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Janauary 18, 2026 - For the Church at the St. John Church of Christ
Spiritual discipline: Gratitude
I have a friend who is bent on teaching her grandchildren about gratitude. When one of them begins to complain or cry about some disappointment, she says, “Sweetheart, I know you don’t like what is happening, but you have the choice of making this a happy day or a sad day. What kind of day do you want to have? Do you remember all we have to be glad about in this day?”
Thankfulness is a thread that can bind together all the patchwork squares of our lives. Difficult times, happy days, seasons of sickness, hours of bliss – all can be sewn together into something lovely with the thread of thankfulness. Jesus was especially good at doing this. Once he was in a tough situation with a lot of hungry people on his hands, and all he had were five loves of bread and two fish. He could have complained that God shouldn’t expect him to feed five thousand people with so little.
But Jesus didn’t write off the loaves and fish as nothing. He noticed what was given and “gave thanks” for it. And in these less-than-perfect circumstances, God supplied all that was needed. We, like Jesus, have choices about how to respond to what life dishes up. We each have the power to interpret the facts of our lives. We make the choices that turn us into bitter or grateful people. Gratitude is rooted in the reality that bidden or unbidden, God is present.
Thanksgiving is possible not because everything goes perfectly but because God is present. The Spirit of God is within us – nearer to us than our own breath. It is a discipline to choose to stitch our days together with the thread of gratitude. But the decision to do so is guaranteed to stitch us closer to God. Attend to the truth that bidden or unbidden, God is present.
Daily Verse of the Day
Worship Times
We meet together regularly on Sunday mornings. We would love to have you join us!
We have bible classes for all ages at 10:00 a.m. Following classes, we meet together as a church family at 11:00 a.m. for worship services.
On the first Sunday of the month we enjoy a potluck meal together following worship service.
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