Well, it's also my pleasure to
Welcome one of our elders Eric Rowell to be delivering the final message in the fully series
we've we've covered a lot and
This week we get to end with a message on thankfully for mr. Eric Rowell. Thanks, sir
Thank You Greg I
Really appreciate those warm sentiments and I will do my best to
Try to deliver a wonderful message today that hopefully will resonate with you all
I am very thankful
To have the opportunity to bring to you the message
I've been a member of the house church for over ten years and I can honestly say that these have been the best
church going years of my life and
And pastor Greg and pastor Jen and pastor Chris along with so many others who have kept me strengthened with their messages
I am blessed to have such wonderful people look after my soul
It's curious that our church is called the house because normally when we think about a house we consider a place where people live
not simply visit from time to time a
House is a place that we rise within as in the morning
It is a place where our family exists and is a place where we are fed
But perhaps this building called the house is actually what we imagine it traditionally to be
Because it is a place where our spirits rise regularly
It is a place where we see our church family
And is a place where we are fed good words that nourish both our minds and our bodies
So many times I've come to this place hungry and I left full
Today I'm charged with bringing a message about being thankful or thanking fully
This is the last in the fully series as pastor Greg mentioned which began earlier in the fall
How appropriate this topic is annually this time of year with the American celebration of Thanksgiving being on our doorsteps
We're loving people gather with those they hold dear to dine and revel with in those grand notions of family and love
And please if you will when you say your prayers at those tables this week
Please try to acknowledge the ones who for whatever reason are not able to be
The people that they hold dear I
Like to mention a few passages a few passages from the good book that focus on being thankful and
When we quote the Bible here at the house, we ask the congregation to stand if able
Psalm 95 verse 2 states
Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving
Let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise
And we definitely heard songs of praise a little while ago. Do we not passage in that's the Greg and Marissa
And lastly from 2nd Corinthians chapter 4 verses 14 and 15
Because we know the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead
Will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you to himself
All this is for your benefit so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving
To overflow to the glory to the glory of God
You may be seated
When I was in the sixth grade
the age typically of 12 years I
Began to notice that my knees would get very sore from time to time
Whether I had been involved in a physical activity or simply walking around the house
They would also from time to time fold involuntarily on me
Causing me to crash to the floor when all I had been doing was simply standing
Initially my mother figured it was just growing pains, but she took me to the doctor anyway
And it turned out I suffered from a childhood ailment called Osgood's slaughters
Osgood's slaughters probably named after two doctors who discovered it is a disease typically affected affecting kids during their
pre-adolescent growth spurt so yes growing pains I
Was told it would be something that I would that would go away soon, and it did
But it was only after nearly a year that I would be able to participate in gym class again
I
When the swelling and soreness subsided I was able to try out for my eighth grade basketball team which I made and played pitifully for
for a full season I
Made the team yes, but was I any good no in
Fact I was so bad. I hated being reminded that I was so bad that I quit the team midway through
Until I was coached back onto the team by our coach who was also the first coach to be sent to the gym
Until I was coached back onto the team by our coach who was also the school disciplinarian I
Did manage to make a few baskets over the course of that first season
And I guess I was satisfied satisfied enough with my efforts that somehow I'm guessing it was based purely on potential I
Was given I was I commandeered a spot on the basketball team at my high school
Four years on the south side of Chicago
I spent playing where nearly every team I played against had at least one be one player if not sometimes seven
Even my high school had multiple D1 players on it and no I was not on that list I
Did at least become decent at the sport because the basketball coach at Augustana College heard about me came to watch me play and
Again, probably based purely on potential told me he wanted me apart to be a part of his NCAA Division three team though
I had no though. I had not during my doing my high school years
Don't know that I had not played very well during my high school years
I did not have any pain in my knees during my high school years
But immediately when I got to college all of it returned
I don't know why
The odds of good slaughters was gone because that was a childhood ailment, but it was replaced by something called chondro, Malaysia
Which is the breakdown of the cartilage underneath the kneecap causing it to rub against the thigh bone?
