Finding Abundance

Sermon Matthew 6:24-34 November 18, 2018 Thanksgiving

Finding Abundance

Today’s troubles are enough for today. 

These words from the Scripture strike so strong that it’s worth noticing them and spending a few minutes on these words.

Jesus speaks these sound words to his disciples. They hear him give them some serios practical advice. It’s time for serious conversations from the Savior to the followers. Jesus is preparing the disciples to learn how to live life without him. He is showing them some things about life and commitments that are important.

Many of us have grown up in practical households with families that offered solid advice on how to become a grown up. We heard their words at crucial times in our life as we were about to embark on our adult journey.  Their words formed us and helped us and guided us. But, they also helped our relationships with them to appreciate them in the present and to change our focus and love them in the here and now in a new way.

Jesus’ conversation with the disciples here was more about helping them in the present, the here and now. He was helping them stay focused on the day to day life they had.

And perhaps that’s what’s important for us today as we head into Thanksgiving. Let go of our anixeties and focus on the here and now.

Anxiety often spins around a life of ‘what ifs’.

Energy is used up focusing on unresolved real troubles, worrying how to repair a hurt relationship, being paralyzed into procrastination, seeing a big picture and unable to handle simple daily tasks. 

Getting dishes done on a regular basis or the laundry, or paying bills on time, or getting kids to their practices, helping with homework, cooking dinner are enough trouble for one day. 

And when these other things of life keep tumbling in around us it can be debilitating.

Here in Matthew’s gospel Jesus is calling on the disciples to look at the ‘what is’ around them. There is a wonderful world right here. The grass is lush and green. The trees are strong and tall. The birds find homes for their nests. Creation is all around us and it is abundant and beautiful. 

Jesus is letting the disciples know that God is here in front of you, talking to you, loving you, pouring out compassion to you, offering the abundance of presence in this real time and space.

Jesus was doing his best to help them see, to help us see, the power of God’s fullness and presence; the power of God’s real time love and grace.

Tomorrow always has worries he says,

but today’s troubles are here,

so let’s get to them together.

When we take time to be aware of the things we have-we tend to recognize the richness and the value and the treasure of all we have. Ask anyone who has recently moved about their ‘stuff’, it’s hard to miss how much we have that we didn’t even remember we had when we’re packing up moving boxes and loading trucks.

We go to the pantry to get an idea about what to fix for dinner. We look blankly at all the cans and food stores and think there is nothing to eat. But, in reality our pantries are full but our imaginations and energies are lacking.

During the month of November we focus our energy for the month, or the week of Thanksgiving or perhaps only on Thanksgiving day, to think of all the things we are thankful for. Kids make paper plate turkeys and write on them that they are thankful for family and food. We recap our year and say the same thing in more than a few words. It’s a good practice to think about what there is to be thankful and then to say it. It takes our conversation away from always being about what I don’t have to what I do have.

One of the truths about psychology is that when we can change the negative conversation going on in our heads to a positive one we become positive in all other aspects of our life.

If our brains are programmed to operate out of scarcity then everything we look at and everything we do focuses on eliminating that scarcity.

If our brains become programmed to abundant life then all of our operations of daily living focus on all we have the joy and the wonder, the energy of good, the power of a sense of fullness and appreciation.

Even if we have nothing, when our thoughts are on the wonder of all we have in God’s love and presence, we can feel satisfied.

When we are awakened to the world of what we do have we are also for more free to give and to offer ourselves to help others and to offer our financial gifts to bells ringers in front of grocery stores and to places where good things are happening.

We want to give to places where see lives changing and people growing.

Friends, in Christ we have abundance, believe this good news. Believing this gives more than hope, it gives assurance and strength and new life.

The story Stone Soup, told in its many different cultures, 

tells the truth of how an entire village 

can be transformed by the actions 

of one person. 

The story focuses on the collective abundance of the people in one town and the ability for everyone to have plenty as they come together.

One of my hopes and dreams in these communities I serve is for the churches to open the doors and work together and commune together.

My prayer is that our community Vacation Bible School and Community Youth Group and Community choir grows and flourishes.

My prayer is that our Community Lenten services become year round services among our churches.

My prayer is that our ministers in the community come together to create an association of cooperation with our town managers and our police, sheriff, and emergency services.

My prayer is that there is a continuous Community Bible study taught by a variety of ministers.

My prayer is that our congregations continue to share the abundance we have in love, generosity, joy, talents, and fellowship beyond our walls.

Why are these my prayers?

I trust there is an abundance of possibilities for the Kingdom of God right here, right now, for the love of God to rain down on all of us.

For this I am thankful.

I honestly believe as we, God’s people, come together we too can create an abundance of the resources we already have among us for the sake of others and for the glory of God.

We have much to be thankful for so let us give thanks today.

Todays troubles are enough for today,

so we will rejoice in the abundance of the lilies in the field.

Amen.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Reverend Monica Gould

PCUSA