Help. Thanks. Wow.

 MESSAGE “Help. Thanks. Wow.” 

Friends, this is the end of the year! No, no, not the secular calendar year. Don’t panic, there’s still 5 ish weeks left of 2024. This is the last week of the Church year. This last Sunday of the Liturgical year is called Christ the King Sunday, and we end the year by lifting up that now, always, and forever, Jesus is the center of our lives and the king of our hearts. For those of you who follow what’s called the Revised Common Lectionary, this guide preachers use to decide what we’ll be talking about from week to week, this Sunday marks the very end of Year B, a year where not all, but most, of our Gospel readings came from Mark. Next Sunday begins Year C, and most of our Gospel readings will come from Luke. Next Sunday will also begin Advent.

Ok, if you think like my late Grandma did, go ahead and switch your hearing aids back on, the boring part of this is over. Most of you have a completely different holiday in mind, the one that happens this Thursday that comes with time off from school, turkey, a football game, a parade, the dog show after the parade that I inexplicably watch every year…oh, and rolls. Lots of ‘em.

At least, that’s what Thanksgiving tends to look like at my house. For some of you, it might look different. Maybe very different. My brother in law shared with me that he was planning on Chinese takeout and video games this Thursday, which is why I insisted on inviting him and my sister to our house. But I get it. I had a year in college where Thanksgiving was ramen, a bottle of juice, and binge watching Friends. Some of you may be hosting many relatives at your table, or traveling to join someone else’s dinner. This Wednesday and next Sunday mark the two busiest travel days of the whole year just because so many folks want to spend this holiday with the people they love, near and far. And that’s beautiful.

Regardless of what the holiday ends up looking like at my house, we have an annual family tradition, where we all name the things we’re thankful for this year, and I write them down so we can remember those abundant blessings. I’ve grown to love recapping my year at the Thanksgiving dinner table. We’ve given thanks for all kinds of things, ranging from the big stuff like love and good health, to the little joys, like chicken nuggets and action figures. One year our youngest gave thanks for his shadow. I mean, it makes sense. It’s always there.

But if you’re struggling to know what to give thanks for right now, if recapping your year is way too much, and if you struggle to keep Jesus, our king, center when you’re being bombarded with messages about travel deals and Black Friday sales and party planning, I’m going to direct you to the advice gifted to us by Christian author Anne Lamott. In 2012, she published Help, Thanks, Wow: the Three Essential Prayers. How do those three prayers line up with your experiences of the last year?

I find “help” to be the most intuitive of those prayers to lift up. Often, the reason we thought to pray at all was because of what we need help with. In church communities, some “help” prayers are easier to share because we’re used to hearing them, and saying them out loud: I’m having surgery, please pray for my recovery; my loved one passed away, please pray through my grief; I’m going on a trip, please bless me on my way. But some of our “help” prayers can be very hard to even acknowledge to our own selves, let alone to our community, and to our Creator. Help me fix this broken relationship. Help me stand up to my fears. Help me make it to the end of the day without losing it. Those “help” prayers are every bit as sacred as the ones we’re used to sharing at church, and the Holy wants to help us. How did your relationship to Jesus “help” you this year?

The “thanks” prayer is easiest to lift up this week, so let’s take advantage. Most of the time it’s harder to remember to give thanks, because when things are going well we don’t think we need prayer. But a relationship with the Divine is an “all the time” thing, not just a “when we’re struggling” thing. What summits did Jesus elevate you high enough to reach this year? What goals did you reach, in part because our Savior purified your heart and mind for what was most important? What victories do you want to share with Jesus the same way you would text them to your best friend? What “help” prayers did you see the Holy respond to, and you want to lift up your praise? And by the way–even in a season where you’re lifting up a lot of “help” prayers, you can still remember to give thanks for the steadfast presence of the Divine, and maybe even for the challenge set before you that will make you stronger.

“Wow” tends to be the hardest of these prayers to remember to vocalize. Partly because your “wow” prayer requires very few, if any, words. It can be hard to understand what a “wow” prayer should sound like, and it can make more sense if we think of our “wow” prayers as our glory sightings. What reminded you this year that, no matter what chaos may have been around you, life is still a beautiful gift? Where did you find moments of light, and love, and joy? Did your kid make the most beautiful smile in the world? Did the flowers bloom in your garden? Did you catch the Northern Lights a few months back? Did you have a really great, meaningful conversation with a friend? Was your coffee just right this morning? No “wow” is too big, no “wow” is too small, and your “wow” may well be a response to God answering one of your “help” prayers. Because human healing, endurance, and survival are glorious and awe-inspiring.

Lectionary Year B–or 2024, if you prefer–might have been a banner year at your house. It could have been an “ant” year, per one of Aesop’s Fables, a year filled with hard work being rewarded with productivity and good outcomes. Or it could have been a “grasshopper” year, per the same fable. A year where you hopped around and tried a number of different things that didn’t pan out, and now winter is coming and your reserves are low. The Good News we can all find in our faith is that, when Jesus is your center, everything on the outskirts becomes a lot less important. When the Lord is your provider, you can let yourself off the hook for your rough moments. And in our Creator’s arms you find love, no matter what. Lift up your own personal “help, thanks, wow” this Thanksgiving, and lift them all up to the one who holds you and never lets go.

Amen.