Nearly every practice and game over my four years was either preceded or followed by ice bags or ice baths
It was quite the experience waiting for your legs knees and toes to go numb and water
temperatures in the low 50s
Despite the pain I endured I managed to have four fantastic years of my alma mater
Experiencing a wonderful education and making the best friends of my life
What is interesting about my college days is that it is likely that none of it would have happened
Had it not been for a man. I have not seen or spoken with since my first initial time meeting him
In my senior year of high school way back in 1989. I'm dating myself
There was a college fair at my school where representatives from various colleges from around the state of Illinois and around the region
came to visit me and my classmates
We walked around from table to table saying hello to everyone
Not knowing the differences between colleges. There were big schools and small schools
And I happened to stop off at a table of Augustana College
Having never heard of the school nor anything about a small private liberal arts college
We all got family members that went to the University of Illinois, Southern Illinois, Northern Illinois
We all know people that did those things, but I knew no one that went to a place like Augustana
The man standing behind the table was named Terry Chambers, and he was an admissions counselor
at Augustana College
Augustana was an institution I had never heard of
but he was enthusiastic about his school and he shared with us the virtues of his institution
He appeared particularly interested in me when I told him I was captain of the basketball team and I was also senior class president
The only words that have remained in my memory from that time is when he said I'll tell the coach about you
This is how the coach at Augustana College came to see me play
and ultimately make it plain that he wanted me to be on his team
I did not apply nor visit any other college because I had no real plans for college or guidance to rely upon
And again, I only met
I'm sorry the name of the man who recruited the students again was Terry Chambers
And again, I only met him once and that is because by the time I got to Augustana College in September that year
He had already moved on
from the institution
What I find a little bit more interesting is even though I met him once I still remember his name
I often attribute every success and joy I've had in my life since that particular moment
to that particular person
And ironically in this present day, I hold the exact same position as Terry Chambers
at Augustana College
It is my charge like it was his to spread the gospel of Augustana
With a glee and enthusiasm because of what he did and what that institution did for me
Often
What we can be most thankful for are those we can thankfully or those we can thankfully are the people that come into our lives
Who seemingly have been placed there divinely who can be present for the length of a lifetime or you may only spend brief moments with
The two minutes for one question about who in your life has greatly impacted yours
Brings to mind the parable of the good samaritan
A man who cared for someone he did not have to
But then again, perhaps he did have to
Loving and caring people are often compelled to assist others
As if it has been placed in their hearts to do so and thankfully this is the case because much of our success and joy in life
Has come from the relationships that we have
With the people who cared for us
Perhaps some of you told stories of your parents
siblings spouses
Maybe you talked about coaches or neighbors
And maybe even perfect strangers
Regardless of the position of the person there they are
That cared for you and becoming the wonderful human being that you are
What matters most is that they were there for you
I would only ask of you now
That if there is someone in your life who has had a major impact on it
That you somehow find them and you reach out to them
And you tell them what they have done for you
Sadly
I do not have that opportunity with terry chambers because
Before the notion showed up for me to reach out to him. He passed away
So if you have that opportunity
Please do so
As I mentioned earlier
In a few days many of us will be spending time with people that we hold dear
The legend of the celebration of this celebration involves the
Native peoples sharing their bounty with newcomers
And regardless of its verity the spirit of the day unites most americans every year
Providing us all something to be greatly thankful for or again people we should thank fully
If you allow me a little more time
I would like to share a story with you
But I hope we're crystallized a little bit more of what it means to be thankful
In 1927 a good man stood on a pier in the town of jonesport, maine
He was watching his older brother cast off his boat to go fishing
It was early spring and many of the fishermen used their weekends to fish for lobsters scallops mussels and clams
And the close waters off the atlantic
Some fishermen sought their catches for food and they were able to do so
But the good man's brother was unable to do so because he had no family
