Let Us Count Our Blessings Sunday - M&S

Let Us Count Our Blessings Sunday

For

Mission and Service

April 7, 2013

The lectionary reading from the Psalms for April 7^th is Psalm 118: 14-29, or Psalm 150 in which we are encouraged to sing praises to God for all that has been given to us.  This first Sunday after Easter is also a time to remember the blessing that God sent us when we were given the example of the life of Jesus.

One of the ways that we can give back for the blessings we have received is by contributing to our Mission and Service. During your worship service please pass the Mission and Service Hat, Basket, Plate etc. giving everyone a chance to drop in some money to count their blessings for such happy events as birthdays, anniversaries and births and the love you have shared at those times. 

Count your blessings instead of your crosses;
Count your gains instead of your losses.
Count your joys instead of your woes;
Count your friends instead of your foes.
Count your smiles instead of your tears;
Count your courage instead of your fears.
Count your full years instead of your lean;
Count your kind deeds instead of your mean.
Count your health instead of your wealth;
Love your neighbor as much as yourself.   

Author Unknown

If you are feeling blessed, repay the blessings bestowed unto you and do something for others. A blessing should not be kept. If it stops with you, then the blessing will disappear. The blessing will only keep working if it is continuously passed around. Our United Church makes it possible for us to pass on our blessings to so many people when we give to our Mission and Service.

"I murmured that I had no shoes, until I met a man who had no feet."  Persian Proverb

Hymn suggestions for Let Us Count Our Blessings Sunday: 

Praise the Lord with the Sound of Trumpet   VU245

This Is the Day   VU412

Prayer:
God, open my eyes that I may see your blessings, and show me how to be a blessing to others today. Too many times we are to busy too stop and thank you for all the things you've given us. Today, we give you praise and honor and glory, and thank you for the many blessings you've given each of us by sharing some of what we have with our Mission and Service. Sometimes we love the blessings, but forget you gave us the blessings.  Forgive us, Lord, and help us remember that, without you, there would be no blessings. In God's name, we pray, thank you.
Amen.

Activity Suggestions:

Every church member is given the opportunity to write something they are thankful for on a slip of paper and place it in the offering plate when the collection is taken up. At the end of the worship service read out some of the notes, with the aim of focusing on our blessings and all that we have to be thankful for. Or the notes can be pinned to a display board for the rest of the month as a reminder of all our blessings.  Extra note paper can be made available for the rest of the month for others to add their notes to the display board.

You'll find your blessings, they will mount.
With every day you do this count.
Write down the joys you know you've got
And place them in this humble pot.
Re-read them when you need a lift
And reflect upon these precious gifts.
You'll find that as the days go by
You'll see your blessings multiply.
Count your blessings by smiles, not fears.
Count your age by friends, not years.
I would like to help everyone remember all the good in their lives.
author unknown

Another suggestion:

Ask your church members to reserve ten minutes each day to evaluate their lives.  Close their eyes and choose 3 things daily they take for granted. Taking some time out of each and every day to count your blessings will keep our minds in a positive mode.

Activity for the children:

Of all the lessons we teach the children in Sunday School, no lesson is more important than teaching them to count their blessings. When we count our blessings, we focus on what is special about our lives that we often take for granted.

Here are some blessings teachers can bring to the attention of their children:

• Their home
• Mom and Dad’s love for them
• Favorite toys
• Fun with Grandma and Grandpa
• Friends
• Special teachers
• Vacation times
• Trips to amusement parks
• Family traditions at holidays
• Birthday celebrations
• Family reunions
• Living in Canada