WEBVTT

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 Again, welcome. I'm going to do a quick review. We're in our third week of a four-week series on Psalm 100.

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 We're looking at verse 4 today, Psalm 100, verse 4.

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 And we're in the second half of the psalm, so we're halfway there.

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 Next week, Dan will bring us home, looking at the fifth verse.

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 The rhythm of the psalm is really simple. There's a command to worship, and then the reason why we ought to worship.

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 And then there's a command to worship, and the reason why we ought to worship.

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 But verse 4, the second half, we're given a command.

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 We're to enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise.

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 We're to give thanks to him and bless his name.

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 The verse here, the language of gates and courts, is just very simply a clear reference to the temple.

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 The temple was the place of God's presence. It's where heaven and earth met.

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 It's where God was, and that's where God's people were to worship him.

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 And so this verse simply describes where and how God is to be worshipped.

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 If you've worshipped at the Church of Advent for any amount of time,

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 you may have noticed that we talk about the Christian life in terms of becoming fully and truly human.

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 It's an interesting thing about how we talk about the Christian life.

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 As a church, our aim is to be alive in the way that God intended human beings to be alive.

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 To be alive in the way that human beings God intended us to be alive.

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 And this isn't just so that we might be fulfilled or self-actualized.

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 It's actually so that God might receive the praise and the honor that's due his name.

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 Because I think the Bible is pretty clear that God's glory is linked to the creation project.

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 Which is to say that God's glory is linked to the human project.

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 How we turn out, God's glory is linked to that.

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 Irenaeus, a second century bishop, said this famously.

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 The glory of God is a human being fully alive.

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 The glory of God is a human being fully alive.

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 When I read this, it reminds me of one of John Piper's famous sayings.

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 I don't know if you've ever heard of John Piper.

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 I'm a fan of his preaching, his theology.

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 He has a saying or movement called Christian hedonism.

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 And what Christian hedonism says is that God is most glorified when we are most satisfied in him.

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 So Christian hedonism says God is most glorified when human beings are most satisfied in him.

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 Now I don't disagree with that.

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 I am very sympathetic to that view.

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 But I want to frame it a little bit differently this morning.

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 Instead of Christian hedonism, I want to talk about things in terms of Christian humanism.

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 And so I would say that God is most glorified when we are most fully alive in him.

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 Christian humanism.

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 God is most glorified when we are most fully alive in him.

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 And this begs the question, well, what does it mean to be fully alive?

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 And how do we become fully alive?

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 And that's what I want to talk about this morning.

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 And I want to ask the question, is there something so important?

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 Is there some characteristic or quality of the human being?

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 Something so foundational to the Christian life, that is to human life,

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 that if we get this one thing, then everything else just kind of falls into place.

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 Like a well-laid cornerstone that's laid such that every single other brick is laid and falls in the right place.

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 And so the whole building is built together with integrity.

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 So the question is, is there a secret to being fully alive?

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 Asking this question, I sort of laugh at myself in some ways,

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 because it's a big question.

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 Maybe it's absurd.

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 It reminds me of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

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 I don't know if anyone is a fan of that book or that movie.

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 We have one.

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 There we go.

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 So there's this really hilarious scene.

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 Two of the characters, they go up to a supercomputer.

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 And the supercomputer's name is Deep Thought.

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 And so they go up to the supercomputer and they say,

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 Deep Thought, is there an answer to life and the universe and everything?

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 And Deep Thought, the supercomputer, says,

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 Interesting question.

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 It's going to take a while to compute that.

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 Come back in seven and a half million years and I'll give you the answer to life, the universe, and everything.

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 And so the very next chapter, seven and a half million years later,

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 seven and a half million years of anticipation,

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 they go back to Deep Thought and they say,

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 We're here.

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 Tell us the answer to life, the universe, and everything.

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 And Deep Thought computes a little bit and says,

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 The answer to life, the universe, and everything is?

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 42.

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 Which makes no sense.

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 And the point of that is that this question makes no sense.

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 There is no...

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 Life is absurd.

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 There's no answer to life, the universe, and everything.

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 The answer is 42.

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 And so I hope my answer to the secret to life, the universe, and everything isn't as absurd.

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 I think I know the secret.

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 So is there a secret to being fully alive?

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 Is there a secret to life, the universe, and everything?

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 I think verse four of Psalm 100 perhaps surprisingly tells us.

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 Can anyone make any guesses from our verse?

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 What's the secret?

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 Give thanks.

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 Yeah, give thanks.

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 I think it's gratitude.

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 I think that's the answer to life, the universe, and everything.

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 And so what I want to do this morning...

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 Right?

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 Is that as absurd as 42?

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 I hope not.

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 What I want to do this morning is make the case why gratitude is so important

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 and then give us some practical ways for how we can cultivate gratitude in our lives

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 so that we can unlock the secret to life, the universe, and everything.

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 Okay, so why is Thanksgiving such a big deal?

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 Why is this, gratitude, gratefulness, Thanksgiving, the answer to life, the universe, and everything?