After a few hours of restocking the shells of his bait and tackle shop where he sold every fishing ware known to the fishing industry
The good man decided to close up for the day and head towards his own boat tied up at the dock
To clean out the refrigerator on his boat
He was able to do so because he was able to get a little bit of a sense of what he was doing
The good man decided to close up for the day and head towards his own boat tied up at the dock to clean out the refrigerator on board
Something something he's been needing to get to for months
And throw out a bin of sardine cans his favorite boat food that seemingly he had seemingly he had been stockpiling for the last four years
His wife told him the year before to get it get this done as the lower cabin reeked to high heaven
And then she wouldn't step aboard again until it was cleaned
And she had held true to her word
When he made it back down to the pier he noticed out in the distance over the atlantic dark clouds forming with flashes of lightning
He hadn't checked the weather on the radios. He kept at his home in his shop or on his boat the last couple of days
But he did know that most of the week it was supposed to rain but not too heavily
It didn't matter to him if it rained or not
As he hadn't been out on the water for the last month being busy with the shop
And fixing the roof of his house that had leaked in the corner of his boy's bedroom
After a fast thaw which preceded a freak winter freeze that dropped northeastern united states temperatures back in january to minus nine degrees
It hadn't been that cold of 57 years and the freeze caused a break in the corner shingles of the house right where the boy slept
Right over the bed rusty latin his youngest 12 years old and a bit of a crybaby
Complained all the time that water was dripping on his head
Rusty complained about everything
Because since he was born his older siblings his four older siblings made his life miserable with their teases and taunts
As the good man stepped on to his boat he decided to turn on his radio to try to catch some of the red sox yankees game
It was the beginning of the season and he had hopes his team could somehow best their hated rivals
And their blowhard right fielder who was a former pitcher for the red sox
When he clicked on the radio
To tune it towards the game he stumbled upon the jonesport station run by the local coast guard
The broad that normally broadcast the maritime matters concerning mostly the numerous commercial and passenger vessels traveling within range of jonesport shore
On this station he heard the frantic wails of a fisherman yelling for assistance
Stating that water was coming in on the starboard bow of his boat because he had drifted over a hidden reef that ripped a hole in the bottom
He didn't think he could pass the hole in time before his boat sank and if it was if it was to sink
He hoped someone would reach him in time
The good man immediately recognized the voice of his brother
And quickly cast it off leaving the mess of the refrigerator in the cans for another day
He set sail knowing where his brother liked to fish and he knew he could be a good man
Before his brother liked to fish and he knew he could get there before the coast guard
As he pushed his engine pushed the engine of his boat. He noticed the ocean's waves getting stronger and choppier
As he picked up speed his boat bounced up and down causing sardine cans to fall out of the overfilled bin
And land around his feet
He kicked at them so as not to step upon and be distracted
The wind started to turn and although
Or there should have been more light to see with darkness fell unusually early on this day
He couldn't see more than a thousand yards ahead
And when he leaned in to look up through the cabin window
He saw the darkest heaviest clouds he had ever witnessed in his life and there were swirling overhead
Almost a full circle
Dammit he said out loud
Not only fearing for his brother trying to patch a hole in a boat
In the middle of a storm that appeared to be turning into something more vicious
he was now worried about his own neck.
The good man was about a mile away from where he thought his brother would be.
When a large flash of lightning ripped through the sky,
followed by another, then another.
His heartbeat quickened, then he hit the crest of a wave that rocked his boat and
caused the bin of sardine cans to completely topple over,
sending uneaten sardines and their brain all over the floor.
As he closed in on what he thought would be the length of about three football
fields from his brother's position, the sky briefly calmed and
a ray of sunshine cast it down onto his boat.
He looked out through the cabin window again to see the phenomenon,
hoping that the storm had somehow miraculously abated.
For a few seconds he could see clear blue through the swirl, but
just as that moment, the clouds reformed and a bolt of lightning shot straight down,
striking the top of his mast,
sending 30,000 degrees Kelvin straight through to the engine of his boat.
His boat was called the Mad Hatter, named by his oldest daughter,
who was currently pregnant with her first child, the good man's first grandchild.
