We are in an odd season of the church year. The secular society is caught up in the season of "Hallowthankmas" as I once heard it described, that commercial blitz that starts around Labor Day and continues into the New Year with its popular mythology and quasi-religious observances of death, gratitude, and hope heavily seasoned with gluttony and greed. Meanwhile the church is engaged in the pre-Advent and Advent themes of judgment, the end of the age, and God's final victory in Christ.

The two are an uneasy fit. On the one hand we are called to repentance by ancient prophets like Amos, Isaiah, and John the Baptist. On the other, we are encouraged to gratify our worst impulses for materialism and self-indulgence. The oft-cited and oft-abused shibboleth to put "Christ" back in "Christmas" is at least one expression of our awareness of this cultural dissonance.

However, there is one point in which our secular and sacred observances intersect, and it can be a fruitful connection in our lives and in the lives of our congregations. That is in our practice of expressing gratitude. Gratitude is the foundational response in the life of faith: God acts in grace and mercy toward us and we respond with lives of grateful service and obedience to God's will. Gratitude is also the foundation of our prayer lives. The medieval mystic Meister Eckhart once observed, "If the only prayer you say in your life is 'Thank You,' that would be enough." More recently, Anne Lamott wrote a short book on prayer titled, Help, Thanks, Wow: The Three Essential Prayers. When it comes to our secular society, Thanksgiving may actually be the most truly spiritual holiday we observe, even if it is so often narrowly focused on family and country, and is increasingly compromised by "Black Thursday" sales in the stores.

But gratitude is an important part of the lives of congregations as well. Churches that regularly and enthusiastically express appreciation not only build healthy relationships, they build positive energy. I have recently been writing about breaking the downward spiral of negativity in congregations, and practicing the discipline of gratitude is one effective way of combatting negativity. It is a discipline because it is so easy to overlook. No act of generosity or volunteer effort should go unrecognized. Public expressions of gratitude should be shown to church leaders - not only when they end their terms of service or retire or leave - but regularly throughout their service. How many of our pastoral prayers in worship give thanks for the elders, deacons, and other volunteers? How many churches regularly say "thank you" to those who give time, talent, and treasure. One important takeaway from last summer's stewardship workshop was the power of the thank you note. Steve Keizer encouraged pastoral leaders to make a habit of writing ten thank you notes a week.

We have much for which we can be thankful - to God, first of all, but also to the scores of people in our churches and communities who serve us every day. A ministry of gratitude undertaken as a sincere expression of appreciation will not only help break the cycle of negativity, but will also connect churches to their communities in powerful and transformational ways.

I too need to develop my discipline of gratitude. I am grateful to God and this presbytery for allowing me the privilege of serving you as Executive Presbyter, and for the many extraordinary gifts in service to our shared mission which I see every day around our presbytery. Thanks be to God for every one of you.