Nov 23rd: Remembering With Gratitude, with Rev. Dr. Steven Koski.
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Rev. Dr. Steven Koski
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Remembering With Gratitude with Rev. Dr. Steven Koski. Series: Love Takes Flight A Spacious Christianity, First Presbyterian Church of Bend, Oregon. Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 1.1-2.
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Transcript:
Steven: Fred Rogers. You know Mr. Rogers of Mr. Rogers Neighborhood? Well, Fred Rogers was speaking at a National Press Club luncheon, and the room was filled with with the best reporters, news anchors, TV personalities, I mean, the best in the nation, men and women who would achieve great success and lots of accolades, and Mr. Rogers stood at the podium. Began his speech by taking out a pocket watch and announcing that he was going to keep two minutes of silence, and he invited everybody in the room to remember people in their past, parents, parents, teachers, coaches, pastors, mentors, friends and others, people who had made it possible for them to accomplish so much. And then Mr. Rogers stood there looking at his watch, saying nothing. The room grew quiet, and as the seconds ticked away, one could hear all around the room, people sniffling as they were moved by the memories and feelings of gratitude for those who had loved them, encouraged them, supported them, and made sacrifices on their behalf. Think about it for a moment. How do you want to be remembered if people actually took a moment to to reflect, to reflect about the impact that that that you have made in their lives and on the lives of others. What would you most like people to remember about you now imagine your family is thinking about you, your friends, your neighbors, your your co workers, your church family, maybe someone in need, in the community or in the world that you have served. Imagine they are reflecting about what they most appreciate about you, what what they’re most grateful for about your life. They’re reflecting on the the generosity of your life and and the impact your life has had on them and others. I mean, take a moment what are three or four words that capture how you would want to be remembered and the impact the generosity of your life and and love has had. Okay? Now ask yourself, are you living your life today in the way that you want to be remembered tomorrow? Let me repeat that. Are you living your life today in the way you want to be remembered tomorrow. One of my absolute favorite books is called Tuesdays with Maury describing a friendship between Mitch albam, a Detroit sports writer and professor, Maury Schwartz, who is suffering from ALS Mitch would visit Maury every Tuesday, and the book actually describes those visits. Mitch said people would come visit Maury, and they’d be hoping to cheer Maury up, but Maury would always end up cheering them, cheering them up, because he’d ask about their lives. He would actually listen and care about their problems. Mitch wrote in the book, you know, I watched this happen so many times that finally I said to Maury, I don’t get it. Maury, I don’t get it. You’re the one dying from ALS, this awful, debilitating disease. If anyone’s earned the right to say, Yeah, let’s not talk about your problems. Let’s talk about my problems. It would be you and more. He said, Why would I want to talk like that? I don’t want to be a taker. I don’t want to be remembered for what I what I took from others. I want to be remembered for what I was willing to give. Maury smiled and said, giving makes my heart glad. People die. Love doesn’t die, and I want to be remembered for the love I left behind. I love that line. I want to be remembered for the love I left behind. Today’s Bible reading is from First Thessalonians, chapter one, verses one to two. You know, our faith today can actually be can be traced back to this, this small, fragile community. In Thessalonica, which was located in what, what is now modern day Greece. Of all the writings in the New Testament, First Thessalonians is actually the earliest writing. You know, for example, if the books and the letters of the New Testament were placed in in chronological order, the the New Testament would would not begin with Matthew. It would actually begin with First Thessalonians. This is the first gospel message. Now for this Thessalonians, for this community of faith, the very act of gathering together, the very act of gathering together and sharing the sacrament of of welcoming men and women, slave and free, Jew and Gentile, clean and unclean, to the same table, The very act of welcoming the stranger, caring for widows, orphans, of actually trying to live the spacious and radical love of Jesus, doing all of that was incredibly bold and courageous. They would gather as a community of faith. They would gather at the risk of their own lives. They practiced their faith in the face of extraordinary adversity and challenge. So this is what Paul wrote to them to encourage them, and it’s regarded actually as the earliest writing of our faith. This is what Paul wrote. We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, remembering before God our Father, remembering your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, so Paul is expressing gratitude for the witness of this remarkable community and the way in which they live their faith in adversity, in really trying times. And Paul specifically gives thanks to God for the work of their faith, their labor of love and the steadfastness of their hope, and the very first Christian writings, there’s a theme, you know, faith. Faith is work. It’s a it’s a labor of love that