One of the most beloved poets of our time is Maya Angelou; in fact she was the poet laureate of President Clinton’s Administration. She often tells the story of the basis of her philosophy of life, the generative source of her own creations – it was her grandmother. Maya grew up in ruralArkansasand her grandmother taught her so much about life and love, about endurance and patience, but mostly about living in gratitude without complaints.

Now Maya’s grandmother operated a General Store and would often call for Maya when one particular person made a purchase. After her grandmother asked: How are you? – The customer would whine and complain about the weather, the economic situation, his wife, his kids or one of a dozen other things. Always he came in and complained. Her grandmother always turned to make sure that Maya was listening and paying attention.

One day, after Maya had listened yet again to the complaints and after the customer was out of earshot, Maya’s grandmother spoke these words: Sister, there are people who went to sleep last night, poor and rich and white and black, but they will never wake again. And those dead folks would give anything at all for just five minutes of this weather, or ten minutes of difficult plowing. So you watch yourself about complaining. What you’re supposed to do when you don’t like a thing is change it. If you can’t change it, then change the way you think about it!

Well Maya grew up and rose from the poverty of ruralArkansas. She refused to be defined by the barriers of a segregationist South; she embraced her color and her history; she survived sexual abuse and the sexism of her culture; she was at the forefront of the civil rights movement and she’s stood on the side of those oppressed – women, children and the poor for seventy years; she has been nominated for a Pulitzer prize and has received 30 honorary degrees! Through it all she refuses to complain and she continues to inspire others to move beyond their perceived limits – to live, and to love, and to rise.   

Out of the huts of history’s shame, I rise
Up from a past that’s rooted in pain, I rise
I’m a black ocean, leaping and wide,
Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.
Leaving behind nights of terror and fear, I rise
Into a daybreak that’s wondrously clear, I rise
Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,
I am the dream and the hope of the slave. I rise, I rise, I rise.

            The optimism of Maya Angelou’s poetry is inspiring to me. Each time I read her writings I am invited to change the things that I can change; to adjust my attitude when faced with the unchangeable; and to rise, always to rise. Maya’s poetry, like the words of Jesus remind me that every moment and every second and every breath I take is a gift from God and that there are hurting people in the world, and dying people and lonely people who would give anything for my little complaints. I am reminded to stop complaining and start living – to rise – and live. That was the message of Jesus throughout the gospels. He would so often tell people rise and sin no more, or stand up and walk, or be on your way, your faith has saved you. Jesus was always encouraging people to change what they could change, to adjust their attitudes in the face of the unchangeable, and most of all, to start living, to rise!

            Perhaps this month as we celebrate Thanksgiving Day this should be a part of our gratitude – a commitment to stop our complaining and start living. Gratitude is an attitude and attitudes sometimes need to be adjusted. This year on Thanksgiving Day I will take stock of my complaints. I will change what can be changed. I will adjust my attitude in the face of what I can not change. I will be grateful for this moment – and like Maya Angelou – I will rise. I will rise up and live.

All our discontents about what we want appear to spring from the want of thankfulness for what we have.

Daniel Defoe, Robinson Crusoe

 I think I was in middle school when I first read Robinson Crusoe. It seems so many years ago and yet the story is a profound one that sticks with me. Perhaps Daniel Defoe gave us some good advice through his fictitious character Robinson Crusoe. The first thing that Crusoe did when he found himself on a deserted island was to make out a list. On one side of the list he wrote down all his problems. On the other side of the list he wrote down all of his blessings. On one side he wrote: I do not have any clothes. On the other side he wrote: But it’s warm and I don’t really need any. On one side he wrote: All of the provisions were lost. On the other side he wrote: But there’s plenty of fresh fruit and water on the island. And on down the list he went. In this fashion he discovered that for every negative aspect about his situation, there was a positive aspect, something to be thankful for. It is easy to find ourselves on an island of despair and self-pity. Every once in awhile it is time that we sit down and take an inventory of our blessings.

To take an inventory of our blessings and to acknowledge that we are blessed by God is the beginning of true stewardship. Stewardship is really an act of gratitude, a time when we put our discontent and problems aside to reach out to others. It’s that time of year again – the time when we, as a community of faith, count our blessings and give back a portion of all that we have received.

            I have always been so grateful for the stewardship that I have witnessed here at Messiah Church. So often I hear pastors speak of their trials with finances. There is never enough money to meet the salaries, or to pay for the roof repairs, or to replace the old furnaces – and rarely ever enough to meet the needs of programming and charitable outreach. I can say with relief and joy that this has never been my experience here! Every year you impress me with your generosity for which I never cease being grateful. It isn’t that we are a community without problems, or that our lives haven’t been touched by tragedy, or we haven’t felt the effects of a difficult economy – no – our faith community is like all others. Still, I have found this community to be a family deeply aware of its blessings. We have so many committed volunteers, a caring and passionate staff, a facility that is beautiful and functional, liturgy that is vibrant, and moments of fellowship that are meaningful. Most of all, I know that you are aware of the Spirit of God that moves through here in a way that touches and changes lives. It is a tremendous honor to be your pastor.