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 Well, in a negative sense, ingratitude is the root of all that's wrong in the world.

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 I don't know if you've ever noticed this in Romans 1,

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 but Paul writes about the cause of universal sinfulness in chapter 1 of Romans,

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 the estrangement of humanity from God,

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 one of the foundational failures, perhaps the foundational failure of human beings,

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 of the human project when it got started,

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 was the failure for human beings to give thanks to God.

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 I want to read the verses, Romans 1, 21 to 23.

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 Paul writes this,

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 So what Paul is saying, and this is surprising,

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 I don't know if you've ever noticed that before,

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 but giving thanks is,

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 Paul describes it sort of like the Jenga piece,

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 that once you remove this, the whole tower comes collapsing.

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 Why is it such a big deal?

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 Well, if we're not grateful to God,

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 we become,

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 that's a reflection of our being disoriented towards God,

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 and ourselves, and all of creation.

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 And this leads to foolish thinking,

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 and to foolish living,

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 and ultimately this leads to dethroning God,

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 and putting other things,

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 and ourselves in God's place.

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 It's what I call the Dudley Dursley effect.

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 I don't know if any of you know who Dudley Dursley is.

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 He's the bully cousin of Harry Potter.

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 And I don't frequent the Harry Potter fan websites,

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 but I went there this week,

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 because I googled Dudley Dursley ungrateful,

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 and the fan website came up,

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 and this is how they describe him.

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 This is official Harry Potter fandom stuff.

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 Dudley is a bully.

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 He's unpleasant, spoiled, demanding, selfish, manipulative,

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 and I quote,

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 most of all, extremely ungrateful.

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 You might recall the scene from Dudley's 11th birthday,

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 if you've seen the movie, or if you've read the books,

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 he just opened all of his presents,

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 and then he causes a scene.

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 He was very upset.

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 He says, 36?

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 That's two less than last year.

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 So he got 36 presents.

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 He was very upset that he got 36 presents,

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 because last year he got actually 37.

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 He miscounted a little bit,

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 but he was very angry,

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 so he calls the scene,

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 and he forces his parents to buy more.

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 And that kind of makes me think about

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 Adam and Eve being ungrateful in the garden,

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 and them saying something like,

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 all but one?

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 We can eat everything here,

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 except from this one tree?

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 Ungratitude.

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 They were ungrateful.

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 And I think Paul argues,

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 when humans fail to give thanks to God,

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 we become like Dudley Dursley.

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 And it might manifest itself in our lives

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 a little bit differently than Dudley,

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 but we become little dictators,

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 entitled to things that haven't been given to us,

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 and then we demand them.

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 And sometimes we don't just demand,

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 but we take what we want,

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 because we deserve it.

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 And I think this is how the human story has played itself out.

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 I know for a fact that this is how every morning,

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 this is how our little family plays itself out.

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 I read the news,

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 and this is how the world plays itself out,

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 sometimes in just a little bit more sophisticated of a way.

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 But really,

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 I think it's all stemming back to a lack of gratitude.

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 This is the poisoned root that corrupts life,

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 the universe,

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 and everything.

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 And on the flip side,

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 in a more positive sense,

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 it's not just lack of gratitude that's the problem,

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 but gratitude is the solution.

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 Gratitude is perhaps the most becoming quality of a human being.

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 The most becoming quality of a fully alive human being.

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 Gratitude becomes us as creatures created by grace.

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 Gratitude becomes us as sinners saved by grace.

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 And gratitude becomes us as saints sanctified by grace.

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 It's grace and a gift through and through,

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 and the most appropriate response for a human being

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 is gratitude for the gifts that God has given to us.

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 And this is why our verse tells us

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 right worship is marked,

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 perhaps most of all,

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 by gratitude.

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 We are to enter his gates

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 into God's presence with thanksgiving,

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 and his courts with praise.

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 We are to give thanks to him.

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 And by giving thanks to him,

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 we bless his name.

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 Thomas Merton,

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 a Trappist monk,

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 one of our core groups in the church

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 this past semester,

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 read,

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 I think it was No Man is an Island

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 this semester.

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 They inspired me to read a little Merton.

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 I've been blessed by him this past week.

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 He's an American Trappist monk,

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 and he articulates how gratitude

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 is the heart of the Christian life,

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 and because it's the heart of the Christian life,

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 it's the heart of the human life,

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 and he describes gratitude in this way,

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 and it's just a really great quote,

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 so I'm going to read it in full for us.

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 Merton writes this,

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 To be grateful is to recognize

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 the love of God in everything,

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 in everything that he has given us,

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 and he has given us everything.

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 Every breath we draw is a gift of his love.

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 Every moment of existence is a grace,

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 for it brings with it immense graces from him.

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 Gratitude, therefore,

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 takes nothing for granted,

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 is never unresponsive,

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 is constantly awakening to new wonder,

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 and to praise of the goodness of God.

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 For the grateful person knows that God is good,

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 not by hearsay,

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 but by experience.

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 And that is what makes all the difference.

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 You know, as I was reflecting and contemplating

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 that quote,

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 that could be a commentary on Psalm 100,

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 which is very interesting.

