Hi everyone,

So one of the great things about this job that I have (I’m a pastor, btw), is that my schedule during the week can be very flexible (not so much on Sundays, though). Because of this, I am able to take our kids on their field trips, extra curricular activities, and even drive them home here and there. And sometimes, it also means that we’re driving our kids’ friends.

Honestly though, I don’t mind. I like to get to know our kids’ friends and at very least be able to put a face to the names. But one thing that sort of bugs me, is that not all of them thank me for the ride.

Sure, I drive them anyway. But it’s not exactly always on the way or convenient for me to do so. But I’ll do it because then our kids can hang out with their friends a bit longer and again, I can meet their friends a bit. Although, it always seems like they’d rather not interact with their friend’s weird dad…

The point is, although it’s kind of annoying that I’m not always thanked, I guess that’s not the reason I do it. Actually, any kind of appreciation can’t be the point because whatever the act that can be appreciated is already done before any appreciation can be shown (or not shown, as it were). But the act is done out of generosity, compassion, and care. That is what moves us to be appreciative, it’s not the other way around.

Here are the readings for next Sunday:
2 Kings 5:1-3, 7-15c
Psalm 111
2 Timothy 2:8-15
Luke 17:11-19
And a video of the readings being read:

So like I say in the video, this coming Sunday is Thanksgiving Sunday, but these aren’t the assigned Thanksgiving Sunday texts. Rather, they are the regular texts for the 18th Sunday after Pentecost. We’re using them anyway because honestly, they’re very appropriate for Thanksgiving. In fact, they (or at least the gospel reading) might be the Thanksgiving texts for other lectionary years…

Either case, while these texts talk about appreciation, I’m not sure if that is the lesson here. Like don’t think the take away is that “we should be more thankful for stuff”. Rather, it seems to me that the focus is on the healing.

The healing that was done for no reason other than to heal. The wholeness that was restored wasn’t earned or warranted. The love shown to the folk in these stories was already shown before any kind of appreciation could be expressed.

In fact, I think the healers had more reason not to heal, what with the bad attitudes and social outcastery that was going on in the candidates. But the healing was done anyway. The wholeness was restored. The love was shown.

And that gives us the reason to be thankful. That gives us the motivation to worship. That changes us to see our position in God’s family a little differently.

But even if we don’t react that way, we are still given that gift. And that is the exact definition of grace.

Thanks be to God! Have a great week, everyone!