Good Morning Thankful Ones,
I hope that all are warm today. The arctic blast is on its way to bring us -4 temps here in KC. So, grab your long underwear, find your friends and family and keep yourselves warm and toasty.
Today's inspiration comes from Henri Nouwen, pastor and practical theologian who wrote many books on lived spirituality. His book Gracias is his journal of a trip to Latin America. In his introduction he says this:
“The word I kept hearing, wherever I went was, 'GRACIAS!' Gracias a usted, gracias a Dios, muchas gracias! I saw thousands of poor people, spent many hours with people who do without many material things. But in the midst of it all that word lifted me again and again to a new realm of seeing and hearing: GRACIAS! Thanks! . . . Maybe there would be food tomorrow, maybe there would be work, maybe there would be peace. Maybe, maybe not. But whatever is given . . . money, food, a handshake, a smile, a good word or an embrace is reason enough to say it - - 'GRACIAS!' . . . What I claim as a right, my friends in Latin America received as a gift; what I take for granted, they celebrate in thanksgiving. And slowly I learned what I must have forgotten somewhere in my busy, well-planned and very useful life. I learned that everything that is is freely given by the God of love. All is grace. Light and water, shelter and food, work and free time, children, parents, birth and death . . . it is all given. Why? So we can say gracias, thanks: thanks to God, thanks to each other . . .”
We are building a culture of gratitude among us with our sharing of thanks. So, in the midst of all our challenges and struggles, let's take a moment to say "Gracias."
1) Gracias a Dios for an all-day home-going celebration for God's 93 yr old servant, Lillian Yenser. We began arriving at the church at about 8 am and we finally got home about 9:30 pm. In between those times we embraced one another, comforted one another, shared our memories, prayed, sang hymns and spiritual songs, shared a common meal, journeyed together, met new brothers and sisters hundreds of miles away and along the way the Passport that is Lillian's baptism received it's final stamp of welcome. Gracias a Dios!
2) Gracias a Dios for Greg Take and his intiative to involve our youth in a day of service for the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday. Thank God we have a great organization called Heart to Heart International right in our neighborhood (10th & Pacific) which serves the world in distributing donated goods throughout the world. Their warehouse is in our neighborhood and 12-14 youth and adults on Monday will be volunteering in service to honor the work of our brother, Martin. Gracias a Dios!
3) Gracias a Dios for new officers and deacons who will be ordained and installed this Sunday: Martin, David, Kent, Greg, Jean, Mark, Erandeni, Eratzeni, Juan and Kim. Like so many other disciples of Jesus before them, these brothers and sisters are responding to the higher call to service. I give thanks for the Spirit of God which moves in the heart of God's children to become servant leaders following the example of our Lord Jesus. Gracias a Dios!
4) Gracias a Dios for Pastor Alfonso's sermon on Baptism. The image of Baptism as our Passport to the Kingdom of God is innovative and powerful for me. Especially in relation to our true belonging as God's children. All the other citizenships we hold are subservient to the Passport we hold through our Baptism. Wherever we go we should proudly display this Passport and the seal and stamp of God's grace and love. This Passport is good anywhere and everywhere and grants us freedom to give and receive hospitality without the limits of language, culture and nationality. Gracias a Dios!
5) Gracias a Dios for the 10 ninth graders and their teachers from Whitefield Academy who came to Grandview Park yesterday afternoon and did some dirty work for us. Under the supervision of Pastor Tom and Dedric, they cleared out the front room of the first floor education wing. This open space will be used by Avenues to Recovery, a drug and alchohol abuse counseling agency that is working together with the Wyandotte County court system to help those who are in the grips of addiction. Gracias a Dios!
That's my cinco. How about yours? Hit reply to all, add your five and pass the gracias all around.
FYI -- I have established a blog page titled Thank You Very Gracias (in Pastor Alfonso's honor!). The page is located at gimmecinco.blogspot.com. I'll be posting my Gimme 5.0 there every Wednesday. Feel free to visit the blog and share the page with others. Perhaps we can spread our culture of 'gracias' to a wider audience.
Maltiosh Thank you Very Gracias,
Pastor Rick
I hope that all are warm today. The arctic blast is on its way to bring us -4 temps here in KC. So, grab your long underwear, find your friends and family and keep yourselves warm and toasty.
