much of anything. Over-full schedules leave little room for anything else. Slowing down, even a little, gives our minds and spirits room to breathe in the goodness of God.

2. Make time to reflect – Along with a slower pace, scheduling time to pause and reflect, allows us to examine our lives for hidden blessings. Making this choice may be a hidden blessing in itself and will certainly give us intentional moments to appreciate things we would otherwise miss.

3. Live in the present – This is my favorite, and I believe the most beneficial. Too often our minds are on thing in our past, or concerns for our future. Our thoughts and attention is focused on another time than the time we are living. This kind of distraction is amazingly stressful and nearly prevents us from seeing the blessings that are happening all around us. The past is just that, past, and the future will be there when we get there, but this moment is where we are and we will never have it again. If we live in the moment we are in, there will be so much more to appreciate, and we will be more free to do just that.

Here’s to the awesome gift of hidden blessings waiting to be discovered. May God grant us the grace to find more and more.

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Too often we wait for special events to appreciate the blessings of our lives, yet every day gives us many reasons to give thanks. Even when we face pain and challenges, there are blessings in our lives, we may just need to look a little deeper.

Yesterday, one of the senior members of our congregation went to be with her Savior. As I spoke with her daughter, I was struck by the mixture of emotions. There were tears and expressions of grief, and there was laughter mingled with treasured memories. Even as we made plans, there was a sense of trust in God and the faith that sustained them this far.

A thankful spirit does not deny the reality of pain, suffering and injustice. Instead, it faces such knowledge with the awareness that there is a richness in the moment that we cannot see with just a surface glance. It is when we allow the Spirit to open our eyes to the deeper thing of our lives that we can recognize more of our blessings.

So, today, as you enjoy dinner with family; as you cook, travel and rest, let God guide you to celebrate all your blessings. Celebrate life, health and family. Rejoice in beauty, miracles and wonder. Give thanks for your blessings and the many opportunities you have to be a blessing to others. Remember those people who give of their life to make your life better, and those people of the past who gave to make today possible. Bless God for God’s presence in your life, for the saving grace of Jesus Christ, and the love and power of the Holy Spirit.

As you make time to look deeply, celebrate the blessings and build upon them to make life sing. Find strength in the knowledge of what God has done and is doing in your life. Share your blessings with others and encourage one another on the way. You are blessed, loved, and special to God, and that is reason to be thankful.

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This was his phrase for every absurd action, every difficult circumstances, and every hurtful comment, and the storyline of every special gave him many opportunities to use it. Of course, this fit Charlie Brown’s character: slightly depressed, often teased, and always coming up on the short end of the stick.

I know people like that. Sometimes, I’ve owned that characterization in my own life. The pathway there is not hard to find or difficult to follow. Something negative happens that grabs our attention and we begin to meditate on it. Soon, we notice other negative things in our lives and in the world around us. We become disgusted, hurt and depressed, and before you know it, life becomes one large and lengthy sigh.

This is exactly where the power of thanksgiving comes in. As we begin to identify the blessings in our lives and give voice to the good things we see; as we open our eyes to the beauty and wonder that surrounds us, is within us, and is us thanks to God, we change the focus of our attention. That simple, but powerful, change opens our eyes to more blessing and beauty and begins to reshape our attitude.

Developing this attitude of gratitude is much more than rehearsing a list of positive affirmations about ourselves. Sure, there is some value to looking at in the mirror, while speaking reminders of our self-worth, but that can easily become a daily narcissistic celebration. Real thanksgiving does more than celebrate us, it celebrates what makes life valuable. It recognizes the power and presence of God, and remembers those who bring goodness into our lives. Thanksgiving affirms the gifts, big and small, that season our lives with grace. It sees what makes life meaningful and gives us the tools to make life sing.

The Bible says that we are to enter God’s gates with thanksgiving. When we begin to offer thanks for life, we take the first steps in bringing our hearts closer to God. God still wants to know our hurts and our pain. God still cares about unjust parts of our lives and the world. Thanksgiving does not limit our ability to seek God’s answer to evil, but it sets the attitude of our heart in the right place to see what God is doing in the midst of painful circumstances and keeps us from losing ourselves to those circumstances.

This Thursday, as we celebrate the national holiday of Thanksgiving, we will have an opportunity to “say grace.” This moment of thankfulness may be just the ticket to seeing life in a new way. Instead of defining our lives by negativity, we can find our identity in God. Rather than adopting a heart that speaks “good grief” we can embrace a spirit of “good grace.”

A chorus I remember singing in church when I was young said, “Count your many blessings, name them one by one. Count your many blessings, see what God has done.” This Thanksgiving, may you see, count and name your many blessings and may you be filled with Good Grace.

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Yesterday, one of our seminary interns preached the sermon for our Sunday Worship. It was a wonderful service and a great message that challenged us to move beyond our worry and fear and look for ways we can be servants of God in ministry to the world. At the heart of the message was this simple, yet profound question: “What do you have that can be put to use for God?”

It is a question well worth pondering by anyone working to make their heart resonate with the heart of God. God gives us so much: time and money, skills and talents, faith and spiritual gifts. Each of us is made to be a special and unique part of the body of Christ so that together, we can represent the fullness of God. If we understand that we are blessed to be a blessing, then it is important to ask why God made us the way we are and gave us what we have. Certainly, part of the answer is the joy our blessings bring to God and to us, but there is surely a place for the joy, healing and witness our blessings can bring to the world through us.

Too often, we address stewardship as if it is just another annual fund raiser to get money for the coming year’s ministry. We reduce the role of faithful stewards to check-writers for programs and events, but that is not the definition of real stewardship. Instead, stewardship is about celebrating and sharing what we receive from God so that God will be glorified and others cared for, blessed and strengthened.

So, this brings us back to the question. What do we have right now that can be put to use for God? Is it money that can be used to enable outreach in God’s name, or to be the outreach to someone in need? Is it time that can be given in the service of others, or in prayer? Is it our skill that can empower others by assisting them with challenges that restrict them or by teaching them new ways to identify and use their own God-given gifts and talents?

These are just the beginning. The list of possibilities is as endless and the creative power of God at work within us. As we enter this new week and begin preparing for the coming new year, let’s ask ourselves the question and ask the Holy Spirit to help us identify our gifts and empower us to use them in new ways. Let’s keep looking to embrace the new possibilities God presents to us, letting go of the fear of failure, or of change, and stepping boldly into the future by faith. There is real excitement ahead of us and wonderful opportunities to make a difference for God.

What do you have that can be put to use for God right now? What is God asking you to do? What might happen if you step out in faith today? Imagine, there are people waiting right now, for you to step forward in faith and be the answer to prayer. What a wonderfully awesome opportunity and responsibility. We do not have to be, or have, what someone else is, or has, to make a difference. We only need to be available to God and together, we can change the world. Let’s make the investment together and be the world changers we were meant to be.

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