requires us steadfast hope. Faith is expressed in the choices we make, especially in the face of adversity. Faith Paul’s what Paul’s trying to say here is that faith is is a practice of making choices that shape who we are today and how we will be remembered tomorrow. How we choose to live and love in the face of adversity is actually our witness to future generations. Our faith has roots. The history of our faith traces back to that community in Thessalonica. The history of our faith traces back to to their resilience, their courage, their their generosity, their labor, labor of love, their their faithfulness in the face of adversity, really makes me wonder, how will we be remembered? How will we be remembered for the way in which we meet this moment in time, what will people be saying about us years and years and years from now about the way we have responded to the challenges of our Day? What will be our witness to future generations? I mean, will future generations be taking the time to reflect and remember us, and taking the time to give thanks for for the work of our faith, you know, for the labor of. Of our love for the steadfastness of our hope. I absolutely love the image from the 12th Chapter of the book of Hebrews that says, seeing that we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and run with perseverance the race that is marked out for us. What a beautiful image, a great cloud of witnesses cheering us on, encouraging us as we run our leg of the race called life. Barbara brown Taylor calls them the balcony people, you know, the people who have gone before us, who are there, up there in the balcony, cheering us on, encouraging us to live today and the way we want to be remembered tomorrow. I mean, we each have our own our own witnesses in the balcony. I mean grandparents, parents, teachers, aunts, uncles, mentors, friends. You know, those people who believed in us, those people who who stood beside us, those people who loved us. Who is that person who has impacted your life and faith the most? Take a moment to remember. Allow yourself to feel gratitude for this person and the difference they have made in your life now as you continue to run the race of your life, imagine that person even now cheering you on, whispering in your ear that you are loved, that they believe in you. What would you love to hear them say to you today? You know, First Presbyterian has a cloud of witnesses, an incredible cloud of witnesses over span over 125 years. I mean, balcony people, saints. What a remarkable legacy of blessings that have been passed along to us. I mean, imagine for a moment all who have sat in the pews over the years, those who have served and sacrificed and and loved call to mind all throughout the years, who have taught and loved our children, mentored our youth, you know, taught in Sunday school. You know, think of the men and the women who have tirelessly, tirelessly fed the hungry, cared for the sick, comforted the grieving, worked for justice, men and women who who have cooked meals, cared for our buildings, sung in the choir, men and women who have modeled a Christ like life and the importance of love, kindness, generosity, sacrifice. You know, I have the privilege of this platform, the sheer gift of being able to speak to you simply because of the work of faith, the labor of love and the steadfast hope of the faithful and generous souls who paved the way before me. I don’t know all their names, but I stand on their shoulders just with an incredible, immense sense of gratitude. None now the baton of faith, of hope, of love, it’s now in our hands when it comes to that day, who will we pass the baton to? Will there be a generation of the faithful, 2050, 100 years from now, remembering expressing gratitude for the work of our faith, the labor of our love, the blessings that we have handed to them? That probably depends on how we choose to respond to this moment in time. How will you be remembered? What will be the joy? Joy of your legacy. Take a moment again. Take a moment to take a moment to remember that person who loved you, who believed in you, who impacted your life. Let your heart fill with gratitude. Give thanks to God for the gift of their life and how they impacted your life. Now again, imagine someone taking a moment, perhaps years from now, to reflect on your life, taking a moment to express gratitude, gratitude for the impact your life has had on them, the labor of your love. How do you want to be remembered? My prayer for you, my prayer for all of us in these challenging days is that God will grace you with everything you need to be, the presence of Love you desire to be and to live today in the way You want to be remembered tomorrow. May it be so, and I offer you this prayer, holy one, as we pause to reflect on the profound impact of love and generosity that that shapes our lives, we give thanks for the countless individuals who have walked alongside us, those people who have poured kindness, encouragement and love into our lives so generously, help us to honor their legacy By choosing to live lives marked by faith, by love and steadfast hope, inspire us to be givers, just as they were reflecting your love and leaving the legacy of Our love behind, grant us the courage to serve selflessly, to care for those in need and to spread spread kindness and goodness in our communities. Let our lives be a witness to your love in these challenging days, we ask for your guidance in our choices, that each step we take may resonate with purpose, generosity and compassion, may we be a source of joy, hope, strength for those around us, just as so many have been for us. Amen.
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