IN EVERYTHING GIVES THANKS

          “In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in

          Christ Jesus concerning you.” (I Thess. 5:18)

          On the edge of our national holiday of Thanksgiving, and in light of this text, will you forgive a personal reference right here up front, and let me say, “I am so thankful to be here!” From the first telephone conversation I had with Doug Elvers, chair of the Interim Minister search committee, through a conference call with the entire committee, Doug, Beth Maxwell, Holly Schmidt and Bill Scott (I mention their names because this is all their fault), to a personal meeting with the entire committee, (which was both socially delightful and mildly inquisitional), with various lunches and dinners and tours of Durham and Chapel Hill and Duke interspersed, both Pat and I literally felt the call of the Spirit upon us, and it was time I came out of a year and a half retirement (I was getting bored with myself anyway), and come to live among you for a while.  I can say with Paul, “in everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”

          While I am speaking about the sheer delight in knowing new people and the wonderful feeling of God’s providential leading in one’s life, we ought to acknowledge that these words were not written in such wonderful circumstances. They were written by the Apostle Paul, part of the first letter he ever wrote, after a very brief stay and a very abrupt departure from Thessalonica, where new converts were about to experience persecution.  Moreover, the church there had mistakenly believed that Jesus would return “any day now,” and that those now living would live to witness this “second coming.”  Some believed that since this was all about to happen, they didn’t have to do a day’s work.  To this, Paul writes, “In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”

          Many commentators have pointed out that Paul did not say that we should be thankful FOR everything. That would be sick. No one in their right mind would be grateful to God for a serious illness, a financial setback, the sudden loss of a loved member of the family, a terrible automobile wreck or a plane going down in a field.  And none of us here would be thankful for the retirement of a beloved pastor of 31 years. Thankful for his leadership and ministry, and the gift of his life acting on our lives, but not particularly grateful for his departure.  No, says Paul, not FOR everything but IN everything.  I like the NIV translation, “give thanks in all circumstances.”  Which is to say, in every circumstance, whatever it may be, the idea is to maintain a thankful spirit.  

          The Book of Common Prayer in the Anglican Church includes a prayer at Holy Communion that puts the essence of Paul admonition in the King’s English and always makes my soul stand up: “It is very meet, right, and our bounded duty, that we should at all times, and in all places, give thanks unto Thee, O Lord, Holy Father, Almighty, Everlasting God.”  With an attitude like that, there are very few circumstances in life that could get us down. “In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”

          Does it strike you as strange that thankfulness should be commanded? We say, “you can’t command or demand thankfulness.” It's like one human being saying to another, “You, be generous. You, out there, be sweet. You, be cheerful.”  Not a chance. But we know, and we may be sure Paul knew, that thanksgiving is the product of reflection. The question is, on what should we reflect?

          For this moment, and ever so briefly, how about reflecting on our past, our present, and our future.

          How about our past? When I first read your CIF (church information form), I’ll be honest and tell you my first thought: a church like this doesn’t exist.  It’s too good.  By the way, it was then and there I decided it would be a magnificent experience to serve this church.  Let me just list a few things that jumped off these pages at me:

-                     five adult classes that use THE PRESENT WORD curriculum,  and children ages two years old through high school utilize a lectionary based curriculum, SEASONS OF THE SPIRIT. So when kids go to Sunday School and then church, one reinforces the other.

-                     A charge and theme found in Micah 6:8: “What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

-                     A mission program that includes housing for the homeless; programs that address hunger, mental illness, illiteracy, and domestic violence; support of Meals on Wheels, Urban Ministries of Durham, Housing for New Hope, a Cub Scout Pack, a Boy Scout Troop, and a Venturing Crew, all chartered by WPC and are nationally recognized, a Habitat for Humanity program, a well recognized disaster relief program, and global programs supporting work in Kiev, Zambia, and Mexico.

-                     A music program that, it seems to me, is unsurpassed, with a great Chancel Choir, a Junior and Handbell Choir, a Brass Ensemble and the Jazz Ensemble.

-                     A stewardship program that is upbeat and a congregation that takes its support and giving seriously.

-                     And this statement that I found myself underlining: “We are committed to welcoming all persons into the fellowship of a Christian community as Jesus did by offering UNCONDITIONAL HOSPITALITY.

     That’s who you are and is your past, for which you certainly can be thankful, and I know that Haywood has been at the center and front of this incredible church.  “In everything, give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”  

     How about the present? One of the events I did not mention on our first forays up here was the privilege Pat and I had to meet with the staff. What a great experience, and I again came away feeling, “It would be nothing but a privilege to work with such a group.”  How could you ask for anything better than Betty with her congregational care, Gail keeping the whole ship on course, Monica with her excellence in music, Barbara watching with care over the finances and property, Paul with his expertise with youth, being the “disaster pastor,” and, as most associate pastors do, doing a little bit of everything; Nancy coordinating a monumental CE program, and Tracy assisting with the financial affairs.  And may I say, as most of the staff have said, where the real present strength of this church lies is in the extraordinary gifted leadership of its members.  A great staff is only as great as the membership it supports.  And the School for Young Children? What a blessing!  What a present is our present! In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”

     And the future? I can already feel that the elected Elders and Deacons of this church are simply 100% committed to bringing into the future the great strengths of the past and the present.  They have the twofold strengths I have known in most great leaders: 1- doing everything in their power to make things happen, and 2- trusting in God that he will guide each and every step.  We are certain that out there is a person whom the Senior Pastor search committee will find who will guide this church for years to come as it has been guided so well for years in the past.

     The unmistakable mark of a living faith and a dynamic church is a readiness to praise, to give thanks, not for all circumstances, but in all circumstances.  “In everything give thanks.” I believe that is God’s word for us not just today, and not just for a Thanksgiving season, but for life!