A Daily Morsel of Gratitude
November 28, 2013
Christ Church Episcopal, Norcross, GA
Thanksgiving Day – Year C RCL
Deuteronomy 26:1-11, Psalm 100, 18-21, Philippians 4:4-9, John 6:25-35
Happy Thanksgiving!
Our national holiday for food and football…
fried turkeys, friends and family! (not necessarily in that order)
And if we take a moment amid the rolls and gravy, it’s a day that invites each of us to reflect upon what we are thankful for.
As I thought about this, the work of Brené Brown came to mind. She’s a research professor at the University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work. Some of you may have seen her TED Talks on you tube – I was fortunate to get to meet her and hear her speak at a symposium last February. Her research for the past 12 years has studied shame and vulnerability and out of that work, she has discovered ways people bring about joy in their lives.
In a video interview published last year, she shared insights about the link between joy and gratitude. She was surprised to find in her years of research, that the only people who described their lives as joyful were also those who actively practiced gratitude. She admitted
that in the beginning of her work she thought that she’d find the opposite to be true: “if you are joyful, that you should be grateful.” But it was actually the other way around. She found that “practicing gratitude invites joy into our lives.”
She went on to explain that the practice of gratitude isn’t just feeling grateful, or having “an attitude of gratitude.” It’s having an intentional and tangible gratitude practice. Some people keep a gratitude journal, while others might pick a time each day to say out loud something they are grateful for.
For her family, each night at the dinner table, after saying grace, they go around the table and share something that they are grateful for. I’m guessing this may be a fairly common around dinner tables today – a day set aside for giving thanks – but to make it a daily practice, that’s a different story. Read the rest of this entry »
Come as you are… You are Enough!
July 7, 2013
Christ Church Episcopal, Norcross, GA
Proper 9 – Year C RCL
2 Kings 5:1-14, Galatians 6:1-16 & Luke 10:1-11, 16-20
When I was young, one of my family’s favorite summer-trips involved the seven of us piling into our wood-paneled station wagon for a two-day drive from Houston to the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. A few days before the trip, Mom would pull out the vacation trunk and begin layering in a week’s worth of clothes for five kids and two adults – warmer clothes for the cool Colorado evenings, hiking boots, and various other vacation necessities. She was a master-packer, but even so, when it came time to close the trunk, one or more of us kids would usually need to climb on top to get the lid latched.
I couldn’t help but think of this summer packing ritual, as a stark contrast to the travel mentioned in today’s gospel lesson.
We are told that Jesus appointed 70 to go out to other towns in the region – they are headed out on a journey, but this is no vacation. Instead, Jesus tells them plainly, “I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves.” And if that isn’t daunting enough, they are then told to take nothing with them – no purse, no bag, and no sandals.
A Sacrament of Love
March 28, 2013
Christ Church Episcopal, Norcross, GA
Sermon on John 13:1-17, 31b-35, given while serving as Deacon & Seminarian
Maundy Thursday
Exodus 12:1-14, 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 & John 13:1-17, 31b-35
When I was young, I used to go over to my Grandma Caldwell’s house, my mom’s mom, to spend the night. She and I would spend time together baking cookies or gingerbread. In the morning we’d often listen to Bible-quiz shows on the radio – having grown up Baptist, she knew a lot of the answers. As I got a little older, she’d play Elvis Presley records on the stereo… I think it was his gospel music that hooked her, but I preferred dancing around her small living room singing “Blue Suede Shoes.”
Now, Grandma Caldwell didn’t drive a car, so when we needed to get something for our latest recipe, we’d walk to a nearby store. I don’t think Grandma did a lot of walking, considering she was in her seventies, but the walking she did do, took a toll on her feet. So, it wasn’t uncommon as she was lying down to take a nap (which she invariably needed during my visits), she’d ask me to rub alcohol on her feet, and I was happy to do it.
Digging for Life
March 3, 2013
Christ Church Episcopal, Norcross, GA
Sermon on Luke 13:1-9, given while serving as seminarian
Lent 3 – Year C (RCL)
Exodus 3:1-15, 1 Corinthians 10:1-13 & Luke 13:1-9
Some of you may remember the movie Julia. The film is based on a true story that traces the lifelong relationship between playwright Lillian Hellman, who is played by Jane Fonda, and her friend Julia, played by Vanessa Redgrave.
Although the film was released in the late 1970’s, I didn’t actually see it until many years later, when I was in my 20’s. What I especially connected with in the movie was the stark contrast between Lillie and Julia. Their personalities and world-perspectives were completely different from each other. Elements of those differences reminded me of the contrast between me and my best friend at the time.
Julia was a visionary and consummate risk-taker. When she reached college-age, she left the U.S., traveling to Vienna to study with the likes of Sigmund Freud and Albert Einstein. While there, she was compelled to a live a life that confronted the injustices she saw in the world around her. I remember, that as I watched the movie, Julia’s strength and conviction reminded me of my best friend. Although she didn’t move overseas after college, she left our hometown of Houston, and forged a less conventional path. She was not constrained by what others thought, but instead blazed the trail her heart defined.
jodygreenwood 