When the lighting boat hit the engine, the engine exploded,
creating an enormous hole both in the deck and through the hull.
The good man was thrown backwards into a wall where luckily he had hung numerous
life preservers, mostly for his family when they joined him on fishing trips.
The vest braced his impact, but they didn't know what was going on.
They didn't know what was going on, but they did nothing for
the gas that was quickly widening in the Mad Hatter.
Citing his peril, he reached for a vest, but right at that time,
the boat lifted, then tipped to its right, causing everything,
including the disgusting refrigerator to fall on top of him,
taking him into the ocean without a vest and seemingly without a prayer.
As the waves bounced, the good man, luckily unharmed by the refrigerator,
swam up to the surface of the water and
watched the Mad Hatter bop up and down in two sections.
The sky was still dark and rain pounded the water with flashes of lightning
seen all above in all directions.
One of the lightning strikes illuminated a white buoy,
one of several that had been tied to the side of the Mad Hatter,
floating just out of reach.
The good man swam desperately for it, his arms, legs, and lungs burning
with relief or for relief.
He reached the buoy and stuck his right arm through it and grabbed a hole with
his left arm, the shoulder pocket of his right sleeve of his jacket.
Holding on for dear life, the rain and waves tossed him for the next several
hours until the storm passed and night time had fallen.
The good man bobbed up and down in the calm water.
His arms were near exhaustion, having to switch from right to left periodically
through the buoy to give relief to one arm at a time.
He had done it so often that both arms were equally fatigued
and he didn't know how much longer he could hold on.
He was about to raise his eyes to the moonlight, to the moonlit sky,
to launch a prayer for rescue when suddenly something heavy bumped against his back.
And he let out the loudest scream he could, hoping it would scare away any
sea-going predator he feared would happen upon him.
Spinning around, he found himself staring at a large piece of wood he believed came
that it would not tip over when he did so.
from the deck of his boat, floating calmly next to him.
He managed to feet.
Without thinking, he cast the buoy aside and lunged for the wood, hoping he would
After 10 minutes of heavy breathing, his heart calmed and his body warmed slightly
from the hypothermia he was beginning to experience from spending so much time in
the cold northeastern waters.
The waves were palatial now, and through the light coming from the
wind, he was able to reach the shore.
He was able to reach the shore, and he was able to reach the shore.
He was able to reach the shore, and he was able to reach the shore, and he was able
to reach the shore, and through the light cast down from the bright moon, he noticed
several pieces of his boat scattered all around him.
He suddenly burst into tears, thankful he was alive.
He didn't know if the Coast Guard would be in search of him now that the storm
had passed, or if they would wait until the first light in the morning.
He also didn't know the fate of his brother.
He hoped they had gotten to him, but perhaps he was able to patch his boat
before it sank.
Both would have to have been miracles, but the good man thought that perhaps
God was doling out miracles on the coast of Jonesport on this day, and maybe
his brother was safe.
Guessing sunup would be in a few hours, and fighting sleep, the good man started
to think about his life, not certain if he could get back to what he had had, or
if his last minutes on earth were presently being spent.
He fought off the negative thoughts by thinking about his family, particularly
his children, particularly his young son, Rusty.
Suddenly he laughed, and he laughed hard.
He remembered that just two days ago, he nearly lost an eye, and a whole lot of
brain cells at the cost of Rusty.
That Christmas, the good man bought his son a BB gun, modeled after the famous
Chesterfield rifles used by the great hunters of the world.
He bought it with hopes that his son could develop a sharp eye, so that one
day they can go hunting along with his brothers for deer and rabbits in the
timber about a mile inland.
The good man hoped this could toughen up his voice, so that he wouldn't be so
intimidated by his siblings.
What made the man laugh so hard was what happened two days ago.
Rusty actually did develop a sharp eye with the BB gun, and wanted to show the
good man how skilled he was, and how much skill he had developed over the last
four months.
Rusty called his father from outside the house when his father was standing in
the kitchen drinking a glass of water.
