November 26, 1998
Sermon preached by Rev. Donald Ng at the English Thanksgiving Day Service sponsored by the Chinese Christian Union of San Francisco
Pilgrim’s Progress
The breaking waves dashed high
On a stern and rock-bound coast
And the woods, against a stormy sky,
Their giant branches toss’d
And the heavy night hung dark
The hills and water o’er,
When a band of exiles moor’d their bark
On the wild New England shore
“The Landing of the Pilgrim Fathers in New England,” Felcia Dorothea Hemans
Even before the Pilgrims landed in Plymouth in December 1620, they had a lot to worry about. There were 102 Pilgrims sailing across the Atlantic for nine and a half damp and perilous weeks at sea. They were crammed into a creaky vessel small enough to be parked on a tennis court. By the time they arrived, one passenger had died and two had been added through births.
This was probably one of the most ill-suited and unprepared group to sail the sea. And once they arrived, they were not prepared for the life in the wilderness. It‘s almost like
after you’ve boarded an airplane and the captain does a destination check and to your great surprise, you’re on the wrong plane! There were two tailors, a printer, several merchants, a silk worker, a shopkeeper, and a hatter—occupations that are needed in surviving a hostile environment is not readily obvious. The Pilgrims packed sundials, candle snuffers, a drum, a trumpet, and a complete history of Turkey (the country). One man, not a woman, packed 126 pairs of shoes and thirteen pairs of boots. Yet they failed to bring a single cow or horse, plow or fishing line. They may have thought they were going to Grandmother’s house for Thanksgiving dinner.
The Pilgrims were dangerously unprepared for the hardships ahead. Six expired in the first two weeks, eight the next month, seventeen more in February, a further thirteen in March. By April, when the Mayflower set sail back to England, just fifty-four people, nearly half of them children, were left to sustain the new colony. If it wasn’t for some friendly Native American Indians by the names of Samoset and Tisquantum who showed them how to plant corn and catch wildfowl and helped them to establish friendly relations with the local tribe, they would not have sat down for that first turkey feast.
Don’t Worry
Worrying is one of the greatest enemies of good health. When we worry, psychosomatic reactions start to happen in our insides: high blood pressure, headaches, sleeplessness,
eating disorders, strokes, and heart failure to just name a few. Worry is an exercise in futility; nothing is accomplished from worry. Not only does worry not add to the span of our lives, it also can take our lives away. Worry may physically shorten our lives.
When Paul was writing his parting instructions to the Philippian church, he told them to not worry about anything. At the root of worry is a lack of faith in God. The worrier is possessed by her worries, while the prayer practitioner is freed from giving her worries to God. Rather than worrying, Paul said to bring your concerns to God in prayer and thanksgiving.
For most and perhaps all of us who are here today, we don’t need to worry about having enough food, clothing, and shelter. In contrast, we may be guilty in having too much. All of us probably have a juicy stuffed turkey roasting at home ready to be carved when we get there. Even with all these necessities of life in our reach, we continue to worry.
Jesus said “Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?” The answer is “Yes, we are!”
Be Happy
Some years ago, Bobby McFerrin made a popular song called, “Don’t Worry, Be Happy.” It caught the hearts of many when he sang that against all the tragedies in life, we should not worry but be happy.
Paul told the members of the Philippian church to be happy. They are to share their worries with God in earnest and humble prayer and thanksgiving. When we make our prayers known to God, God’s peace which surpasses all understanding, will guard our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus. Instead of worrying all the time, Paul said that we are to pray to God with thanksgiving and our worries will go away. Once we commit our whole life to God in thankful prayer, God posts a guard like a sentinel at our hearts and minds to keep out the enemy—all the worries, which seeks to dominate our lives.
As the newest pastor in the Chinese Christian Union churches, many of our friends back east in Pennsylvania and our new friends in San Francisco were puzzled by my decision to consider pastoring at FCBC. Why after 20 years working in Valley Forge, would you want to give up your friends, being near your children, your home, your quality of life, your good job, to come back? Aren’t you worried about all the changes and are you risking too much? My wife, Joy and I were worried at first like any couple or person would–wondering whether a cross-country move is worth it.
The most amazing and incredible realization happened to us. When we started to count our blessings, you might say, we felt we came up with too much. We felt that we have
been so blessed by the ministry that we have had in Pennsylvania and that our family has been blessed with good health and wonderful children, that now is the time to return thanks to God. Joy and I kept telling each other, we know that God will provide for all of
our needs. He has always done that and God will continue to watch over us when we do God’s will in San Francisco.
Be Good
As long as I can remember when I kiss our kids good night after tugging their blankets in, I would say, “Be good.” One night when our daughter, Lauren, started to question and analyze everything that I might say, said to me, “How can I get into trouble when I’m only going to sleep!”
Paul encouraged the Philippian Christians to keep on doing all that they had learned, heard, and seen in him.
“Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just,
whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable,
if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise,
think about these things. Keep on doing these things.”
Paul said, Keep on doing those good things. Be good!
We know from behavioral scientists that when we begin acting like the person we want to be, we will soon become that person. When we are thinking positively, seeing the world as a cup half-full, we become that optimistic and positive-thinking person. Our lives are full to the brim with blessings.
Christian discipleship is a life-long journey, when we gradually but surely strive to become more like Christ.
Even though we are not one hundredth percent
truthful, we try to be by testifying on the Bible
honorable, we try to be by being open and honest
just, we try to be by reconciliation
pure, we try to be by seeking forgiveness
pleasing, we try to be by getting a second chance
commendable, we try to be by guarding each person’s integrity.
When we act according to the new nature God gave to us in baptism, we begin to realize our true identity in Christ Jesus as Lord. What is of excellence and worthy of praise is our faith in Christ. By continuing to “be good” in Christ, we begin to know more of Christ in our lives to serve him as his disciples.
This sermon should actually be entitled, “Be Good, Be Happy, Don’t Worry.” We begin with worrying because that’s where most of us find ourselves. It’s only human nature that we begin there. But when we allow worry to consume our lives, we turn away from God. When we allow worry to depress us and overwhelm us, we are paralyzed from
being thankful. When we allow worry to occupy all of our attention and energies, we are left with no more life to “be happy and good” in Christian discipleship.
As Christian people, we begin with Christ as the center of our lives. Through him, we learn to become true, honorable, just, pure, pleasing, and commendable. And when we keep on doing these good things, God will provide for all of our needs. We will not have to worry anymore.
Paul said, “Keep on doing the things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.” And our Lord Jesus Christ said, “Seek first for the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you.”
First Thanksgiving
With the help of the Native American Indians, the Pilgrims decided to have their feast of ingathering, similar to our “First Fruits Offering” as a part of our stewardship campaign.
It was the first crop of corn. Along with about 50 Pilgrims, there were about ninety Native Americans. With this many people, they gathered wood and built roasting fires out of doors. They baked corn bread and boiled puddings in kettles. Wild geese, turkeys, ducks, and venison were hung on poles and roasted over open beds of coals. New England style Clam chowder was hissing hot over the fires.
What worries the Pilgrims had are now gone for they are thankful for the blessings that God has provided. Let this day be a day of thanksgiving, full of happiness for the good things that God has done for us and the good things that we do in partnership with Christ. Amen.
Let us pray.
Dear Gracious and Loving Father God, we give you thanks for the many blessings that you have provided to us in San Francisco through the Chinese Christian Union churches. Empower us as sister churches committed to bearing faithful witness to our Lord Jesus Christ to bring good news to the poor, proclaim release to the captives, recovery of sight to the blind, let the oppressed go free, and proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord. In the name of Christ, the Savior of the world, we pray. Amen.