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other discussion questions, or substitute other questions for the marked ones, at their discretion.
Each day this week we’re sharing one tip from Robert Emmons, “Ten Ways to Become More Grateful.” November 17,
2010 from Greater Good Magazine. https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/ten_ways_to_become_more_grateful1/
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"Thanks for God’s forgiveness, healing, rescue and faithful love"
Friday, 1 December 2017
Psalm 103:1 (0) By David:
(1) Bless Adonai, my soul!
Everything in me, bless his holy name!
2 Bless Adonai, my soul,
and forget none of his benefits!
3 He forgives all your offenses,
he heals all your diseases,
4 he redeems your life from the pit,
he surrounds you with grace and compassion,
5 he contents you with good as long as you live,
so that your youth is renewed like an eagle’s.
6 Adonai brings vindication and justice
to all who are oppressed.
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Watch your Language. Grateful people have a particular linguistic style that uses the language of gifts, givers, blessings, blessed, fortune, fortunate, and abundance. * Sometimes even without a conscious intention (perhaps influenced by what we hear others saying), we adopt a "linguistic style” full of words like earned, deserved, produced, accomplished and achieved. There is nothing wrong with being conscientious workers, of course. But when the psalmist said, “Let my whole being bless the Lord,” it was not because of a belief that God should be grateful for what he had done, but because of gratitude for what God had done for him.
• Verses 3-4 strongly suggest that the psalmist had been through a hard time, perhaps a severe illness from which he could not deliver himself. What reasons for gratitude and praise has God helped you find in the wake of your painful experiences? How can you grieve life’s tragedies, personal or communal, and yet stay open to God’s healing Spirit and God’s pledge of a future free of terrible tragedies?
• 1 John 1:8 says “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.” How does the first phrase of verse 3 in this psalm show that the psalmist felt no need for denial or deception about sin? How do God’s grace and compassion create a space in which moral honesty, with ourselves, others and God, is cleansing, rather than scary? In what area(s) are you particularly
grateful for God’s forgiveness?
Prayer: O God, grow my comfort and enjoyment of language that recognizes you, and not my own merits, as the ultimate source of so much of the good in my life. Thank you for your many gifts to me. Amen.
* Each day this week we’re sharing one tip from Robert Emmons, “Ten Ways to Become More Grateful.” November 17, 2010 from Greater Good Magazine.
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Darren LippeDarren Lippe helps facilitate Journey 101 “Loving God” classes, guides a 7th-grade Sunday school class, is a member of a small group and a men’s group, and serves on the curriculum team.
Our family has enjoyed filling out our Gratitude Journals the past few weeks & I thought it might be interesting to compare ours with King David’s list captured in his thoughts in the 103rd Psalm.
King David opens with thanking God for forgiving all of our sins. Presuming that David is writing this in his later years, perhaps we should be encouraged by his confidence that our God is indeed a God who completely & totally forgives the repentant sinner.
Aside: Ouch. David’s list already makes mine seem a bit lame. (Admittedly, my enthusiasm for beagles could be considered a tad over-the-top.) It’s like a flashback to when I was in 3rdGrade Sunday School & our teacher, Mr. Reynolds, asked as an icebreaker question, “What would you like for Christmas?” I excitedly/rapidly answered, “A GI-Joe action figure with the Kung Fu grip.” My classmate (& long-time churchly nemesis), Tami, was next & responded, “Peace in Jesus’ hometown.” Sigh.
David then thanks God for healing all of our diseases. This is puzzling since we know that God doesn’t magically heal our broken bodies. While we understand that disease is often used as a metaphor for sinfulness, perhaps David is also thanking God for our body’s amazing ability to heal & mend. Our younger son, Jacob, diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes this past June listed Drs. Minkowski & von Mering in his gratitude journal for discovering insulin in 1889 - giving him the gift of a healthier life 128 years later.
King David is also grateful for God redeeming his life from the pit. The pit, in David’s time, could refer to Sheol – the world of the dead. With Christ’s selfless sacrifice on the cross, we know that our savior will redeem our life & we have nothing to fear as we walk through the valley.
Aside: Yipes – that’s another strong entry from David. If we asked the boys what they were grateful for before eating dinner, we found their responses focused on that evening’s menu – meat loaf, spaghetti, or beef stroganoff. In our defense, perhaps it is okay to be appreciative of food & to not take it for granted. When the boys were little guys they’d say grace & conclude by clapping their hands & shouting, “Yea God!” Maybe, this view of mealtime could even increase our appreciation for that Swanson TV Dinner of Chopped Sirloin Beef (with tater tots!).
David is grateful for a God who crowns us with love & compassion. Being a king, David knows what he is talking about. But instead of boasting crowns of jewels & gold, David is delighted to share in God’s crown of love & mercy. Perhaps we need a reminder that there is no greater honorific/earthly title than to have God say, “Well done, good & faithful servant” – though Matthew’s appreciation for being Co-Vice President of CORis is also worthy of note.
