With all of the hate, division, and violence in today’s world, it is tempting to cave into despair. The world is a mess! The good news is we can make a difference! Research indicates that there are actual health benefits to practicing gratitude.
One study by Dr. Robert A. Emmons and Mike McCullough invited participants to keep a short journal each week. One group recorded five things they were grateful for in the past week. A second group recorded five hassles from the previous week that caused unhappiness. The third, a neutral group, simply recorded five events that affected them in some way. After ten weeks, those in the gratitude group reported feeling 25% better about their lives than the group that recorded hassles. Additionally, they reported fewer health complaints and exercised an average of 1.5 hours more than the other groups.
Ocean Robbins, a noted author and speaker puts it well: “Thankfulness feels good, it’s good for you and it’s a blessing for the people around you, too. It’s such a win-win-win that I’d say we have cause for gratitude.”
This Sunday is Commitment Sunday. You are invited to step forward, in a spirit of gratitude, to invest in what God is doing through Hyde Park Community United Methodist Church. Because of your gift, countless lives will be touched with the love of God, the healing and hope of Christ, and the wisdom and strength of the Holy Spirit.
In our world that has been described as a “selfie” culture, you are invited to step forward with a grateful heart and invest in building God’s kingdom here on earth.
Thank you, in advance, for your generous investment as together we lift our candles to the darkness and light the way for Christ in 2018. May God bless you with all the benefits of a heart filled with gratitude!
Peace,
Pastor Cathy