Muskoka Lakes Ministry of Knox, Port Carling & Zion, Torrance
Sunday February 7, 2021
Message: Count Your Blessings
Reverend Glynis Faith
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Announcements
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1) Monday evenings at 7p.m. the prayer group meets via Zoom
2) This Tuesday evening the Presbytery of Barrie meets at 7 p.m. via
Zoom
3) Thursday evenings at 7p.m. Lectio Divina group meets via Zoom
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Call to Worship
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The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship.
Come, let us worship the One who is proclaimed by and displayed in His creation. Let us worship God together. AMEN
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Prayer of Adoration & Confession
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God of the heavens, we praise Your Holy Name.
Creator of the earth, Your majesty is displayed in all of Creation. All that Your hands have made is good and perfect. There is nothing humanity requires that You have not provided. Lord, not only are Your provisions good, but they are abundant.
Gracious and giving Eternal Provider, we have wood and stone and metal to build homes. We have fertile land to grow crops and hardy plants that grow in less fertile climates. Within our crops are seeds to continue the cycle of planting, growing, harvesting and eating. We have abundant fresh water to drink and livestock that produce eggs, milk, wool, and meat. There truly is no end to the list of provisions You have blessed us with, and we praise You.
We confess, however, that despite the abundance of blessings across this world, there are people who go hungry – people who have no shelter – people without access to clean drinking water – men, women and children who are denied the blessings of the gifts You have provided. We confess that our own lifestyles contribute to this sin against our brothers and sisters. Through wasteful habits, overuse of lands, demands for cheaper products, over accumulation, and the attitude that caring for those in need is someone else’s responsibility, we are part of the problem. Gracious God, forgive us, and teach us Your ways, we ask in Jesus’ Name. AMEN
WORDS OF ASSURANCE Psalm 103:8-12
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Genesis 3:1-6a NKJV
Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?”
And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’ ”
Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate.
Psalm 19:7-13 CEV
The Law of the LORD is perfect; it gives us new life.
His teachings last forever, and they give wisdom to ordinary people.
The LORD’s instruction is right; it makes our hearts glad.
His commands shine brightly, and they give us light.
Worshiping the LORD is sacred; he will always be worshiped.
All of his decisions are correct and fair.
They are worth more than the finest gold and are sweeter than honey
from a honeycomb.
By your teachings, Lord, I am warned; by obeying them, I am greatly rewarded.
None of us know our faults. Forgive me when I sin without knowing it.
Don’t let me do wrong on purpose, Lord, or let sin have control over my life.
Then I will be innocent, and not guilty of some terrible fault.
Philippians 4:8 NIRV
Finally, my brothers and sisters, always think about what is true. Think about what is noble, right and pure. Think about what is lovely and worthy of respect. If anything is excellent or worthy of praise, think about those kinds of things.
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Message
“ Count Your Blessings ”
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Are you ever tempest tossed? Or, in other words, ‘have the storms of life ever knocked the wind out of your sails’?
Has life, or friends or your job, or even the evening news ever left you feeling discouraged to the point of thinking all is lost?
Are there any burdens weighing you down?
Perhaps this pandemic feels like a load to difficult to bear?
Ever wondered why others prosper while you struggle to make ends meet? Doesn’t seem fair, does it?
Any conflict? Discouragement? Frustration?
Now, you are probably thinking, ‘this sermon is heading downhill fast,’ and these are exactly the kinds of things that can drag us downhill fast if we focus on them. Life’s storms do happen. People and situations can discourage us to the point of thinking all is lost. There are any number of burdens that can weigh us down, and the pandemic is certainly one of them. The reality is, this life does not always reward people’s efforts equally and each day we can face any number of conflicts, discouragements and frustrations. But if we focus on them, we will find ourselves walking along the wrong path.
You may have also noticed I was drawing my questions from the lyrics of a beloved hymn – Count Your Blessings. Perhaps you figured out the hymn for this week’s sermon in my first question, ‘Are you ever tempest tossed?,’ since it is not an expression you hear very often. I am not sure I have ever heard it anywhere but in this hymn.
