Gratitude

A summary of the sermon delivered at the Annual Civic Service, on 21st September, 2024^AD, World Gratitude Day. 

In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. (1 Thessalonians 5¹⁸)

There are particular days devoted to charitable causes and areas of concern, not to mention individual saints who have their own day. It is fortuitous that today is World Gratitude Day. We have this needed prompt to be thankful.

Our national culture sometimes seems to be one of grumbling. Whatever our conversation, we are capable of being negative. We complain about the weather, whatever it might be like; our talk about the economy is gloomy; we speak of contemporary morality and the state of the church with despair. Nothing is right. We whinge and grumble.

In contrast, the culture commended in the Bible is one of thankfulness. The Psalms are full of “His mercies endure forever”. Even the Lamentations of Jeremiah include the words, His compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.  The story of the gospels begins with the Magnificat: My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. The apostles were imprisoned for the faith, but they rejoiced and sang praises to God. Paul exhorts us to be thankful, not least in our text: In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God.

Strikingly, the Apostle Paul speaks of being in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world and identifies a feature of the crooked and perverse generation as murmuring. We are to be in contrast with the world about us by not whinging. The darkness of this world is evident in grumbling; the light of Christ is in gratitude. 

What should we do? Let there be thankfulness with:

1. People  Let us make a point of thanking people. The purpose of the Civic Service is for us to thank those who serve the community. So many labour tirelessly to benefit others and to make the village all that it is. Daily, let us pause and go out of our way to thank people we meet and who are around us. For example, had you ever thought of thanking the man who puts up a barrier closing the road? Albeit at the cost of minimal inconvenience to you, he is serving the community, effecting some repair or improvement. Surprise people by just thanking them for what they are doing for the village.

2. Practice  When we are bombarded with negative messages on every side, we need to make a point of nurturing and expressing gratitude. It is worth, at the end of each day, recording, in some form, the good experiences and what has brought help, encouragement, and joy. Count your many blessings; name them one by one, and it will surprise you what the Lord hath done. The exercise will develop a habit of gratitude.

3. Prayer  This point I must add, given that the verse before our text reads Pray without ceasing. If you pray, you will have reason to thank the Lord. If you pray earnestly, He will answer, perhaps in remarkable ways, and gratitude will rise within you. If you pray without ceasing, you will perpetually have cause to thank the Lord.

By definition, Christians will be grateful. We have asked the Lord to own us as His people, to forgive us and to help us. All of that He has done and more. We cannot help but be thankful. We come to Holy Communion – the Eucharist, which simply means thanksgiving – and partaking of the bread and wine, we are so grateful that Christ’s body and blood is given for us.

In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. This is God’s will: be thankful – in everything.

Download to see a pdf including the order of service and the prayer written for the Civic Service