The good man opened the back door and saw his son lying on the ground about 15
yards in front of him, with one eye closed and the rifle pointed directly at
Before the good man could raise his hands to cover his face and yell at his son to
hold up, Rusty pulled the trigger.
The BB sailed fast and true, hitting the man in the left cheek.
It stung so bad, he threw both his hands up into the air, hitting the cover of
the porch right above him with a hard thud, all the while spinning around
towards his son and down the three steps to the porch backwards.
Before the good man hit the ground, a cascade of water drenched his head, only
a few seconds before a metal bucket holding the water.
What Rusty was actually aiming for also hit him on the head.
He crashed to the ground with another thud and laid there, having put the
entire scenario together of what his son was actually trying to do.
By the time his 12 year old got to him, already in tears, pleading how sorry he
was, the good man, seemingly going 15 rounds with Jack Johnson, smiled amidst
the sting in his cheek and the lump forming on his forehead and said, need
to aim a little higher next time.
Rusty's tears stopped as he hugged his father and the good man hugged him
back.
Thank you, God, the good man said.
Out loud while floating on that piece of a boat.
I don't deserve anything you have given me.
Suddenly the good man's eyes closed and he just drifted peacefully into sleep.
That Thanksgiving, a chair was left empty at the dinner table at the
Layton family Thanksgiving celebration.
The next year, that chair was filled with a smiling baby boy.
Who ate his food happily and messily while being fed mostly by his great
uncle who had no kids of his own.
In 1997 on Thanksgiving Day in a very large home in Jonesport, Maine, a
prayer was said, giving thanks for the opportunity for the Layton family to
gather again.
There was a main table where the oldest members sat and there were two
additional tables in the front row.
There was a main table where the oldest members sat and there were two
additional tables lined together in the living room.
There were also people sitting on couches when there was no room left at
the tables.
All in all, 47 people had gathered at the Layton home with three separate
turkeys needed to serve all members of the family.
At the main table, a very old man sat calmly watching all the people eat and
laugh.
He picked at his food not being very hungry as he was captivated by all the
faces that he did not recognize.
They seem to be a loving collection as there were people of all ages sitting
hither and yon in different rooms, all stuffing their faces, all seemingly
excited to be there.
He wonder why he was there and why everyone had been so nice to him.
He was followed everywhere he went in that home and everyone helped him with
everything.
A woman to his right cut up his food for him and a young boy possibly in his
teens sitting across from him got out of his chair to pour brown gravy over his
mashed potatoes.
He had been asked if he was too warm or too cold.
He had been given hugs and kisses by seemingly everyone and he had been doled
on like he was someone very important.
Yes, these people were very nice and although he did not know any of them, he
was happy to be where he was and enjoyed watching them dying.
Before the first pie was cut was cut into, there came an eerie silence, a
complete void of noise in the house.
It lasted for only a brief moment and the old man who didn't know anyone
decided to fill that void.
He looked around the room and said through the quiet, I shot my father in
the face with a BB gun.
Everyone in the house, all 46 other people, were there to help him.
Everyone in the house, all 46 other people, watched the old man.
It looked like a photograph.
Mouths that were in mid-bite held firm.
Eyes that were motionless.
Eyes that saw were motionless and fixed.
Then the old man said, my father was a boat captain.
Still all eyes were on him.
His words were weighty to the crowd as if they had been so far, so few and far
between that any utterance from him should cause all to listen and glean.
Then finally the old man said, I loved my father.
A younger man to his right, sitting at the head of the table, reached his arm
around the old man and pulled him close.
He said with tears in his eyes, I love you, dad.
Then with both arms hugged his father as if oxygen was being given to him
through that hug. The old man looked to the stranger to his left and although he
did not recognize him, he felt so much love in that hug that he nestled into
the man's shoulder, allowing the younger man to kiss him on the forehead.
And when he kissed him, the old man looked into the younger man's eyes and said,
I love you too, son.
As it seemed like the right thing to say, for the old man was thankful to be in this house.