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 So I want to talk about

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 how we are to cultivate gratitude in our lives.

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 In order to recognize the love of God in everything,

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 in order to see that every breath we draw

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 is a gift of God's love,

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 in order to appreciate that every moment of existence

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 is a grace,

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 in order to not take anything for granted,

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 to always respond in the right way,

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 to be awakened to new wonder,

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 and to praise to the goodness of God,

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 in order to really know that God is good,

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 not secondhand,

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 but from experience,

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 in order to be grateful, in other words,

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 we need to be paying attention.

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 It's as simple as that.

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 It's not so simple as it turns out in practice,

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 but we just need to be paying attention.

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 If we're paying attention,

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 we can't help but be grateful.

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 And attention is simply the convergence

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 of our concentration on a particular point.

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 Attention consists of being right here,

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 right now,

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 of attending to a particular thing

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 at a particular time

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 and at a particular place.

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 Attention is listening to your friend

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 without looking at your phone.

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 And it's a faculty,

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 like all of our other faculties,

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 that is strengthened like a muscle

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 through practice,

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 through repetition.

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 And it really, really, really matters

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 what we focus on.

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 Developing our attention

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 and attending to the right things,

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 I would say,

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 is perhaps the most important thing

00:13:05.840 --> 00:13:08.040
 you can do to grow in your walk with the Lord,

00:13:08.160 --> 00:13:09.320
 to grow as a human being.

00:13:10.600 --> 00:13:12.360
 And it's not hard to waste your life

00:13:12.360 --> 00:13:13.240
 if you think about it.

00:13:13.399 --> 00:13:14.540
 You just have to pay attention

00:13:14.540 --> 00:13:15.280
 to the wrong things.

00:13:15.320 --> 00:13:16.720
 And I'm not just talking about Netflix.

00:13:17.500 --> 00:13:18.600
 You know, you can waste an hour

00:13:18.600 --> 00:13:19.740
 looking at cat videos,

00:13:19.860 --> 00:13:21.899
 but you can waste an entire life

00:13:21.899 --> 00:13:23.220
 living for retirement.

00:13:23.980 --> 00:13:26.060
 Or dwelling on the thing

00:13:26.060 --> 00:13:28.040
 that didn't go well five years ago.

00:13:28.639 --> 00:13:29.960
 Or obsessing over

00:13:29.960 --> 00:13:31.379
 what other people think about you.

00:13:31.800 --> 00:13:32.759
 You can waste your life

00:13:32.759 --> 00:13:34.660
 by paying attention to the wrong things.

00:13:34.659 --> 00:13:36.100
 There was an article

00:13:36.100 --> 00:13:36.779
 in the New York Times

00:13:36.779 --> 00:13:37.559
 this past week

00:13:37.559 --> 00:13:39.039
 on attention.

00:13:39.819 --> 00:13:40.579
 It was interesting.

00:13:40.699 --> 00:13:41.480
 It had a horrible title.

00:13:41.579 --> 00:13:42.439
 I forget what the title was.

00:13:42.579 --> 00:13:42.959
 But I don't know

00:13:42.959 --> 00:13:43.600
 if that was intentional.

00:13:43.699 --> 00:13:44.819
 It wasn't a click-baity title.

00:13:44.939 --> 00:13:45.279
 So it's like,

00:13:45.319 --> 00:13:46.360
 if you really want to pay attention,

00:13:46.559 --> 00:13:47.899
 you really have to go looking for it,

00:13:47.919 --> 00:13:48.600
 something like that.

00:13:49.019 --> 00:13:49.579
 But basically,

00:13:49.740 --> 00:13:50.120
 in the title,

00:13:50.179 --> 00:13:51.519
 it's just some really practical wisdom

00:13:51.519 --> 00:13:53.319
 for how to notice

00:13:53.319 --> 00:13:54.839
 the world around you.

00:13:55.279 --> 00:13:55.899
 And there were two things

00:13:55.899 --> 00:13:56.439
 about the article

00:13:56.439 --> 00:13:57.360
 that stood out to me.

00:13:57.419 --> 00:13:58.620
 One was what they called

00:13:58.620 --> 00:13:59.579
 attention management.

00:14:00.439 --> 00:14:01.079
 Attention management

00:14:01.079 --> 00:14:02.500
 is simply being

00:14:02.500 --> 00:14:04.559
 self-conscious about the things

00:14:04.559 --> 00:14:05.799
 that you're focusing on.

00:14:05.980 --> 00:14:07.419
 So we need to pay attention

00:14:07.419 --> 00:14:08.840
 to what we care about

00:14:08.840 --> 00:14:10.299
 and actually care about

00:14:10.299 --> 00:14:11.580
 the things that we pay attention to.

00:14:11.860 --> 00:14:12.580
 So think about,

00:14:13.059 --> 00:14:14.039
 one thing you could do

00:14:14.039 --> 00:14:14.659
 is just think about

00:14:14.659 --> 00:14:15.379
 the past week

00:14:15.379 --> 00:14:16.799
 or the past day.

