One man was trying to persuade another to attend church. He said, "Don't you think you owe the Lord something?" The other man answered, "Yes, I suppose so, but he isn't pressing me as hard as my other creditors!"

True - and he never will. God will never send you a bill, or send out somebody to collect what you owe him. He doesn't keep reminding us how deeply we are in debt. This is something he would like for us to find out for ourselves.

It is one thing to be told that we have a lot to be thankful for; it is quite another to make the discovery on our own. We can be told and not be convinced, but what we discover we can be sure of. And each of us needs to make the discovery that he or she is a deeply indebted person.

A Christian person is one who has made this discovery; a Christian person is a truly thankful one; there is no way to be a Christian and not be thankful. As Christians, we are indebted for the love which sent Christ into the world, for the love which brought him to a cross, for the power which brought him forth alive from death, for the grace by which we have our salvation, for the goodness by which we are blessed all along the way.

Worship time, whatever else it may be, surely is a thanksgiving time. As a grateful people, let us rejoice and be glad, and, as the psalmist said, "give to the Lord the glory due to his name."