11/23/25 Remember Who Brought You Here
“Remember Who Brought You Here”
I want to start with something funny I found on the internet: An old man in Chicago called his son in New York the day before Thanksgiving and said, “I hate to ruin your day, but I have to tell you that your mother and I are divorcing; forty-five years of misery is enough.”
The son screamed, “Pop, what are you talking about?” The father said, “We can’t stand the sight of each other any longer. We’re sick of each other, and I’m sick of talking about this, so you call your sister in Dallas and tell her.”
Frantic, the son called his sister, who exploded on the phone. “Like heck they’re getting divorced!” she shouted. “I’ll take care of this.” She called Chicago immediately and yelled at her father, “You are NOT getting divorced. Don’t do a single thing until I get there. I’m calling my brother back, and we’ll both be there tomorrow. Until then—don’t do anything. DO YOU HEAR ME?” Then she hung up. The old man hung up his phone, turned to his wife, and said, “Okay, they’re coming for Thanksgiving—and they’re paying their own way.”
What a joy and blessing it is when we can gather as a family for Thanksgiving! What do you expect at your family gathering? Of course—food, joy, laughter, games, stories about how everyone has been, and don’t forget the sharing of thankful stories!
Today we heard a beautiful scripture about gratitude—a gratitude that remembers. In Deuteronomy 26, God teaches the Israelites how to give thanks when they enter the Promised Land. They are to bring the first fruits of the harvest and say these words: “A wandering Aramean was my ancestor… the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand… and gave us this land.”
Notice this: Before they even place their basket of first fruits before God, they remember their story. They remember where they came from. They remember who rescued them. They remember who brought them to this moment. Gratitude begins with remembering. In the Bible, thanksgiving is not simply listing blessings. It is telling the story of God’s faithfulness.
I want to share with you the story of a gentleman I met in the hospital where I served as a chaplain. He was born and raised in a Christian family. He attended Sunday School as a child, was confirmed in the faith, served as a Sunday School teacher, sang in the choir, and served on church committees for many years. He memorized many scripture verses, including the Sermon on the Mount. What a perfect Christian! And he never doubted that he was—until he heard his diagnosis of cancer.
When he heard the news, he began to doubt his faith, wondering what he had done wrong in God’s eyes. He believed God was punishing him. He punished himself by refusing to eat, speak, or receive medical treatment. The nurse asked me to visit him because he had already refused several chaplains.
When I entered his room, he didn’t even look at me. I greeted him, “Hello, I am Chaplain Jenny.” Without looking at me, he said angrily, “I am one hundred percent Christian.” I knew he was rejecting me, as if to say, “I don’t need you.” But I gently challenged him: “I don’t think you are a one hundred percent Christian. Maybe fifty percent—or a little more.” Suddenly, he looked at me with anger and asked, “Where are you from—India or the Philippines?” I answered, “I am from South Korea. What about you—where are you from?” He was Caucasian, so the question wasn’t necessary, but I asked it instinctively. And that question became the key that opened his heart. He paused, and then he began to tell his story: He was a second-generation German immigrant. Beginning with the words, “I am a German American,” he shared about his upbringing in a strict Christian home. It placed a heavy burden on him—he believed that if he was not perfect, he would be punished. He believed in a God of judgment, without forgiveness or love.
I shared with him about the God of forgiveness and love who brought me to the United States, and about the God of healing I have experienced. After hearing my story, he cried at the good news of God’s love. I prayed with him that he might meet the God of grace. That night he confessed with tears, “I met God. I met Jesus Christ, who loves me and forgives me, even though I am not perfect. I am born again in Christ. Whether God heals me or not, I am okay—but I will receive treatment.” He renewed his faith, think of who he was—and later he became cancer-free.
Remembering who you are—what brought you here to the United States, to this community, and to this church—helps you recover your faith. We easily forget. We settle into comfortable houses, gather plentiful harvests, enjoy blessings, and slowly forget the God who brought us here.
So God says: “When you bring your offering, tell the story. Remember that your ancestor was a wanderer. Remember the pain of slavery. Remember the wilderness you survived. Remember every step where God carried you. Remember who brought you here.”
Today we brought our thank-you cards to God—each one a small, handwritten offering of gratitude. These cards are not just a list of blessings. They are your story. When you write, “I am thankful for this church,” you are remembering how God has carried our congregation through another year. When you write, “I’m thankful for my family,” you are remembering God’s grace in your relationships. When you write, “I’m grateful for health, strength, or healing,” you are remembering the God who sustains you day by day. And maybe some cards say, “I’m thankful even during hard times,” because faith remembers God even in the wilderness. Your thank-you card is your own grateful testimony—your own story of “where you came from, and how God brought you here.” It is the story of how God met you, helped you, and brought you to this very Sunday of worship and thanksgiving.
As a congregation, we also remember our shared story: how God sustained our ministries this year—how God touched lives through worship, missions, youth, Sunday School, Bible study, UMW and UMM, even sales, and prayers. We remember answered prayers, unexpected blessings, new friendships, and deepened faith. Each ministry moment is like holding up a basket of first fruits and saying, “Look what God has done!”
Just as Israel remembered their journey from Egypt to the Promised Land, we remember the journeys that brought us here. Some of us came to this country generations ago. Some came recently. Some came searching for opportunity, safety, or a new beginning. Some came unexpectedly—by marriage, calling, work, or God’s mysterious leading. But no matter the path, we stand here today because God has been guiding our steps.
Just as the Israelites remembered their long, difficult journey… and just as the Pilgrims remembered how God brought them across stormy seas… we too remember that God has led us across oceans, across seasons of struggle and seasons of blessing, to this place and this community. None of us stands here by accident. We are here because God has been faithful.
When the Israelites spoke their thanksgiving aloud, it reminded the whole community: “God brought us out. God blessed us. God is still with us.”
This Thanksgiving, may we keep remembering: Who gave you strength this year, who walked with you through fear, who comforted you in grief, who gave our church a mission and a future, and who brought you here—to this place, this life, this season.
And as you bring your thank-you card forward, place it before God as Israel placed their basket of first fruits. Let it be your testimony: “God carried me. God blessed me. God brought me here.”
Thanks be to God! Amen.