Thanksgiving, as celebrated today, often revolves around food, family, and gratitude for life’s blessings. But for Christians, thanksgiving runs far deeper, stretching back to the Exodus, when God delivered the Israelites from slavery. The Passover meal was their act of thanksgiving, remembering God’s saving power. In the Christian tradition, this remembrance finds its fulfillment in the sacrament of communion, often called the Eucharist—meaning “thanksgiving” in Greek. In communion, we give thanks not only for Christ’s sacrifice, which frees us from sin, but for all of God’s blessings, especially the gift of relationship with him. Communion is more than a moment of reflection—it is an invitation to accept God’s gifts in every aspect of our lives with thanksgiving. As we participate in communion, we are also reminded of our call: to “give thanks and praise to God at all times and in all places,” living with grateful hearts that reflect the love we have received.
Let us pray. May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, our rock and redeemer. Amen.
When I was a small kid, I had my share of moments where I’d complain, whine, and just get downright unhappy because I didn’t think things were fair. My mother’d put up with it for a while. She’d listen to my griping, sometimes maybe sympathize a little. As an adult, I understand the sympathy a lot better, more than I realized at the time, in fact; life isn’t fair, in so many ways! But anyway, eventually, she’d have enough. That’s when she’d look at me with that look only a parent can give and say, “If you don’t stop it, I’ll give you an attitude adjustment.” Now, at the time, I didn’t really understand what she meant, but I knew I didn’t want to find out! But now that I’m older, I get it. My endless whining got on her nerves—especially given what I whined about surely wasn’t unfair by comparison to the adult issues she dealt with, without whining to me and anyone who’s listen. She could see what I couldn’t—that I needed a shift in my thinking, a reminder that I wasn’t the center of the universe. What I needed was an attitude adjustment.
And isn’t that the way with us and God? We’re all children of God, and sometimes, we act like it. We get wrapped up in our fears, frustrations, and worries. We forget who we are and whose we are. We whine to God about what we don’t have or what we wish would happen. But here’s the thing: we’ve got a parent who loves us enough to give us an attitude adjustment when we need it—whether we realize it or not.
In today’s gospel, Jesus speaks directly to our worries. He says, “Do not worry about your life, what you will eat, or about your body, what you will wear. Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes.” Jesus isn’t just offering nice advice here. He’s calling for an attitude adjustment. He’s telling us to stop focusing on the wrong things—our anxieties, our doubts—and start trusting in God’s provision. Jesus knows how easy it is for us to fall into that spiral of fear and worry. But he says, “Don’t be afraid. God knows what you need. Seek his kingdom, and all these things will be given to you as well.”
This is a call to trust. But not just any kind of trust. It’s the deep trust of a child, knowing that your father’s got you covered. And when we start living like that, something changes inside us. That’s where the attitude of gratitude comes in. It’s not about pretending everything is perfect. It’s about knowing that God is with us, providing for us, guiding us. Gratitude isn’t just saying “thank you” when things go well. It’s a way of living, day in and day out, trusting in God’s goodness even when we can’t see the whole picture.
On Homecoming Sunday we talked about walking as children of God. We explored what it means to belong to God’s family, how it changes everything about how we live and act in the world. Today, we’re going to walk a little further along that path we started down. Because as children of God, sometimes we need that reminder, that nudge—maybe even a strong push—to adjust our attitudes. To let go of the things that weigh us down and embrace the trust, hope, and gratitude that mark us as part of God’s family.
There’s great beauty in it, a big source of strength. We’re not doing this, any of it on our own. We’ve got help. The Holy Spirit is at work in us every day. She’s the one who brings about that attitude adjustment when we’re stuck. She’s both confronting and comforting us, guiding us back to God’s heart. She doesn’t leave us where we are. She keeps pushing us toward a deeper trust, a fuller life, a more profound peace. And that’s the real attitude adjustment we need—one that comes from the Spirit of God, who is always at work in us, even when we don’t realize it.
This attitude of gratitude isn’t just for our own sake. God doesn’t just adjust our attitudes to make us feel better. God adjusts us for a purpose. When we start living with that kind of trust and gratitude, it affects everything. It opens us up to be used by God for his purposes. It’s not just about us—it’s about the world. We’re called to be instruments of God’s peace, members of his family, just like Jesus, our big brother, who lived his life in obedient, loving devotion to God’s will. He cared for the world that God so loved, and we’re called to do the same.
Let me ask you today—where does God need to adjust your attitude? Where are you holding on to worry, fear, or frustration? Where is the Spirit calling you to trust more deeply? And once that adjustment happens, what can God do through you? Because this isn’t just about feeling better; it’s about living out our calling as children of God, joining in the mission of Jesus, who gave everything in obedience to his Father’s will. Imagine what God can do with us when our attitudes align more with Jesus’ example—when we live confess, when we forgive, when we serve, when we put pride away and allow humility to take over, when we see our lives not just as our own, but as part of God’s great plan for the world.
The Holy Spirit is at work in us, at work in you, right now, adjusting your attitude, transforming your heart. She’s doing it every day, sometimes when we think we need it, sometimes when we don’t even realize how much we need it. She’s moving us closer to the example of Jesus, our big brother, drawing us deeper into trust, peace, and gratitude. And as she does, she’s preparing us to be used by God for the work of his kingdom—work that will change us and change the world.
God’s not done with us yet. God’s not done with you yet. The Spirit is still moving. And because of that, we can live each day with an attitude of gratitude—knowing that we are God’s children, called to be his instruments of peace, following the example of our brother Jesus, living in trust and obedience to the God who holds our future.
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The Rev'd Daniel W. Spigelmyer, Jr. 