Finally, David’s journal concludes with gratitude to God for satisfying our desires with good things. As we think of good things, maybe we need to go old school. Doris’ gratitude for the sunshine definitely makes sense as we endure Daylight Savings Time. (“Up before the sun” used to be something to brag about; now, not so much.) Maybe we should focus on the many pleasant things of our daily existence: laughter, multi-colored leaves, noisy children playing, a phenomenal hymn in worship, a good mystery novel, or even that gift for a loved one that you “just can’t wait” to give.
You know, in retrospect, David’s list was definitely awesome. But what ours might have lacked in quality, perhaps the quantity in our Gratitude Journal might tighten the gap. To paraphrase Police Chief Brody from the 1975 movie, Jaws, “Looks like we’re gonna’ need a bigger book.”
Editor: The actual quote is “Looks like we’re gonna’ need a bigger boat.” Scheider, Roy, perf. Jaws. Universal Pictures, 1975. Film.
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"Giving thanks to God eternally"
Saturday, 2 December 2017
Revelation 7:9 After this, I looked; and there before me was a huge crowd, too large for anyone to count, from every nation, tribe, people and language. They were standing in front of the throne and in front of the Lamb, dressed in white robes and holding palm branches in their hands; 10 and they shouted,
“Victory to our God,
who sits on the throne,
and to the Lamb!”
11 All the angels stood around the throne, the elders and the four living beings; they fell face down before the throne and worshipped God, saying,
12 “Amen!
“Praise and glory, wisdom and thanks,
honor and power and strength
belong to our God forever and ever!
“Amen!”
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Go Through the Motions. If you go through grateful motions, the emotion of gratitude should be triggered. Grateful motions include smiling, saying thank you, and writing letters of gratitude. * A prisoner of conscience wrote the book of Revelation. The Romans exiled him for his faith on the small Mediterranean island of Patmos, isolated from the Christian churches he led and loved (cf. Revelation 1:9). Yet he produced (and somehow sent from the island) a work of awesome vision and praise. At its heart was the scene of “a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language” in the courts of heaven praising Jesus as the self-giving, saving Lamb of God. Gratitude isn’t limited to this life or this world, Revelation said. Gratitude to our God and Savior is the vocabulary of eternity.
Ø Jesus called his followers to have the same positive impact on our world as light in a dark place, or salt on flavorless food (Matthew 5:13-16). In what ways is your life brighter (not flawless, but brighter!) because of God’s love, forgiveness and presence with you? In what ways does the promise of an eternity of praise and gratitude shine into your life, your heart from day to day? How can you refract the light of God’s eternity in ways that brighten the lives of others, and add zest and joy to their world? Ask God to direct you to at least one person for whom you can be God’s gratitude-inspiring presence in this holiday season.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, I offer blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might to you forever and always. (And when I don’t, please remind me.) Amen.
* Each day this week we’re sharing one tip from Robert Emmons, “Ten Ways to Become More Grateful.” November 17, 2010 from Greater Good Magazine.
Family Activity: Play “Penny Praise!” Get one or two rolls of pennies from the bank. (Warning: Pennies are a choking hazard, so if you have very small children in your home, use an item larger than pennies.) Hide individual pennies all over the house, in the car, in shoes, backpacks, etc. Gather the whole family, set a timer for two minutes, and go on a penny hunt, with each person finding as many pennies as possible. Every time someone finds a penny, they shout out a praise to God for something or someone they are thankful for. Your house will be filled with voices shouting praises to God simultaneously! When the timer sounds, come back together. Have everyone share the number of pennies they found and name a few of
the praises they shouted. Some pennies are probably still hiding, so continue the game all week, with everyone shouting a praise whenever they find a penny. Thank God for all the reasons to praise Him!
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Prayer Requests – cor.org/prayer
Prayers for Peace & Comfort for:
• Mary Fry and family on the death of her aunt Lavon Hill, 11/18
• Margaret Dack and family on the death of her sister Lola Charlene Prather, 11/18
• Gisele and Mike Shore and family on the death of their son Danny Shore, 11/14
• Ralph Waters and family on the death of his wife Jo Ann Waters, 11/14
• Carol Horsch and Debra Tidmore and family on the death of their mother Jo Ann Waters, 11/14
• Family and friends of Connie Hines on her death, 11/11
• Lacey Finley and family on the death of her father Paul Kaberline, 11/9
• Judy Bass and family on the death of her brother-in-law Donald R. “Don” Rogers, 11/8
• Family and friends of Georgia Walker on her death, 11/6
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The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection
13720 Roe Avenue
Leawood, Kansas 66224, United States
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