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Monday, Sept 06
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Sunday, January 03, 2010
Psalm 147:12-20
Christmas II
Craig Shirley
Thank You Notes
In some strange way, thank you notes have become a piece of antiquity. Even though we seem to be more “in touch” with each other than ever before, with cell phones, email, texting, facebook, twittering and so on – taking that little moment to sit down and write a simple note to someone to thank that person for a gift, an act of graciousness or for being present at the right time, has become something of a lost art. Even funeral memorials often are acknowledged with a pre-printed “thank you” that is simply signed by a family member on behalf of the entire family.
Why do we write thank you notes in the first place? Isn’t it enough to say thanks when you receive a gift, or to make that expected call after the fact? Perhaps. But there is something about a written note that is different.
First of all is courtesy; we want to let the person know that we got the gift they sent. No offense to UPS but several years ago a package addressed to my uncle was delivered to the right house number, but one street over from where they lived. It wasn’t until Christmas day when a sideways remark on the telephone about “how did you like the…..” got a very pregnant pause on the other end, that it was discovered. And by that time the package had mysteriously disappeared. No one at the incorrect address knew anything about a package, and so the gift was forever lost. Acknowledging that we received a gift is the first reason for a thank you note.
But a thank you is more than just acknowledging receipt of a gift. It also means acknowledging that we appreciate the sentiment of the gift. We appreciate the fact that the person giving the gift took time, and energy, and perhaps money or a skill to give us something from them. A thank you note says that you appreciate the fact that the giver cares enough about you to think of you. When Jesus healed the 12 lepers in the famous New Testament story, he told them all to go and show themselves to the Elders of the church, which they set out promptly to do. But only one of them took time to turn back and say ‘thank you” – to say to Jesus “I appreciate what you did for me.”
Last week we hosted Families Moving Forward. There were several families that stayed with us during the week and it was a lot of work to care for a number of rambunctious children. None of the volunteers do that work because they want to bask in the warm glow of the profuse thanks they may receive. But it was much appreciated by the people working when one of the mothers expressed personally to them how much she valued the work they did on behalf of her family during the week and how nice they tried to make it for them during a very difficult period of their lives. We appreciate the sentiment.
A thank you may also be the way by which we let someone know how much we liked the gift. My granddaughter needs to learn how to write thank you notes but it doesn’t take much energy to figure out if she likes a gift or not. Now being something of a “girly-girl” she does like clothes, and so a Christmas package with a new outfit in it can certainly bring out Oohs and AAhs that tell us she likes what she got. But she is also a typical kid, and a Barbie Camper or a flying Tinkerbell toy or an American Girl doll brings squeals of joy and a physical reaction that usually includes jumping up and down and clapping in delight. We don’t need to hear her say how much she likes what she got because she shows it with her whole being. Saying thank you can express how much we like the gift.
At the same time, there are those occasional gifts that may not be exactly what we asked for. I remember those Christmases when we were first married and I was in school and Christmas time was the time when I might restock my wardrobe with some new clothes rather than buying them out of a meager budget. I would look forward to a new sport shirt or a sweater that didn’t look like it was ten years old. Upon opening the box, I would find – a bright orange flannel shirt or a pair of novelty socks that could be worn once, maybe twice at the most. It was hard to be gracious, to say “thank you” to the person who is beaming proudly or waiting to hear you say “isn’t that cute – I just love it” – when you actually just hate it and needed something more practical! I know that modern young people want gift cards so they can pick what they want and often we bend to that request for just that reason – we don’t want to give them something that we think is nice but which they really don’t like and will never use. But even in a case of an unwanted or not-needed gift, we are still called upon to say thank you to the person who made a valiant attempt to please us.
But finally, the ultimate reason for saying thank you is to say to the other person, whether we liked the gift or hated it, that we are oh so glad that they are in our lives. Big gifts, small gifts, no gifts – that is inconsequential in the end. What matters is that we love having that other person in our lives and that, because they are in our lives, we are richer for it. That is what makes all the difference. A thank you is far more than just a “necessary evil” that society inflicts on us. It is an expression of love and thankfulness for the generosity of another.
During the Advent/Christmas season we have not been using the Psalms, but the psalm designated for this Sunday is Psalm 147. I’d like to have you turn to it now in the hymnal. The Psalms don’t have page numbers, but instead are the first 150 hymns in the hymnal, so look for hymn number 147. This psalm, in a unique way, is a thank you note to the Lord from a grateful people. It contains many of the attributes that I have described. Starting at verse 12 let’s read it together and see how the writer has written a thank you note to the Lord.
“Praise your God” the writer says. It is a reminder that God is a jealous God and wants us to give praise, to say thank you. In our worship (worship the Lord) we acknowledge that we have received the gift from God and that we appreciate the sentiment it contains. God loves us with a never failing love.
And we love the gifts given. God has blessed our lives – God is concerned for our safety (strengthened the bars of your gates) and cares about us – even about children yet to be born. God has also supplied us with gifts of food to eat and continues support us as we seek to live in peace with one another.
At times there are gifts that we can’t at first fully appreciate. There is snow and frost and hail that scatters like wool and ashes and bread crumbs. The psalmist adds an appropriate caveat to our thoughts – “who can stand against God’s cold?”
But even those things that seem harsh, things we wouldn’t necessarily ask for, become gifts in God’s hands and at God’s word. Soon they become water that flows and brings life to a thirsty and hungry world. Without the snow and ice and hail there would be no Spring growth, no new life, no renewal. Without the difficult periods of our life we could not appreciate the good things that come to us.
And finally is given that gift of love; first in statues and judgments, ordinances – ways to live life. And in this Christmas season we are especially grateful for the gift of Jesus, the only Son, the savior of the world, the Word made flesh – the greatest gift. For us he has been given, for the people of God has he been sent. We hear these words, and understand and appreciate these gifts and what they mean. Though we neither act godly nor feel godly, God comes to us.
In our worship, we acknowledge that God has given us a gift and we receive it gratefully. But not only do we acknowledge the gift, we appreciate the sentiment with which it is given. Sometimes we receive the gift with enthusiasm and thanksgiving; food, shelter, clothing, life itself. But there are times in life that events come to us which we don’t fully appreciate or understand; illness, loss, separation, death – but we receive them all the same, because – in the end, we know that God has come to us to love us – no matter what. And so, in our small way, we say “thank you” for this good news – In the gift of Jesus Christ, the Word incarnate, God is with Us.
Amen
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