[Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church Bulletin: November 19, 2000] Page: 1
1 pamphlet (16 p.) : ill. ; 22 x 18 cm.View a full description of this pamphlet.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
NOTES
Sunday, November 19, 2000
.. .From the pastors
THE CUMULA TIVE NA TURE OF THANKS
thing, another
are thanking Him for one
Funny thing about thanking God—while you
comes to mind.
At this season, we are forced by tradition to try to remember things for which to thank
God. If you have a pattern of thanking God regularly, blessings come easily to mind—
you can roll them out in cascades. If you seldom give God credit for good things, it
seems more difficult to think of what He has done for you, as over against what you have
done for yourself. Have you ever tried to pray a prayer of thanksgiving, without asking
God for anything for yourself or for somebody else? Saying 'thanks to God takes some
effort, because you and I are essentially selfish animals, and we often ascribe to our own
efforts and ingenuity what are really blessings from Him.
But if you make the effort, it becomes easier with each try.
While I am thanking Him for food in a world of hunger, I am reminded of many ways in
which my predicament is good. I have a family, nuclear and extended. I live in an age
beyond those who suffered slavery. Even the racism that stings me is nothing like the
suppression my parents and grandparents knew. While I am thanking Him for what
progress we have made in equal opportunity, I am reminded that only in America could
we have the political situation we have all laughed at. Nobody questions how leaders are
named in China, or Nigeria. You wouldn't hear of 're-counts' to determine the will of the
voters in Haiti. So while I thank God for food and clothes and shelter and family and
loved ones and better conditions for living, I must also recognize that these things did not
happen because we are smarter or more efficient—but because God is so good.
I just thought of six or seven more blessings. I'd love to tell you about them, but I have
run out of space. So I’ll just say, "Thank you, Lord!"
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This pamphlet can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Pamphlet.
Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church (Houston, Tex.). [Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church Bulletin: November 19, 2000], pamphlet, November 19, 2000; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1338591/m1/3/: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Rice University Woodson Research Center.