Thank You Notes
My mom taught me that every good gift deserves to be met with an equally good thank you note. This is a noble rule to live by. Whether it’s a Christmas gift, a generous act offered over a birthday or special occasion, or a simple unexpected kindness, a thoughtful response of thanks is in order.
Thank you notes can take a multitude of forms these days. A short text can do the job. Picking up the phone is sometimes the best thing to do. Email works well for more modest responses. When it comes to communicating messages of true significance, I still prefer putting old fashioned pen to paper and using snail mail.
When it comes to thanking God for what he has done for us (i.e. EVERYTHING!), what is the best way to express our gratitude?
At a recent New Members’ Class, I blurted out that our entire lives are meant to be a “living thank you note to God.” I’m not sure where that idea came from, but I quite like it. Perhaps it’s my way of verbalizing the three part message of the good old Heidelberg Catechism:
- Guilt because we’re imperfect
- Grace because of God’s love
- Gratitude as our loving response
We are at the midway point of the calendar year. This is a fine time to take stock of how things are going and remember all the good things that God has done so far this year in and through Elmhurst CRC. This VIDEO SUMMARY and PRINT SUMMARY created by Kyle Olson with Sheri VanSpronsen-Leppink and church staff is a way of helping us recall and celebrate God’s goodness. #g2G
Our Staff, Elders, Deacons, and SLT Members have been compelled to lead the way in a response of gratitude and generosity. This is first and foremost a spiritual posture. Grateful people are also generous people. “Generous” does not imply any particular dollar amount, rather it implies a posture of sharing. We’re asking the rest of the church to join in this grateful response in whatever way is appropriate for you.
It’s my hope is that the communiques mentioned above will inspire deep gratitude to God across our community and that this spirit of gratitude will be translated into a generosity that allows our church to honor the financial commitments we made at the outset of 2019 so that we are free and ready to say “YES!” to the new ways in which the Spirit is moving and inspiring us to serve the world.
In recent months and weeks I’ve been hearing again and again, “The Spirit is doing something good at our church.” I agree! I don’t have it all figured out, but I do fiercely desire to keep in step with the Spirit. If we do, greater things are still to come by God’s grace!
In good hope and with high confidence in God,
Pastor Gregg