00:14:16.980 --> 00:14:17.220
 And like,

00:14:17.220 --> 00:14:18.580
 what did I focus on today?

00:14:19.000 --> 00:14:19.600
 Maybe it was

00:14:19.600 --> 00:14:20.799
 what was trending on Twitter.

00:14:21.039 --> 00:14:21.840
 Just ask yourself,

00:14:22.059 --> 00:14:22.779
 was it worth

00:14:22.779 --> 00:14:23.460
 paying attention

00:14:23.460 --> 00:14:24.659
 to that thing?

00:14:24.779 --> 00:14:26.279
 Giving that much of my time

00:14:26.279 --> 00:14:27.120
 and energy

00:14:27.120 --> 00:14:29.159
 to the Face app.

00:14:29.799 --> 00:14:30.379
 I don't know

00:14:30.379 --> 00:14:31.319
 if anyone spent some time

00:14:31.319 --> 00:14:31.980
 looking at Face app.

00:14:32.059 --> 00:14:32.339
 Or then,

00:14:32.620 --> 00:14:33.439
 after you did,

00:14:33.600 --> 00:14:34.919
 worrying about the Russians

00:14:34.919 --> 00:14:35.839
 having your information.

00:14:36.419 --> 00:14:37.259
 Is it worth

00:14:37.259 --> 00:14:37.839
 paying attention

00:14:37.839 --> 00:14:38.539
 to those things?

00:14:38.740 --> 00:14:39.159
 I don't know.

00:14:39.259 --> 00:14:39.500
 Maybe,

00:14:39.679 --> 00:14:40.139
 maybe not.

00:14:40.899 --> 00:14:41.579
 The second thing

00:14:41.579 --> 00:14:42.600
 that the article talked about

00:14:42.600 --> 00:14:44.159
 was the art of noticing.

00:14:44.759 --> 00:14:45.539
 The art of noticing.

00:14:46.179 --> 00:14:46.839
 And that basically

00:14:46.839 --> 00:14:48.019
 is just setting aside

00:14:48.019 --> 00:14:48.740
 moments

00:14:48.740 --> 00:14:49.559
 to stop

00:14:49.559 --> 00:14:50.740
 and reflect

00:14:50.740 --> 00:14:51.959
 and to pay attention

00:14:51.959 --> 00:14:52.819
 to the things

00:14:52.819 --> 00:14:53.980
 that are most important.

00:14:54.439 --> 00:14:54.919
 To notice

00:14:54.919 --> 00:14:56.199
 God's gifts

00:14:56.199 --> 00:14:57.059
 that he gives to us

00:14:57.059 --> 00:14:57.719
 every single day.

00:14:57.819 --> 00:14:58.439
 God's gifts

00:14:58.439 --> 00:14:59.699
 big and small.

00:15:00.399 --> 00:15:01.099
 There are a couple things

00:15:01.099 --> 00:15:01.860
 I did this week

00:15:01.860 --> 00:15:02.399
 to practice.

00:15:02.579 --> 00:15:03.559
 I knew that I'd be preaching

00:15:03.559 --> 00:15:04.779
 on Thanksgiving

00:15:04.779 --> 00:15:06.159
 and I assumed

00:15:06.159 --> 00:15:06.759
 that attention

00:15:06.759 --> 00:15:08.179
 would play a factor

00:15:08.179 --> 00:15:08.599
 into it.

00:15:08.699 --> 00:15:08.839
 So,

00:15:09.259 --> 00:15:10.360
 I did a little experiment

00:15:10.360 --> 00:15:10.979
 this week

00:15:10.979 --> 00:15:12.219
 to see how things would go

00:15:12.219 --> 00:15:12.839
 to see if

00:15:12.839 --> 00:15:14.059
 practicing gratitude

00:15:14.059 --> 00:15:15.079
 had any impact

00:15:15.079 --> 00:15:15.559
 on my life.

00:15:15.639 --> 00:15:15.719
 So,

00:15:15.799 --> 00:15:16.379
 here are a few

00:15:16.379 --> 00:15:16.740
 of the things

00:15:16.740 --> 00:15:17.120
 that I did.

00:15:17.159 --> 00:15:17.599
 On Monday,

00:15:18.679 --> 00:15:20.079
 I went to the

00:15:20.079 --> 00:15:21.159
 National Gallery of Art

00:15:21.159 --> 00:15:22.120
 Monday afternoon

00:15:22.120 --> 00:15:23.939
 and there's

00:15:23.939 --> 00:15:24.779
 a great exhibit

00:15:24.779 --> 00:15:25.639
 there right now

00:15:25.639 --> 00:15:27.519
 that is showcasing

00:15:27.519 --> 00:15:28.439
 art from the

00:15:28.439 --> 00:15:28.839
 American

00:15:28.839 --> 00:15:29.959
 pre-Raphaelites.

00:15:30.279 --> 00:15:31.079
 It's always a word

00:15:31.079 --> 00:15:31.740
 that's hard to say.

