09.20.2026- Pentecost 17 - Pastor Chris
Years ago our son, Haydn, was talking to someone at church and the person he was talking to said something like, “You are very good at making eye contact when you talk to people.” To which my son replied, “Yeah, my dad makes me.” When our kids were younger, especially our son, when someone would talk to them, if they didn't make eye contact, I would place my hand on the top of their head and gently guide their head so that they were looking at whoever was talking to them. Maybe Haydn would’ve learned this skill on his own but I thought it was important enough to not leave it to chance and made sure it happened.
Are we naturally thankful or, like my son making eye contact, is it something we learn? I don't think anyone wants to be known as someone who isn't thankful but we live in such a high-paced world, and we struggle to admit that we need help outside ourselves, being thankful may need some intention from time to time
.I do wonder what happened to the other 9 that were healed. I don’t think they were intentionally avoiding being thankful, maybe they were so excited that they had been healed that they returned to the community that their disease has displaced them from. Maybe they obeyed Jesus and went to the priests. I don’t think the nine are what we’re supposed to focus on, rather, instead the one who is aware of what has happened, knows who caused the healing, and returned to him to give thanks
.A couple of reflections: Like the one who gives thanks, are we aware of all that has been done for us? It is so easy to miss everything that happens around us, it is far too easy to miss something important. How do we make sure we are paying attention and realize all that has been done for us? Is worshipping our natural response for all that God has done for us? Worship is something we practice; it’s not entertainment or a box we check, worshiping God is how we respond to all that God has done for us
.So, like Haydn, we may need a reminder from time to time to do the things that help us to be thankful people. In a world that prefers to focus on what we lack or what we’ve missed, when we stop to reflect on all that God has done for us, how can we respond any other way but with worship?