Today's inspiration comes from Henri Nouwen, pastor and practical theologian who wrote many books on lived spirituality. His book Gracias is his journal of a trip to Latin America. In his introduction he says this:
“The word I kept hearing, wherever I went was, 'GRACIAS!' Gracias a usted, gracias a Dios, muchas gracias! I saw thousands of poor people, spent many hours with people who do without many material things. But in the midst of it all that word lifted me again and again to a new realm of seeing and hearing: GRACIAS! Thanks! . . . Maybe there would be food tomorrow, maybe there would be work, maybe there would be peace. Maybe, maybe not. But whatever is given . . . money, food, a handshake, a smile, a good word or an embrace is reason enough to say it - - 'GRACIAS!' . . . What I claim as a right, my friends in Latin America received as a gift; what I take for granted, they celebrate in thanksgiving. And slowly I learned what I must have forgotten somewhere in my busy, well-planned and very useful life. I learned that everything that is is freely given by the God of love. All is grace. Light and water, shelter and food, work and free time, children, parents, birth and death . . . it is all given. Why? So we can say gracias, thanks: thanks to God, thanks to each other . . .”
We are building a culture of gratitude among us with our sharing of thanks. So, in the midst of all our challenges and struggles, let's take a moment to say "Gracias."
1) Gracias a Dios for an all-day home-going celebration for God's 93 yr old servant, Lillian Yenser. We began arriving at the church at about 8 am and we finally got home about 9:30 pm. In between those times we embraced one another, comforted one another, shared our memories, prayed, sang hymns and spiritual songs, shared a common meal, journeyed together, met new brothers and sisters hundreds of miles away and along the way the Passport that is Lillian's baptism received it's final stamp of welcome. Gracias a Dios!
2) Gracias a Dios for Greg Take and his intiative to involve our youth in a day of service for the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday. Thank God we have a great organization called Heart to Heart International right in our neighborhood (10th & Pacific) which serves the world in distributing donated goods throughout the world. Their warehouse is in our neighborhood and 12-14 youth and adults on Monday will be volunteering in service to honor the work of our brother, Martin. Gracias a Dios!
3) Gracias a Dios for new officers and deacons who will be ordained and installed this Sunday: Martin, David, Kent, Greg, Jean, Mark, Erandeni, Eratzeni, Juan and Kim. Like so many other disciples of Jesus before them, these brothers and sisters are responding to the higher call to service. I give thanks for the Spirit of God which moves in the heart of God's children to become servant leaders following the example of our Lord Jesus. Gracias a Dios!
4) Gracias a Dios for Pastor Alfonso's sermon on Baptism. The image of Baptism as our Passport to the Kingdom of God is innovative and powerful for me. Especially in relation to our true belonging as God's children. All the other citizenships we hold are subservient to the Passport we hold through our Baptism. Wherever we go we should proudly display this Passport and the seal and stamp of God's grace and love. This Passport is good anywhere and everywhere and grants us freedom to give and receive hospitality without the limits of language, culture and nationality. Gracias a Dios!
5) Gracias a Dios for the 10 ninth graders and their teachers from Whitefield Academy who came to Grandview Park yesterday afternoon and did some dirty work for us. Under the supervision of Pastor Tom and Dedric, they cleared out the front room of the first floor education wing. This open space will be used by Avenues to Recovery, a drug and alchohol abuse counseling agency that is working together with the Wyandotte County court system to help those who are in the grips of addiction. Gracias a Dios!
That's my cinco. How about yours? Hit reply to all, add your five and pass the gracias all around.
FYI -- I have established a blog page titled Thank You Very Gracias (in Pastor Alfonso's honor!). The page is located at gimmecinco.blogspot.com. I'll be posting my Gimme 5.0 there every Wednesday. Feel free to visit the blog and share the page with others. Perhaps we can spread our culture of 'gracias' to a wider audience.
Maltiosh Thank you Very Gracias,
Pastor Rick
Here's mine
ReplyDelete1) I'm thankful that this blog is set up, much better way to do the dame cinco, I hope everybody can figure it out.
2) I'm thankful for bagels in the kitchen
3) I'm thankful that Claudio 'el piojo' Lopez was resigned by the Wizards for far less $$$
4) I'm thankful because I'm figuring this whole city living thing out in SF
5) I'm thankful that I got all the tourist stuff out of the way this weekend
LOVE to read about thanksgiving in the name of Savior Jesus, son of God.
ReplyDelete