The one who offers
a sacrifice of thanksgiving
is the one who honors me.
And it is to the one who charts
the correct path that I will show
divine salvation.”
(Psalm 50:23)
Good Day Family,
Grace and Gratitude
Karl Barth once said, “Grace and gratitude belong together like heaven and earth. Grace evokes gratitude like the voice an echo. Gratitude follows grace like thunder lightning.” The Psalmist parallels thanksgiving and divine salvation, which is a spiritual manifestation of God’s amazing grace. Grace allows us to live a better life and so does gratitude. Circumstances may not be altered by either one, but by choosing to respond to life with grace and gratitude, we change. We interact in our relationships and even casual encounters with more peace and joy.
Gratitude cultivates joy, and it cultivates grace. When you lead first with appreciation, it makes it easier to accept disappointments and even human failings. We extend grace more readily to ourselves as well as others. Most of all, a grateful and grace-filled life honors God who has given us everything. Both sunshine and rain (even all this snow!) benefits us…whether we like it or not. God is the giver of good gifts.
This Lenten Season, we will focus on Covenant as our worship series and gratitude in our study. The two go together, bonded by God’s grace abundantly and lovingly given to each of us. We will read the book Grateful (linked below) by Diana Butler Bass and discuss it on Sunday mornings on Zoom at 9 am. I pray that you will join us.
Please also plan to join us for Parking Lot Ashes on Ash Wednesday from 12 – 1 pm. Unless there is a blizzard in process, I will be imposing ashes and distributing Lenten devotions. For your convenience, there is also an electronic version included below.
In Gratitude
Be well,
Pastor Cheryl
Link to Grateful: https://amzn.to/3cy0ACf
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