Sermons

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Best, Worst, All
Thanksgiving, November 27, 2003
Pastor Dan Baumgartner
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way – in short, the period was so far like the present period…”

Charles Dickens opened his wonderful book A Tale of Two Cities with these words, “in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and seventy-five.” It could have been “the year of our Lord two thousand and three,” couldn’t it have?

Never have I felt that the times we live in are more up and down than these. My heart is broken as I read about innocent people and terrorist bombers. My spirit is lifted as I hear stories of people giving up everything they have to spread the gospel from inner city New York to the mountains of Nepal. The Berlin Wall is torn down, the wall between Israelis and Palestinians is built up. The world dies from AIDS. The world gasps in shock as apartheid loses ground. There are homeless everywhere. AND I know of many people opening up their homes and housing people in trouble. Should I be pessimistic or optimistic? From moment to moment, I hardly know. I do know this: We are supposed to give thanks.

In the best of times, or in the worst of times? The Apostle Paul says, all of the time:

Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in all circumstances for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Praise God it doesn’t say “give thanks for all circumstances,” but in all circumstances. Otherwise we would be reduced to being plastic Christians with a smile plastered on our faces that we will keep no matter what the pain, cost or shock of any given moment feels like. No, it says “give thanks in all circumstances.”

For me, this means that our thanksgiving is not governed by our circumstances. Oh, it certainly can include our circumstances. But it is not limited to them.

You have never met anyone who is more thankful for a wonderful wife who is my best friend, or my children who I can’t imagine loving more. I love that I am here at this church, that I get to be involved in the kingdom work Jesus is doing, etc., etc.

But not all is well, is it? Not for any of us. People I’m close to are sick, friends die, relationships are not what I wish they were, we go through difficult seasons. Circumstances change. And yet… we are to give thanks. How does this work? What kind of thanksgiving do we bring that can encompass our circumstances and extend beyond them?

Let me offer you just two thoughts on this Thanksgiving Day:

The first is this: We are grounded in the ultimate thanksgiving. As Christians, we cling to a truth that is bigger than circumstances and our thanksgiving is rooted in this truth: Jesus Christ is constantly with us and his love is steadfast. We know it because Christ came for us, we know it because Christ died for us, we know it because Christ conquered death for us, we know it because He has prepared a place in heaven for us. That is the ultimate thanksgiving.

Knowing Jesus cares for us does not protect us from the hard (or the rich) circumstances of life. We will experience them all. And while we are thankful for the blessings and abundance of life and family and friends and whatever else you are thankful for on this day…always undergirding it is this other fact, that we are not alone. In Christ, we are loved by God. It does not change. In the best of times and in the worst of times.

My second thought is this: Even in the worst of times…we are not powerless. God can use a thankful heart to redeem difficult circumstances. I learned this more powerfully than I have just a few weeks ago. Some friends of mine were married recently. The time leading up to their marriage was extremely difficult because of some hurtful, painful things done by the groom’s family. Because of it, the day of the rehearsal and the wedding itself were somewhat tainted and not all of the memories are good memories.

Several months after the wedding, the couple called together 20 of their friends, including me, and we met for a time of worship. To be honest, I wasn’t a hundred percent sure it was a great idea, but we did it. Now, prior to that worship time, the couple sat down and began to write out the things that they were thankful for leading up to the wedding, and on the wedding day itself. As part of that time of informal worship, we sang and prayed together. And then, at one point, the bride and groom took out their list.

They began to go down it, alternating back and forth, speaking out the things they were thankful for: the love expressed by friends, things in the wedding ceremony, moments of feeling on holy ground. The first few they shared felt a little awkward. By the fourth or fifth one, the thanksgivings were flowing. By the 10th one, it felt like we were part of something very special going on. By the 15th or 20th thanksgiving and beyond…we were clearly on holy ground, in God’s presence.

Their intentional choice to be thankful…not to ignore the painful, but to celebrate things with thanksgiving…felt like it changed everything. God had redeemed the difficult, and somehow encompassed it. Everything was different. Give thanks in all circumstances.

Where are you this morning? In the best of times? In the worst of times? Somewhere in the middle? If we follow after the Apostle Paul, all of the times will be marked by our thanksgivings: thankful that Jesus is with us. Thankful that he can redeem our lives.

Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Amen.