This week I attended a Ministers’ Breakfast. Sixteen Baptist Ministers from all over
Buckinghamshire were there, seated around a big table tucking into the granola and
croissants!
There was lots of friendly banter and it was a lovely occasion.
After sipping my orange juice I was in full flow describing my holiday to a colleague I much respect when I found myself just being a touch negative about the accommodation. ‘Oh Ian’, she said, with a smile upon her face, ‘Just shut up and be grateful!’
Now, you can only speak like that to a good friend!
She was right – absolutely right. We had spent a super two weeks in a lovely part of Britain, in a very nice flat, with very reasonable weather. It was 98% perfect – so why did I slip into moaning about that 2%!!
I suspect we all do it: ‘Lovely dinner, but what a shame they served instant coffee instead of filter afterwards!’
Call it ‘finding fault’ or simply ‘missing the point’ – the truth is that, by and large, most of us have far more to be thankful for than to grumble about.
There was lots of friendly banter and it was a lovely occasion.
After sipping my orange juice I was in full flow describing my holiday to a colleague I much respect when I found myself just being a touch negative about the accommodation. ‘Oh Ian’, she said, with a smile upon her face, ‘Just shut up and be grateful!’
Now, you can only speak like that to a good friend!
She was right – absolutely right. We had spent a super two weeks in a lovely part of Britain, in a very nice flat, with very reasonable weather. It was 98% perfect – so why did I slip into moaning about that 2%!!
I suspect we all do it: ‘Lovely dinner, but what a shame they served instant coffee instead of filter afterwards!’
Call it ‘finding fault’ or simply ‘missing the point’ – the truth is that, by and large, most of us have far more to be thankful for than to grumble about.
Words matter.
Recently the Daily Telegraph published a blank page. It looks really odd – a page without words. It was a protest really, a statement by the journalists saying they’d prefer to print no words than sentences of ‘fake news’.
Yesterday, at breakfast, I was gently and wisely reprimanded for using my words in complaint rather than gratitude.
Developing and sustaining a thankful, grateful heart is probably one of the keys to good, healthy living.
It’s one of the reasons the prayers after the sermon in our services begin with Thanksgiving before going on to Intercession. It’s also why the Communion Service in some traditions is called ‘The Eucharist’, literally meaning ‘Thanksgiving’ or ‘Praise’.
This is the month of Harvest Festivals and they give us an opportunity to do
many things – and one of the most important is simply to be grateful and
express thanks. Thanks to God, to
farmers, to growers, scientists, fishermen and retailers.Recently the Daily Telegraph published a blank page. It looks really odd – a page without words. It was a protest really, a statement by the journalists saying they’d prefer to print no words than sentences of ‘fake news’.
Yesterday, at breakfast, I was gently and wisely reprimanded for using my words in complaint rather than gratitude.
Developing and sustaining a thankful, grateful heart is probably one of the keys to good, healthy living.
It’s one of the reasons the prayers after the sermon in our services begin with Thanksgiving before going on to Intercession. It’s also why the Communion Service in some traditions is called ‘The Eucharist’, literally meaning ‘Thanksgiving’ or ‘Praise’.
Well this thought began its life at a Buckinghamshire Ministers’ Meeting – and way back in 1844 another Buckinghamshire Minister, The Revd Henry Alford, penned the opening line of a hymn we regularly use in our Harvest worship: Come, ye THANKFUL people come!
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