00:15:31.860 --> 00:15:32.980
 Pre-Raphaelites.

00:15:33.079 --> 00:15:34.220
 It's an art movement

00:15:34.220 --> 00:15:35.699
 of the mid-19th century

00:15:35.699 --> 00:15:37.240
 that started in England

00:15:37.240 --> 00:15:38.059
 and made its way

00:15:38.059 --> 00:15:38.799
 to America.

00:15:39.500 --> 00:15:40.639
 And what this art movement

00:15:40.639 --> 00:15:42.019
 is particularly known for

00:15:42.019 --> 00:15:43.600
 is extreme realism.

00:15:44.220 --> 00:15:44.379
 So,

00:15:44.539 --> 00:15:45.139
 the artists

00:15:45.139 --> 00:15:45.740
 that are the

00:15:45.740 --> 00:15:46.519
 pre-Raphaelites

00:15:46.519 --> 00:15:48.699
 pay intense attention

00:15:48.699 --> 00:15:49.500
 to detail

00:15:49.500 --> 00:15:50.220
 and then they try

00:15:50.220 --> 00:15:50.720
 to replicate

00:15:50.720 --> 00:15:51.279
 the detail

00:15:51.279 --> 00:15:52.000
 that they see

00:15:52.000 --> 00:15:52.539
 in the things

00:15:52.539 --> 00:15:53.120
 that they paint.

00:15:53.120 --> 00:15:53.820
 And so,

00:15:53.899 --> 00:15:54.679
 if you go to the exhibit,

00:15:54.759 --> 00:15:55.759
 which I encourage you to do,

00:15:56.360 --> 00:15:57.060
 a lot of the paintings

00:15:57.060 --> 00:15:58.299
 just look like photographs.

00:15:58.639 --> 00:15:59.399
 It's really

00:15:59.399 --> 00:16:00.240
 quite impressive.

00:16:01.259 --> 00:16:01.860
 They have this

00:16:01.860 --> 00:16:02.539
 incredible

00:16:02.539 --> 00:16:03.620
 discipline

00:16:03.620 --> 00:16:04.899
 of attention

00:16:04.899 --> 00:16:06.179
 and noticing

00:16:06.179 --> 00:16:07.019
 and then

00:16:07.019 --> 00:16:08.060
 reproducing that

00:16:08.060 --> 00:16:09.419
 on canvas.

00:16:10.259 --> 00:16:10.480
 And so,

00:16:10.580 --> 00:16:11.259
 I wanted to learn

00:16:11.259 --> 00:16:12.560
 from how they did that.

00:16:12.720 --> 00:16:12.960
 And so,

00:16:13.000 --> 00:16:13.539
 I wanted to learn

00:16:13.539 --> 00:16:14.759
 from their discipline

00:16:14.759 --> 00:16:15.279
 of attention

00:16:15.279 --> 00:16:16.120
 to see if I could

00:16:16.120 --> 00:16:17.100
 train my eyes

00:16:17.100 --> 00:16:17.600
 in the way

00:16:17.600 --> 00:16:18.379
 that they paint

00:16:18.379 --> 00:16:20.399
 the intricate details

00:16:20.399 --> 00:16:21.700
 of minerals

00:16:21.700 --> 00:16:22.320
 and the colors

00:16:22.320 --> 00:16:22.700
 of minerals

00:16:22.700 --> 00:16:23.320
 on a rock

00:16:23.320 --> 00:16:24.460
 or tree bark

00:16:24.460 --> 00:16:26.000
 or peach blossoms

00:16:26.000 --> 00:16:27.220
 and to see if I could

00:16:27.220 --> 00:16:27.960
 train my eyes

00:16:27.960 --> 00:16:28.679
 the way that they do

00:16:28.679 --> 00:16:29.100
 to paint

00:16:29.100 --> 00:16:29.720
 to see the gifts

00:16:29.720 --> 00:16:30.139
 of God

00:16:30.139 --> 00:16:31.039
 all around me.

00:16:31.860 --> 00:16:32.460
 And the second thing

00:16:32.460 --> 00:16:32.980
 that I did

00:16:32.980 --> 00:16:34.080
 was that

00:16:34.080 --> 00:16:34.799
 every single day

00:16:34.799 --> 00:16:35.779
 I carved out time

00:16:35.779 --> 00:16:36.240
 to write

00:16:36.240 --> 00:16:37.439
 things that I was

00:16:37.439 --> 00:16:38.019
 grateful for.

00:16:38.120 --> 00:16:38.220
 So,

00:16:38.279 --> 00:16:38.759
 I had a goal

00:16:38.759 --> 00:16:39.179
 of writing

00:16:39.179 --> 00:16:40.000
 30 things

00:16:40.000 --> 00:16:40.840
 a day.

00:16:41.080 --> 00:16:41.659
 That was

00:16:41.659 --> 00:16:42.299
 in my little

00:16:42.299 --> 00:16:42.820
 moleskin

00:16:42.820 --> 00:16:43.700
 the number of lines

00:16:43.700 --> 00:16:44.480
 I had per page.

