Sermon for November 18, 2018 
Read Psalm 126 and Matthew 6:25-34 In our passage for Thanksgiving today, Christ tells us not to worry.
But have you seen the news lately. How can we not worry? There are fires raging in California, and it seems like a different shooting every week. We hear about natural disasters and divisions between people getting worse and worse. We worry about the conflicts throughout the world. We worry about the conflicts at home. We worry about how we can afford Christmas with belts tightening everywhere. We worry about whether everything will go smoothly with the holiday this week, whether relatives will get along or the turkey will come out okay. There seems to be a lot to worry about.
Passages like this one are hard for me. I'm a natural worrier you see. In fact, I am a grand champion worrier. I can worry about things that have already happened, things that might happen. Things that could absolutely never happen and things that have already happened to someone else. I am never worried that I will lack things to worry about.
And here comes Jesus telling me not to worry. Really Jesus? It's not that simple. I can't just turn my worries off like flipping a switch. The advice "just don’t think about it," has never once worked for me because then I worry that I can’t stop thinking about worries.
Now, worry is not to be confused with thinking and planning to meet future needs. Worry is not to be confused with genuine concern. Rather, worry is the preoccupation of our mental and physical powers with things that are future, hypothetical, or beyond our control. Worry sees only the obstacles (actual or imaginary) and meditates on all the possible disastrous possibilities, and isn't concerned with doing anything.
We are unique on the planet in that we are the only creatures that worry about possibilities. All other animals worry only about immediacy. Is there something for me to eat now? Is there something that is trying to eat me now? Humanity on the other hand worries about all these things as well as things that only might happen. The maybes. The possibilities. The things we have no control over. What good does that do? What good is it to worry about something that may happen or not? Does it make it more likely or less likely to happen? Does worrying prevent the bad?
Of course not. In many cases it can actually keep us from being prepared for whatever does happen. "And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life?" Far from adding to our lives, worrying can shorten it! It can give us ulcers and weaken our hearts. Worry definitely keeps us from enjoying the good of the moment. By focusing on possible dangers, troubles and disasters we miss the good of our lives. By worrying about the financial dangers of tomorrow, we miss the security of a good meal and a warm bed. By worrying about the latest case of flu going around, we miss the joys of fresh air and a cool breeze.
The trouble with worrying is that it distracts us. It takes us away from the moment that we find ourselves in. Even my small worries get in the way of my living in the moment God has prepared for me. They take away from my fully experiencing and appreciating what is right in front of me.
It’s easy to see why we shouldn’t worry, but the question remains: How do we stop worrying?
There is an old example of a speaker holding up an empty glass. He asks, "How can I get the air out of this glass?" He turns it over. The air obviously doesn't pour out. The air stays in the glass. He shakes the glass up and down, and the air stays in it. Finally, he turns the glass right-side-up. He gets a pitcher of water and pours the water into the glass. The water forces the air out of the glass. We push worry out by replacing it with something else. There are two things I think do the best job of pushing out worry. The first is gratitude.
Gratitude does not come easily, especially when we are caught in the grip of anxiety. Nor does gratitude come in a sudden conversion. It comes through a slow turning away from worry by intentionally stopping to find something, anything, for which to thank God. In the midst of worry, it can be a real stretch. Jesus understood this. Take something simple and common, Jesus says, for which to give thanks: a bird, a flower, a blade of grass. Anything will do: a warm blanket, a dog’s loyalty, a glass of water. It is the small step of moving out of self to notice something or someone beyond the self that matters.
I think much of our worry is directly related to the fear of something lacking—time, money, confidence, security. We worry because we fear something might be missing in our lives. So, instead, practice giving thanks. When I give thanks, I am affirming that something valuable is present in my life. So by giving thanks I am reaffirming the good in my life and not worrying so much about the rest.
There is always something to be grateful for, even if it doesn’t seem like it. There was a Scottish minister named Alexander Whyte who was known for his uplifting prayers in the pulpit. He always found something for which to be grateful. One Sunday morning the weather was so gloomy that one church member thought to himself, "Certainly the preacher won't think of anything for which to thank the Lord on a wretched day like this." Much to his surprise, however, Whyte began by praying, "We thank Thee, O God, that it is not always like this."
As we head into the Thanksgiving holiday, take time to look around and be thankful for what you do have. When you find yourself worrying about one thing or another, stop and try instead to come up with five things you have to be grateful to God for. See if that might help lighten your worries.
Now I’m not saying that we should ignore our problems or surround ourselves with only happy thoughts and ignore the fact that there are people starving down the street. There is bad in the world, and ignoring it doesn't do any more good than worrying about it does.
Instead, the other thing we can do to push out worries is to take action. Worrying about what we can't control does nothing. In fact, worrying about what we can control does nothing. The other thing that pushes our our worries is doing something. Instead of worrying, we can act to make a difference no matter how small.
If we worry about our health, we can do our best to take care of ourselves. If we worry about other people, we can offer to help them. If we worry about what is happening in the news, we can volunteer our time, or donate to people who are making a difference. Taking action can decrease our worries.Doing what God would have you do, gives you something to focus on rather than your worries.
Yes, bad things happen in the world. There will be senseless acts of violence and times of hardship. Worry won't prevent any of those things or lessen the blow of the bad that happens. But doing something in the world can help.
As Jesus said, at the end of the day God will provide for us. And I hold my trust in God.
Trusting in God, doesn’t mean that doesn’t mean that God will make sure nothing goes wrong in my life. No, it means that I know that God has given me the tools in my life to take care of the problems that do crop up. It's another way of picking up my head and looking at those lilies of the field. When I pay attention to what I have experienced throughout my life, I learn again the same lesson. Worrying just drags me down and away from what I should be doing: trusting that God has provided me with what I need to take care of today.
Let us pray: Lord, help us to let go of the worries we cling to so hard. Show us all that we have to be grateful for instead. Lead us to taking action for others and ourselves when it feels like worry is all we have. Help us to put our trust in you and not worry about tomorrow. In your name we pray, Amen.