And I have a confession to make – I used to think ‘tempest tossed’ was an expression for the way temptation stirs up the ‘do it’ ‘don’t do it’ battle in your mind, the little devil with his pitchfork arguing with the little angel with the halo. A few years back I came across the word tempest in a book I was reading, and the context seemed a little off, so I looked it up. It seems a tempest is a violent storm, not a standoff between good and evil!
Johnson Oatman Jr. wrote the hymn, Count your blessings in the mid 19th century. His father was a known for his delightful singing voice, a gift Oatman Jr. would have liked, but did not inherit. Since he was not going to be a singer, he trained at a Methodist school and went into ministry. He did not feel particularly gifted or content preaching, so he got into the mercantile business. Eventually he discovered his gift in writing hymns, which he enjoyed enough to pen over 5000. Count Your Blessings is the hymn he is best remembered for and was sung at every worship service during the revival in Wales.
Most of us learned this cheerful hymn in Sunday School and still love to sing it at church on Sunday, yet, much like I misunderstood the meaning of ‘tempest tossed,’ we often misuse the phrase ‘count your blessings’.
Counting our blessings is not a call to ignore life’s challenges and pains – ‘cheer up, there are others worse off than you.’ Counting our blessings is an acknowledgement of the struggles and temptations we face, and it is the means of knowing joy and peace in the midst of it all.
To count one’s blessings is to intentionally focus on God, the provider of our blessings. And whatever trials and temptations we face in life, we are best equipped to face them with a clear sense of the Good Shepherd’s presence along side us.
The Apostle Paul is saying the same thing, “take stock of all that is good, true, noble, wonderful, praiseworthy and awesome.” “Think about these things,” Paul says. Focus on what is good, not what is going wrong. Fix your thoughts on what is true and what is fact, not on the sensationalism of fake news and gossip. When you stumble, and stumble you will, focus on God’s forgiveness, not the condemnation of others. When you find your self in one of life’s violent storms (tempest tossed), don’t let the storm draw you in – stay focused on the One who calms the storms.
We can’t deny the storm. We can’t stop the storm. We are not being asked to ignore the storm, but we are being asked to focus our attention elsewhere. Look at the ways your Creator has carried you through the storms of the past (look at what is good). Focus on the light breaking through in the distance (look at what is wonderful). Consider God’s promises revealed in Scripture (think about what is true). Remember Jesus’ words, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble (storms). But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (look at what is noble and awesome) Give thanks for the shelter from the storm and for those weathering the storm with you.
Counting our blessings helps to keep us on the right path, and when we get off the right path, which happens, counting our blessings guides us back. Imagine how differently Genesis 3 would read if Eve had counted her blessings. I think it would have unfolded more like this:
Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?”
And the woman said to the serpent, “Look around you Mr. Serpent. God has filled this garden with such a wonderful and tasty variety of fruit trees. He has provided rich soil, rain, and sunshine, that the trees might always be fruitful. There is an endless combination of fruit salads to be created from such a variety of flavours. It is hard to believe that there is only one tree we cannot eat from – ONLY ONE! How awesome is that? We get to eat from every single tree except that one. And the one we don’t eat from is an amazing shade tree to relax under after a big feast from all those other trees.”
Then the serpent said to the woman, “Really, you can’t eat from THAT tree – THAT ONE! Than one, right there. But the fruit on that tree looks so much better that all that other fruit. I bet it is the best of the best. That is why God keeps it for himself.”
Hmm, said Eve, now that is interesting. I never thought of it like that. It certainly does look tasty – absolutely decadent, now that you mention it.
It certainly does, said the serpent, scrumptiously irresistible, I might add.
Then Eve began to consider her last conversation with God. As they walked in the garden, He pointed out some of the flavours he had created for her, and they discussed the other purposes for the trees. She loved their beauty and way the leaves would rustle in the breeze. She and Adam had enjoyed more than one peaceful nap under the shade of those trees. And then there was the beautiful rivers God created to nourish the roots of the trees and refresh Eve as well. As the glorious sun perched itself at certain angles in the sky, the trees created interesting shadows, and of course, one of the trees had proven to be a fun thing to climb and look out over the expanse of the garden.