00:16:45.360 --> 00:16:45.960
 Some days

00:16:45.960 --> 00:16:46.659
 I only got 20,

00:16:46.659 --> 00:16:47.600
 not because

00:16:47.600 --> 00:16:47.919
 there wasn't

00:16:47.919 --> 00:16:48.399
 enough stuff

00:16:48.399 --> 00:16:49.019
 I just didn't

00:16:49.019 --> 00:16:49.620
 pay enough

00:16:49.620 --> 00:16:50.139
 attention.

00:16:51.019 --> 00:16:52.120
 But I wrote down

00:16:52.120 --> 00:16:52.899
 every single day

00:16:52.899 --> 00:16:53.319
 the things

00:16:53.319 --> 00:16:53.639
 that I was

00:16:53.639 --> 00:16:54.199
 grateful for.

00:16:55.000 --> 00:16:55.339
 And,

00:16:55.419 --> 00:16:56.240
 you know,

00:16:56.299 --> 00:16:56.679
 I'm not going

00:16:56.679 --> 00:16:57.319
 to lie and say

00:16:57.319 --> 00:16:58.139
 that my entire

00:16:58.139 --> 00:16:59.159
 life was transformed

00:16:59.159 --> 00:17:00.360
 this week

00:17:00.360 --> 00:17:01.419
 because I don't

00:17:01.419 --> 00:17:01.819
 think that's

00:17:01.819 --> 00:17:02.399
 how God

00:17:02.399 --> 00:17:03.500
 transforms us.

00:17:03.959 --> 00:17:04.619
 I don't think

00:17:04.619 --> 00:17:05.740
 it's as radical

00:17:05.740 --> 00:17:06.299
 as that.

00:17:06.480 --> 00:17:07.440
 I think God's

00:17:07.440 --> 00:17:08.379
 formation of us

00:17:08.379 --> 00:17:09.000
 is less

00:17:09.000 --> 00:17:10.659
 like a chisel

00:17:10.659 --> 00:17:11.500
 and more like

00:17:11.500 --> 00:17:12.259
 small drops

00:17:12.259 --> 00:17:12.639
 of water

00:17:12.639 --> 00:17:13.359
 slowly

00:17:13.359 --> 00:17:15.399
 smoothing out

00:17:15.399 --> 00:17:16.119
 the rough edges.

00:17:16.660 --> 00:17:17.480
 I have to say

00:17:17.480 --> 00:17:17.900
 it was a really

00:17:17.900 --> 00:17:18.300
 good week.

00:17:18.400 --> 00:17:19.060
 It wasn't an easy

00:17:19.060 --> 00:17:20.000
 week by any stretch

00:17:20.000 --> 00:17:21.580
 but being grateful

00:17:21.580 --> 00:17:22.759
 changed me.

00:17:22.960 --> 00:17:23.840
 It changed how

00:17:23.840 --> 00:17:24.840
 I related to God.

00:17:24.940 --> 00:17:25.600
 I felt closer

00:17:25.600 --> 00:17:26.160
 and more intimate

00:17:26.160 --> 00:17:27.100
 to God.

00:17:27.600 --> 00:17:28.259
 And when things

00:17:28.259 --> 00:17:29.220
 didn't go my way

00:17:29.220 --> 00:17:30.360
 I was a much more

00:17:30.360 --> 00:17:31.100
 enjoyable person

00:17:31.100 --> 00:17:31.800
 to be around.

00:17:32.200 --> 00:17:32.900
 At least I think

00:17:32.900 --> 00:17:33.200
 I was.

00:17:33.240 --> 00:17:33.960
 You can ask Susan

00:17:33.960 --> 00:17:34.940
 after the service.

00:17:35.900 --> 00:17:36.740
 But it was

00:17:36.740 --> 00:17:37.840
 awesome.

00:17:38.180 --> 00:17:38.840
 I have to say

00:17:38.840 --> 00:17:39.400
 even though there

00:17:39.400 --> 00:17:40.820
 weren't lightning

00:17:40.820 --> 00:17:41.220
 bolts

00:17:41.220 --> 00:17:42.880
 it was an amazing

00:17:42.880 --> 00:17:43.140
 week.

00:17:43.220 --> 00:17:44.019
 I feel much

00:17:44.019 --> 00:17:45.060
 closer to the Lord.

00:17:45.059 --> 00:17:47.000
 and I feel

00:17:47.000 --> 00:17:47.419
 grateful.

00:17:47.839 --> 00:17:48.679
 I just feel

00:17:48.679 --> 00:17:49.200
 happier.

