Gratitude Sunday

Greetings in the Name of Christ,

Mark Twain was probably the most popular and famous writer of the 19th Century. Most notably, he was the author of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, as well as other popular fiction. At the peak of his career, his writing was valued at $5 per word. In today’s economy that’s about $200 per word. Some jokester wrote Twain with the following request:

Dear Mr. Twain:
Enclosed is $5. Please send me your best word.

Not long after he sent this letter, a reply came from Twain and it read simply, ''Thanks.''

This Sunday is Gratitude Sunday, a day of giving thanks for the work of Jesus Christ in our lives through Stonebridge United Methodist Church. Each person will be asked to fill out a gratitude leaf. The leaves will be available for each person to write one thing for which they are grateful when considering their church family. Some may want to fill out more than one leaf… or several. 

These gratitude leaves will be displayed through Thanksgiving on our gratitude tree. Our children and teens have spent the last two weeks filling out their gratitude leaves, and they will be the first to be presented in thanksgiving to God. 

My wife Amy will be joining me during this week's message as we share how much the Church has made a difference in our lives. We will be using the story of the 10 lepers who are healed by Jesus from Luke 17:11-19. Luke shares with us an incredible story of how Jesus heals the most outcast of that society of leprosy, yet only one says thanks. 

How can this be? Their lives are changed forever, but they don’t take the time to say thanks? Only one? 

In our get-it-done society, let’s take at least one Sunday and say thanks for what our Savior has done for us through our church family. May our faces glow with delight as we remember the times of blessing. May our thanks on this special Sunday make God smile. 

Life at its best is grounded in gratitude!

Remember… this is the last Sunday to drop off items or boxes for our Harvest Box collection. We will be dedicating the boxes before they are delivered to Meals on Wheels. May those who receive them experience the love of God through these small acts of grace and abundance. 

See you Sunday!

Pastor John Allen