            In this year’s Stewardship Campaign I am going to ask you to remember these blessings and to be generous yet again. In the weeks ahead at liturgy, you will hear the call to Stewardship from Louise Fosdick and Vince Borleske, the co-chairs of our Debt Reduction Appeal and Stewardship 2012 Campaign. You will receive in the mail a Question & Answer leaflet explaining the three-year pledge commitment. Toward the end of the month you will receive a Hoped for Gift Letter and two Commitment Cards. Finally, on Sunday, November 13^th I ask that you bring your pledges for the Debt Reduction Campaign and your pledges toward the 2012 Stewardship Appeal and place them on the altar during liturgy. We will celebrate Commitment Sunday with our wonderful Harvest Meal, a Thanksgiving celebration for our entire faith family. There is no cost for the meal – this is simply a Sunday to celebrate what God is doing here at Messiah Church.

            In the weeks ahead take a moment to remember how we are blessed as a church. Remember what God has done in your life. Remember how we are blessed to be a blessing for others and pray about your pledges to our Debt Reduction Campaign and for the 2012 Stewardship Appeal. The Spirit of God is alive at Messiah. God is doing great things with us and through us. There is so much more to be done!

            There is a story about Mahatma Gandhi that took place back in the 1940’s. A young reporter traveled to Gandhi’s home with the hope of interviewing the Great Soul. He was surprised, however, when he was ushered into Gandhi’s presence to find this famous man sitting on the floor in essentially an empty room. Gandhi had his spinning wheel next to him. He had a walking stick, a pocket watch given to him by his father, his sandals, robe and glasses. That was it! Gandhi, seeing the look of surprise on the young man’s face asked his: Am I not what you expected? The young man replied: Well I was just shocked. Where is all your furniture, your dishes, your clothing? Where are all your things? Gandhi smiled and responded: Well I could ask you the same question. The young reporter quickly rejoined: Why would I travel with all those things? I’m just passing through. Gandhi nodded and replied: So am I. So am I.

            I thought of that story just the other evening. I was out for a motorcycle ride and enjoying some of the breathtaking scenes of an August evening in Wisconsin. The rolling fields of wheat and corn and soybeans all providing a beautiful overture to a perfect sunset. The evening was spectacular. Just by chance I stopped by New Life Church just down the road from us and was surprised to find that they had built a labyrinth on their church property.

Have you ever walked a labyrinth? The labyrinth is a prayer tool that began in medieval times. In their desire to draw closer to God, people often took pilgrimages to the Holy Land or other sacred sites. Some of these were thousands of miles from their homes. For many people, most people, this kind of journey was impossible, so they built labyrinths, often in the floors of their great cathedrals to symbolically represent their pilgrimage journey. New Life’s labyrinth is modeled after the labyrinth built into the floor of the Chartres Cathedral in France. The labyrinth is a large circle (75 ft. diameter) of winding paths. There is only one entrance and one exit. It is not a maze with tricks and dead ends; rather, it is an elegant and beautiful winding path that leads to a center point. The idea is that to walk the winding journey helps one focus inward and creates a spiritual stirring within. In walking the labyrinth you are reminded that we are on a journey to God – or better – we’re just passing through.

As I walked the labyrinth on that beautiful evening I spent some time praying for the people who have asked for my prayers; I prayed too in gratitude for my children and my wife; I remembered the people of Messiah Church as I took in the beauty of the sunset. As I ended my time in prayer however, I thought of that story of Gandhi and remembered that I’m just passing through. I wondered if I’m carrying too much baggage on my journey. There is the baggage of possessions to be sure. Like so many people, I sometimes long for a bigger house, a nicer car and the newest gadget. Is all the “stuff” I carry with me really necessary? I carry as well the baggage of worry about the future. I worry perhaps too much about things over which I have no control – the future for my children, or the health of the greater church, or my health and the health of those I love. Does any of this worry help me in living the fullness of this day or is it simply weighing me down on my journey? I know that I carry around memories of past mistakes and some regrets of things I failed to do. I sometimes dwell on old wounds and allow anger to get the best of me. There are moments when I’m too concerned with what others think of me and fail to make the difficult decision. Isn’t all of this unnecessary baggage that keeps me from growing and holds me back on my journey of faith? You see, all of us have unnecessary baggage that we carry and we often forget that we are just passing through.

Perhaps in the next few weeks you might find a moment or two to reflect on your own journey. You might even want to take a ride out to the labyrinth at New Life and take a reflective stroll (you don’t need to ask permission or check in at the church – just pull into the parking lot and look for the entrance to the prayer area). However you reflect, think about the extra baggage that might be weighing you down or holding you back. Remember the story of Gandhi. Remember the importance of each day. Remember that we’re all just passing through.