But there is more than a primeval urge to justify thanking God. On almost every page of the Bible, we see this as a theme. The Old Testament reverberates with the sound of people praising God; Israel’s history is full of thanksgiving to God for showing them mercy and delivering them from disaster.

The New Testament is no less full of thanksgiving. Jesus himself offers up thanks to God the Father, most importantly at the Last Supper (Matthew 26:26-27 ), where the word used for thanksgiving is Eucharist, still used in many churches for communion. Paul not only regularly gives thanks; he actually commands it of others.

This gives us some guidelines for ‘biblical’ thanksgiving:

In giving thanks to God, there should be no motive other than pure gratitude. Thanksgiving is giving thanks and that alone. Of all the different types of prayer, this is least likely to be contaminated by our own conscious or subconscious desire to manipulate God.

It involves looking back over the past – whether the last week or an entire life – and identifying things for which we are grateful. Thanksgiving is neglected today partly because modern Western culture is so obsessed with the future. But to give thanks to God is to look backwards, not forwards, and to express gratitude for the good things that have come our way.

It's easy just to say, ‘Thank you, God’ for the health and wealth we have. But do we also give God thanks for friends, family, housing, holidays, or a hundred other lesser things? Let's give him thanks for all the little things in life, too.

Giving God thanks should be a theme running through our lives. At least five blessings result from this:

The first is that thankfulness forces us to focus on what we have had rather than what we want. In our materialistic culture, we can succumb to a consumerism of the soul that reduces our prayers to shopping lists. Thankfulness looks outwards, not inwards. It realigns our lives so that they revolve around God instead of trying to make God revolve around us.

The second is that thankfulness highlights grace. To give thanks is to admit that you are dependent, to say, ‘I couldn't have done this on my own, but you helped me.’ Thanksgiving removes the temptation to boast and strengthens the only basis on which we can relate to God: that of accepting our own unworthiness and God’s free grace in Jesus Christ.

The third is that thankfulness encourages a positive attitude. It forces us to think about what is right with our lives rather than what is wrong. This is important in an age when many feel depressed. Thanking God is a proven way of piercing the gloomiest of clouds.

A fourth is that thankfulness develops hope for the future. Looking backwards to the past with thanksgiving actually helps us to look towards the future with anticipation.

A fifth is that to practice thankfulness regularly ensures that gratitude will spill over into every area of our lives.We cannot thank God for difficult colleagues, relatives, or neighbors for long before finding that we express a positive attitude towards them. Grumpiness and irritability do not grow well in a climate of gratitude. Those who regularly give thanks to God find they are ready to give to others. Gratitude and generosity go hand in hand.

Whether or not we celebrate Thanksgiving, we all need to be reminded to practice thanksgiving on a daily basis. That ‘attitude of gratitude’ is not just a duty to be fulfilled but something that will bless us and others. It's typical of God’s graciousness that the best gift we can give ourselves and others is to say thanks for what we have already received.

This article was written by J. John who lives in Chorleywood, Hertfordshire, England.

Because of the recent flooding in our area, we have tremendous opportunities for ministry and mission that did not exist before. I believe that when Jesus commissioned us to "go and make disciples" He had exactly these circumstances in mind. So the time is now! Let's go share the love and hope offered by Him, using our hands and feet in His name, to make a Christian difference in the lives of those affected by the flooding. The drying of flooded homes has been slow, especially with all the rain we've had recently. The moisture level in the structure of the house needs to be 15-17% before we can begin to rebuild.

But we do have three projects that can, and need to begin now:

PROJECT 1 (Wallace Run) Furniture moving, drywall removal and cleaning, drywall installation and finishing, painting. This house had about 4-6 inches of water on the second floor (living and dining rooms, kitchen, bedrooms and bath). The first floor was completely flooded and has already been mucked out and gutted.

DAY 1--SATURDAY, OCTOBER 22--WE NEED A LARGE CREW OF VOLUNTEERS TO PACK AND RELOCATE THE SECOND FLOOR FURNITURE, DISHES, CLOTHING, ETC. TO A STORAGE POD OR THE GARAGE.

We will meet at the Four Mile School at 7:30 am and then carpool to the home. Pack your lunches. Coffee and other drinks and snacks will be provided. Please contact me if you are want to join this team.

DAYS 2 THRU ??--BEGINNING MONDAY, OCTOBER 24--DRYWALL REMOVAL AND CLEANING FOLLOWED BY RECONSTRUCTION. "Second shift" opportunities may be available. Please contact me if you are want to join this team.

PROJECT 2 (Mill Street, Montoursville) ELECTRICAL WORK
Receptacles, switches and a few junction boxes need to be rewired. The home needs an electrical inspection (ordered and pending) so power is available and fans, heat and dehumidifiers can be turned on to dry the house. Bob Bauder will lead this team of three or four volunteers beginning Monday, October 24 and will work for most of that week. Please contact me if you are want to join this team.

PROJECT 3 (Locust Street, Williamsport) PORCH REBUILDING AND ROOFING
This project, while not flood related, is part of our community outreach program. The existing porch roof needs to be removed, some structural framing must be replaced and then a new roof installed. Five or six volunteers are needed for this three day project. Work will begin on Monday, October 24. Please contact me if you are want to join this team.

HOUSING AND MEALS WILL BE ARRANGED FOR OUT OF TOWN VOLUNTEERS.
Blessings,
John

John M. Best
1253 Deerfield Drive
Williamsport, PA 17701
(570) 326-1943 (home)
(570)337-9048 (cell)
(570) 323-1562 (fax)
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