October 11 ~ Gratitude is not a feeling. It is the act of noticing.
Sermon by Pastor Joel
Deuteronomy 8:7-18
Psalm 65
2 Corinthians 9:6-15
Luke 17:11-19
Researchers have been studying gratitude for years now. And they keep finding the same thing. People who practice gratitude tend to be happier. Their relationships are stronger. They experience less anxiety and depression. Some studies even suggest they sleep better and may live longer.
Now, that sounds wonderful. But my first thought is not, "What a remarkable discovery." My first thought is, "My mother could have told you that for free."
Because every Thanksgiving, every birthday, every Christmas, every time anybody handed me anything, there was my mother: "What do you say?" And of course, we knew the answer: "Thank you."
Science spent about thirty years and several million dollars discovering generations of mothers and grandmothers were right. Which is comforting, I think.
The truly interesting question isn’t that gratitude is a happy gesture, but what it is about practicing gratitude that makes us happier.
One theory is that gratitude changes what we pay attention to. It helps shift our focus away from what's missing and toward what is already present. It makes us notice our connections to other people. It strengthens community and generosity.
In other words, gratitude teaches us to notice. Which is the story of the gospel this morning. Jesus heals ten people suffering from leprosy. They all leave to celebrate and meet up with their families. Only one returns to Jesus out of thankfulness. “Were not ten made clean?” Jesus asks. “Where are the other nine?”
Now I have a lot of sympathy for those other nine. It goes back to our challenge from last week when we read the gospel – to ask ourselves who are we in this story? If I’m honest, I think there's a good chance I wouldn’t have hustled back to express gratitude to Jesus either.
Think about it: You've been excluded from society, separated from family, diminished and abandoned. And suddenly your healed. You might have some people you’d like to see. Family to hug. Celebrations to enjoy. Those other nine, they just got busy.
And honestly, isn't that our problem too? I don't think most people are ungrateful. I think most people are busy, rushing from one thing to the next. And we stop noticing.
Moses understands that danger in Deuteronomy. But what’s worrying Moses isn't hard times. Hard times tend to make us aware of our dependence on each other. He's worried about success. He's worried about abundance. He's worried about the day when the crops are growing, the houses are built, the bank account is healthy, and life feels comfortable.
Because that's when we begin to tell ourselves a story. "My power and my strength got me here." Moses says: be careful. Be careful because that story isn't true. None of us got here alone.
Think about your Thanksgiving meal for a moment. Someone planted the grain, and harvested it. Someone drove the crop to the plant. Someone stocked the shelves at the grocery store. Someone cooked it and served it up at the table.
None of us are self-made, much as we’d like to tell that story. We like to imagine we did it ourselves. And then something goes wrong. And we remember how much we depend on each other. How many people carry us through life.
Paul understands this too. In the second lesson, he talks about generosity. But notice that it isn't really about money. It's about recognizing abundance. The more aware we are of what we have received, the more willing we are to share.
The grateful person becomes a generous person. Because gratitude reminds us that life is not a possession. It's a gift. Gratitude changes the way we see the world. It doesn’t make like perfect. It doesn’t spare us loss or stress. But it helps us see clearly. The friend who showed up. The stranger who helped.
The Samaritan in today's Gospel notices something the other nine miss. Not simply that he has been healed. But that someone healed him. And because he notices, he turns around. That is gratitude.
Gratitude is not a feeling. It is an act of noticing. The Psalm says: "You crown the year with your goodness." But then, we might say, well, some years are terrible. Some years contain heartbreak. Some years leave empty chairs around the Thanksgiving table. We know that. But somehow, even in those years, grace keeps showing up. God crowns the year with goodness, even when the year contains sorrow.
This then is the role of Thanksgiving. Be the one who turns back. Notice and remember the people who helped us get here. The blessings we have received. Remember the God who walked beside us, even when us couldn't see it.
Because the science says gratitude will probably make us happier. But the Gospel says something even better. Gratitude helps us see the world as it really is: A world held together by gifts, by grace, and by a God who never stops providing for us. Amen.
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