Eve counted her blessings, and as she did she suddenly remembered what God had said, “You, my beloved child, may eat from every single tree in this garden, and you may enjoy the flavours I have created for you, but you are not to touch the one tree – just the one – the one that is in the middle of the garden. That tree, my dear girl, will cause you a lifetime of grief and pain, so choose the fruit from all the others instead.
Eve turned to the serpent and said, “God has provided all that I need, and He has also warned me about that tree. You eat what you want, but today, I am feasting on delicious papaya.”
In this life we face temptation. We can’t ignore it, because it is not going away. Counting our blessings helps minimize its appeal. One apple vs an abundance of exotic fruit. If we keep talking about that one apple, if we keep thinking about that one apple, if we keep looking at that one apple we are bound to reach out, grab it and take a bite. But what if we stop looking at the apple and look instead at what God has done. What if we focussed on God – His love – His promises – the promises that have been fulfilled – the promises yet to come. Then there is family, friends, sunshine warming your face on a cool morning, the silly squirrel that makes you laugh, the great joy you feel when you deliver meals, the time your entire church family prayed for you when you were in hospital, the joy and relief of a new babies first cry, the opportunity to attend college, the sheer beauty of sparkling snow on a bitter cold morning, and the hope of spring found in the tiny crocus as it pushes its way through the lingering spring snow.
Counting your blessings during life’s storms helps you see the light through the darkness, guiding you as you steer towards calmer waters.
Counting your blessings when facing temptation helps to shed light on the situation and put things into better perspective.
Counting your blessings is taking the time to focus on God and all that He has done for you. The more we consider God’s blessings in our lives, the greater our gratitude. The greater the gratitude, the more we express it, giving thanks and showing others God’s great love and provision.
This week – this month – this year, I encourage you to take up the practice of counting your blessings. Every day take a moment and write down some blessings of that day. Add a few blessings from the past. I believe, that in time, you will see that the blessings are like the stars, far too abundant to count them all. I believe, that in time, you will also notice that focusing on your blessings brings greater peace and joy to your life and helps steer you through whatever challenge or temptation you face.
Count your blessings, name them one by one, count your many blessings and you will remember all that God has done in your life…..
Before we sing this joyful hymn, please join me in prayer:
Lord Jesus, you told us we would face difficulties in this life, and we certainly do. You never minimized the pain and anxieties of these struggles. Instead, you remind us that You are there with us. We face nothing alone. You remind us that you have overcome this world through Your death and Resurrection, and that one day, when You return, You will restore all things as they should be. Lord Jesus, we thank you.
Loving Shepherd, there are indeed many struggles in this world, and we name some of them now, praying for people suffering the effects of Covid and the dedicated workers caring for them. We pray for families who have lost loved ones and for the people in their lives who offer them comfort. Lord, we pray that the injustices and inequalities exposed by this pandemic will be a springboard for change – change that will bless. Grant Your churches around the world insight and courage to be a part of this change.
Holy Spirit, work through us as Christ’s hands and feet in this world. Work through us to bless others. Give us boldness to speak of God’s love and the sacrifice of Christ. Grant us the strength to share our own faith story to encourage others along the journey.
Bless us now, as we sing this joyful hymn. In Jesus’ Name we pray. AMEN
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Prayers of Thanksgiving & The Lord’s Prayer
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Hear us Lord, as we count our blessings, giving You thanks for the gift of life, forgiveness and salvation. We thank you for Jesus and for the continued presence of the Holy Spirit.
We thank you for the joys and the challenges of family and the blessings they bring. We are grateful for our church family who share their faith and encourage us in ours. We thank you for friends who make us laugh and also call us to task.
We acknowledge the blessings of healthcare, public education, and the freedom to speak our beliefs and worship publicly.
We give thanks for the beauty of creation – the majestic BC mountains, the endless open fields of Saskatchewan, the fertile red soil of Prince Edward Island, the great rocks of Newfoundland and the sparkling lakes of Muskoka.
Truly, Lord, our blessings are endless, just like Your love and grace. Almighty Creator, we give You thanks.
With thankful hearts we lift our voices now to repeat the words Jesus taught us, saying, “ Our Father, who art in heaven… hallowed be thy name…