00:17:49.419 --> 00:17:49.980
 I felt like a

00:17:49.980 --> 00:17:50.519
 really good

00:17:50.519 --> 00:17:51.119
 Christian this

00:17:51.119 --> 00:17:51.659
 past week

00:17:51.659 --> 00:17:52.440
 in a lot of

00:17:52.440 --> 00:17:53.059
 ways because

00:17:53.059 --> 00:17:54.839
 God has given

00:17:54.839 --> 00:17:55.579
 I'm not perfect

00:17:55.579 --> 00:17:56.099
 right but I

00:17:56.099 --> 00:17:56.659
 realized that

00:17:56.659 --> 00:17:57.619
 everything that

00:17:57.619 --> 00:17:58.279
 God has given

00:17:58.279 --> 00:17:58.579
 to me

00:17:58.579 --> 00:17:59.200
 every interaction

00:17:59.200 --> 00:17:59.879
 I had was a

00:17:59.879 --> 00:18:00.460
 gift and I

00:18:00.460 --> 00:18:00.859
 was grateful

00:18:00.859 --> 00:18:01.339
 for it.

00:18:01.799 --> 00:18:02.980
 And it just

00:18:02.980 --> 00:18:05.440
 was a joy

00:18:05.440 --> 00:18:06.159
 to be alive

00:18:06.159 --> 00:18:06.700
 this week.

00:18:06.839 --> 00:18:07.339
 And I think a lot

00:18:07.339 --> 00:18:07.839
 of that is just

00:18:07.839 --> 00:18:08.500
 because I stopped

00:18:08.500 --> 00:18:09.079
 to notice the

00:18:09.079 --> 00:18:09.700
 gifts that God

00:18:09.700 --> 00:18:10.419
 had given to me.

00:18:10.420 --> 00:18:12.100
 So I want to

00:18:12.100 --> 00:18:12.640
 end with a

00:18:12.640 --> 00:18:13.680
 challenge and

00:18:13.680 --> 00:18:14.240
 with a poem

00:18:14.240 --> 00:18:15.100
 that I've found

00:18:15.100 --> 00:18:15.680
 to be helpful

00:18:15.680 --> 00:18:17.240
 to lead me

00:18:17.240 --> 00:18:18.259
 into a place

00:18:18.259 --> 00:18:18.740
 of prayer

00:18:18.740 --> 00:18:19.519
 and gratitude.

00:18:20.100 --> 00:18:20.400
 So the

00:18:20.400 --> 00:18:20.860
 challenge is

00:18:20.860 --> 00:18:21.120
 this.

00:18:21.240 --> 00:18:21.660
 Do what I

00:18:21.660 --> 00:18:22.000
 did this

00:18:22.000 --> 00:18:22.400
 past week.

00:18:22.480 --> 00:18:22.860
 Maybe go to

00:18:22.860 --> 00:18:23.220
 the National

00:18:23.220 --> 00:18:23.800
 Gallery of Art

00:18:23.800 --> 00:18:24.320
 if you can.

00:18:24.880 --> 00:18:25.460
 But everyone

00:18:25.460 --> 00:18:25.980
 can make a

00:18:25.980 --> 00:18:26.519
 list of things

00:18:26.519 --> 00:18:26.740
 that you're

00:18:26.740 --> 00:18:27.240
 grateful for.

00:18:27.480 --> 00:18:28.060
 And so I

00:18:28.060 --> 00:18:28.620
 challenge you

00:18:28.620 --> 00:18:30.160
 this week to

00:18:30.160 --> 00:18:31.140
 commit to

00:18:31.140 --> 00:18:31.920
 writing at

00:18:31.920 --> 00:18:32.400
 least ten

00:18:32.400 --> 00:18:33.200
 things down.

00:18:33.480 --> 00:18:34.140
 Notice ten

00:18:34.140 --> 00:18:34.820
 gifts that God

00:18:34.820 --> 00:18:35.320
 has given you

00:18:35.320 --> 00:18:36.460
 that day that

00:18:36.460 --> 00:18:36.820
 you're grateful

00:18:36.820 --> 00:18:37.160
 for.

00:18:37.820 --> 00:18:38.279
 And be

00:18:38.279 --> 00:18:38.960
 specific.

00:18:38.960 --> 00:18:40.299
 As I went

00:18:40.299 --> 00:18:40.600
 through the

00:18:40.600 --> 00:18:41.019
 week I

00:18:41.019 --> 00:18:41.620
 first started

00:18:41.620 --> 00:18:42.019
 off saying

00:18:42.019 --> 00:18:42.559
 something like

00:18:42.559 --> 00:18:43.660
 my kids or

00:18:43.660 --> 00:18:44.920
 Susan or

00:18:44.920 --> 00:18:45.400
 Grace.

00:18:45.680 --> 00:18:45.940
 And then the

00:18:45.940 --> 00:18:46.380
 more I paid

00:18:46.380 --> 00:18:47.420
 attention the

00:18:47.420 --> 00:18:47.880
 more I saw

00:18:47.880 --> 00:18:48.720
 the details and

00:18:48.720 --> 00:18:49.100
 got really

00:18:49.100 --> 00:18:49.960
 specific and it

00:18:49.960 --> 00:18:51.140
 got richer and

00:18:51.140 --> 00:18:52.799
 deeper and more

00:18:52.799 --> 00:18:53.440
 transformative.

