“For these and all your many gifts…”

Sermon for the Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 23, Year C (October 9, 2022).

View the scripture readings and the Collect of the Day: Proper 23C (Track 2)

Preached at Christ Episcopal Church, Jordan, New York

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On the way to Jerusalem Jesus was going through the region between Samaria and Galilee. As he entered a village, ten lepers approached him. Keeping their distance, they called out, saying, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!" When he saw them, he said to them, "Go and show yourselves to the priests." And as they went, they were made clean. Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice. He prostrated himself at Jesus' feet and thanked him. And he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus asked, "Were not ten made clean? But the other nine, where are they? Was none of them found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?" Then he said to him, "Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well."

Luke 17:11-19

Edited Transcript

May only truth be spoken here and only truth be heard in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

I invite you to be seated.

It's not unusual in a in a time of transition, whether it's a small or a big one, that we would find ourselves wondering what's next. Since this is my last Sunday—and I'll try not to cry all the way through—I shared about a month ago, that this would be my last Sunday, and several people have come and asked me, What do you think is going to happen next to this church?

And each time I've said, Well, I don't know.

When we've been around long enough, we know that except for God, everything's got a beginning and a middle and an end. But we don't always know where we are in that. So the future, we don't know.We can't know what's next. And we can't control the future. We put in our best effort, but we can't make sure that there's going to be one outcome or another. And that can be hard when we're stepping into an unknown something that's next. And we're not sure what the future is going to hold for us.

But there is one thing we can be in charge of. And that is our own response to wherever we are in our story, to wherever we are, in any given situation, whether it's a beginning or a middle or an end.

In this Gospel reading today there are 10 people who come to Jesus and ask him for help and for healing. And he tells them, "go on your way." And as they're on their way, all of them are healed. They didn't know when exactly that would happen. And it happens kind of in the middle of their journey.

And all 10 of them are healed on the way but only one stops. Only one stops, and I have to wonder what were the other nine... I wonder, did they notice they were healed? What was their response? Because we don't see them. They kind of drop out of the story, except for Jesus' wandering about them. So we're kind of left to wonder too.

But it's almost like something miraculous and beautiful happened, and they just kept on going. I wonder if they even pause to notice, or pause to give thanks.

But the person we do see in the story is the one man who notices his healing and is and is stopped in his tracks. And instead of going along, like usual, he stops. And he runs back to Jesus to give thanks.

And I don't know about you. But so often,I'm kind of running along. And one wonderful thing after another is happening to me. And so often I don't even notice, I'm much more likely to notice the little irritations of my day to day life. You know, I was thinking about this this week, I was in the drive thru line at McDonald's and I, my french fries were cold, and I was so grumpy about it. And then I realized, I was like, most of the time, when I go through this drive thru line, I get exactly what I was hoping for. But rarely do I pause to say, Gosh, this tastes good. This is just what I was looking for. I only noticed it when it didn't go my way.

It's so easy to receive gift after gift and to just keep going on our way. At least it is for me. And that's why I, I practice, I have to write in my journal every day, like a couple of things that I'm grateful for.

All of us are about to be in a new time of transition, this community is going to be in a transition... we don't know where the story is going. We don't know what the future holds. But we still have the opportunity to pause and give thanks. And I find that to be deeply grounding in times of change and uncertainty.

When I lived with a community of sisters, on a small farm several years ago, a community of nuns... before every meal, they would stand in a circle around the table. And each person would say one thing that they were grateful for in that moment. And then we would all say together when each person had had an opportunity, we would all say together, "For these and all your many gifts, we give you thanks, Creator God

When we pause to notice and give thanks for what God has put in our hands. However briefly that may be—not holding on to it, but just thanking God for what is here.

Then we're truly present. We're truly present to what God has given us. Present to God and one another.

Over the summer, I spoke to several of you at length. I had a professional development course that had me interview members of the congregation as preparation. And we asked questions like, what brought you to this place? And what keeps you here?

I have to tell you I was surprised. I've worked with small congregations. And sometimes a pattern that can happen in a smaller congregation is that people are there because well this was my grandmother's church. People are there because they are really devoted to what the church was. And they are trying to keep it going. And that's meaningful.

But it wasn't exactly what I found here. And that's what surprised me. What I found talking to people here was that people who are here, experienced healing here at one time or another. People were telling me stories about God coming into their life through this church in a transforming and healing way. And people said the reason I'm here is that if someone else needs that, I want there to be a place for them to receive what I have received.

I was very surprised and very moved. Because person after person that I've talked to here has said: here I have received healing. And you've paused to say, Thank you. And to notice and acknowledge what has been given to you through this community. And you want to share it with someone else.

I'm very thankful for that. That is a reason for church to exist: to share what God can do with someone who might not have known about it yet. To pause and notice what God has done.

I'm going to invite you if you're willing, to say out loud or in your heart a gift of this community. Something you have received from God through this congregation.

Family

Continuity

Friends

Love

Caring

Calmness

and comfort

Peace and love

Do you want to say one?

Hospitality

A very good deviled egg

Healing

Wisdom

Friendship? Friendship

Guidance

Sharing

Can you say that one more time for me?

Protection

All of the above.

Encouragement

and courage.

These are gifts that God has given us and they can't be taken away. Because lots of things change. We don't know what the future holds. But the gifts of God, they endure. They last forever.

I would like it if you would join me in saying that prayer of thanksgiving. For these and all your many gifts, we give you thanks, Creator God. Amen.