"The many rings of giving thanks"

                                                                 

                                                         by Tom McDermott, Treasurer

 

It seems natural to write about giving thanks in November; after all it's a national holiday with turkey and all the fixins. The origin of thanksgiving as taught in the schools is the famous story of Pilgrims, Indians, harsh winter and coming together to celebrate and thanking God for getting them through it all. Giving thanks is not a foreign item in today's society.

 

When I think of giving thanks, I think in terms of concentric circles. Each circle or ring revolves around how important the ring is to me personally and spiritually. The closer the ring, the more it's important;

·         The furthest ring out is the Frivolous ring and it's almost an automatic reflex. I say thank you as I was taught good manners as a child: Would you like a cookie? Yes, thank you! comes immediately to mind as an example of the frivolous circle. Very little thought or commitment is involved.

·         Next ring closer is the Factual ring where we truly are thankful for the actions of others.   In this ring, the thank you is not an automatic response like the frivolous ring, but it is usually based upon specific content with little personal involvement. Thank you for cleaning your room without being asked comes to mind as an example. We are thankful but it's based upon something we wanted.

·         Next ring closer is the Fellowship ring. This is the ring where we share ideas, judgments and philosophical ideas.   Into this ring goes giving thanks for the volunteers of Saint John's, the ministry groups, the youth leaders, this year's vestry, coffee hour hosts and all others working behind the scenes for the common purpose.

·          The next closest ring is the Feeling ring where we not only share ideas and core beliefs but also at times express the reasons behind our beliefs. We let others know how important they are. In this ring I say thank you for many close friends and family that influence my life.

·         The closest and last ring is the Freedom ring. In this ring I place my spouse and immediate family that allow me to share feelings, mood swings, and deepest dreams without fear of rejection. In this ring lives intimuce - the Latin for "innermost". It is this ring that gives definition to the word love - to be completely known, vulnerable and not be rejected.

 

How I give thanks is proportionate to where in the ring I assigned the item's value.   Each of us assigns "value" individually, and "value" can be reassigned at any moment in time. An example would be going to a restaurant. If the host is cordial, an automatic thank you (value) on a refill of water could be enough; if the service is good, a thank you and a modest tip may be the "value". If the meal was fabulous, perhaps an over generous tip might be the "value". The value assigned (the thanks) is up to each of us and as such "value" then differentiates where one invests ones time talent or treasure.

 

 The question then for each of us to decide is into which ring do we place God and St. John's? To God and St. John's we give thanks through the S word -Stewardship. Admittedly, each time I hear the S word I cringe. So I'm asking to substitute for a moment the word value. Looking at the rings as outlined, where does St. John's fall in our ring of importance? Is St. John's role to be just a church visited on Sundays, or is its role to build a community? The more value the relationship has, the more time, talent and treasure is needed to sustain it.   How much "Value" (the thanks) are we willing to invest? Is God in the same ring as St. John's or is he closer or farther away? What will it take to put them both in the inner ring?   These are personal value decisions for each of us to make through thoughtful prayer. May I recommend this thanksgiving the prayer: Thank you Lord, for these thy Gifts, and those gifts which we are about to receive, through thy bounty, through Christ Our Lord, Amen.