00:18:54.319 --> 00:18:55.200
 So stop,

00:18:55.519 --> 00:18:56.240
 reflect, pay

00:18:56.240 --> 00:18:57.460
 attention, notice,

00:18:58.240 --> 00:18:59.860
 listen, see,

00:19:00.559 --> 00:19:01.460
 acknowledge, name,

00:19:01.559 --> 00:19:02.400
 and then celebrate.

00:19:03.200 --> 00:19:03.860
 And ultimately

00:19:03.860 --> 00:19:04.620
 thank God for

00:19:04.620 --> 00:19:05.120
 those things.

00:19:05.279 --> 00:19:06.079
 Let these things

00:19:06.079 --> 00:19:06.700
 lead you into

00:19:06.700 --> 00:19:07.860
 prayer and to

00:19:07.860 --> 00:19:08.600
 communion with

00:19:08.600 --> 00:19:08.900
 God.

00:19:09.920 --> 00:19:10.480
 Allow these

00:19:10.480 --> 00:19:11.319
 gifts from

00:19:11.319 --> 00:19:11.880
 God, these

00:19:11.880 --> 00:19:12.480
 things for which

00:19:12.480 --> 00:19:13.000
 you are grateful

00:19:13.000 --> 00:19:13.960
 to be the

00:19:13.960 --> 00:19:14.720
 doorway into

00:19:14.720 --> 00:19:15.620
 prayer this

00:19:15.620 --> 00:19:16.299
 week and in

00:19:16.299 --> 00:19:16.700
 the weeks to

00:19:16.700 --> 00:19:16.960
 come.

00:19:17.680 --> 00:19:18.180
 And I

00:19:18.180 --> 00:19:18.640
 encourage you

00:19:18.640 --> 00:19:19.380
 just to

00:19:19.380 --> 00:19:19.920
 test the

00:19:19.920 --> 00:19:20.100
 Lord.

00:19:20.220 --> 00:19:21.000
 See how this

00:19:21.000 --> 00:19:21.819
 might impact

00:19:21.819 --> 00:19:22.240
 your prayer

00:19:22.240 --> 00:19:23.319
 life, the

00:19:23.319 --> 00:19:23.819
 way that you

00:19:23.819 --> 00:19:24.440
 connect with

00:19:24.440 --> 00:19:24.980
 God, the

00:19:24.980 --> 00:19:25.940
 generosity with

00:19:25.940 --> 00:19:26.380
 which you

00:19:26.380 --> 00:19:26.880
 treat other

00:19:26.880 --> 00:19:27.279
 people.

00:19:28.180 --> 00:19:28.740
 Test and see

00:19:28.740 --> 00:19:29.240
 if this helps

00:19:29.240 --> 00:19:29.840
 you become more

00:19:29.840 --> 00:19:31.019
 fully alive in

00:19:31.019 --> 00:19:31.360
 Christ.

00:19:32.240 --> 00:19:32.759
 Now I want to

00:19:32.759 --> 00:19:33.140
 end with a

00:19:33.140 --> 00:19:34.039
 poem that has

00:19:34.039 --> 00:19:35.039
 been a real

00:19:35.039 --> 00:19:35.740
 guide to me

00:19:35.740 --> 00:19:36.420
 these past few

00:19:36.420 --> 00:19:37.380
 weeks in

00:19:37.380 --> 00:19:38.400
 attention and in

00:19:38.400 --> 00:19:38.779
 gratitude.

00:19:38.960 --> 00:19:39.440
 And in

00:19:39.440 --> 00:19:39.700
 prayer.

00:19:39.819 --> 00:19:40.259
 It's a prayer

00:19:40.259 --> 00:19:41.579
 poem by Mary

00:19:41.579 --> 00:19:42.740
 Oliver and it's

00:19:42.740 --> 00:19:43.819
 entitled Praying.

00:19:44.740 --> 00:19:45.720
 This is what she

00:19:45.720 --> 00:19:46.100
 writes.

00:19:46.420 --> 00:19:47.680
 It doesn't have to

00:19:47.680 --> 00:19:48.240
 be the blue

00:19:48.240 --> 00:19:48.840
 iris.

00:19:49.340 --> 00:19:50.279
 It could be

00:19:50.279 --> 00:19:51.000
 weeds in a

00:19:51.000 --> 00:19:52.519
 vacant lot or a

00:19:52.519 --> 00:19:53.700
 few small stones.

00:19:54.539 --> 00:19:54.920
 Just pay

00:19:54.920 --> 00:19:56.759
 attention and then

00:19:56.759 --> 00:19:57.720
 patch a few words

00:19:57.720 --> 00:19:59.100
 together and don't

00:19:59.100 --> 00:19:59.740
 try to make them

00:19:59.740 --> 00:20:00.120
 elaborate.

00:20:00.880 --> 00:20:01.559
 This isn't a

00:20:01.559 --> 00:20:03.299
 contest, but the

00:20:03.299 --> 00:20:04.039
 doorway into

00:20:04.039 --> 00:20:05.600
 thanks, into

00:20:05.600 --> 00:20:06.559
 silence in which

00:20:06.559 --> 00:20:25.359
 another voice

00:20:25.359 --> 00:20:25.619
 father.