12-Oct-25 (Luke 17:5-10)

The writer of the gospel of Luke calls our attention to the one in ten who returns to Jesus to offer thanks for what he had done. It serves as a reminder that we should never take God's graciousness to us for granted. That does raise a question: How do we show our appreciation for all God has done for us?
Most obviously, of course, we can offer our thanks in prayer, but there is another way. We can show our appreciation by showing the same graciousness to others of God's children. When we help to care for those who are suffering and help those in need, we are offering thanks to God in a way that please God greatly. When we share the love of God through our actions, we are also thanking God for the ways God's love has been shown to us in the actions of others.
So, now we have an opportunity to do just that, to give of our financial resources in our offering for today.
The deacons will now come to collect it.

Prayer:

Please join me in a spirit of prayer.
God who has loved us and cares for us in countless ways, help us not to assume it is our due, but remember the limitlessness of your love and all the ways you show it to us.
Bless these gifts that they would be put to use to share the Good News of your grace and to help meet the needs of others both near to us and far away.
Bless us as well, that we will have generous hearts and the courage to share of all that you give us so that people will see your love in action in the world.
We pray in the name of Jesus, our Risen Lord, Amen.