Whiteboard: Thank You

I knew that I would be preaching about the power of the words "Thank You!" this week. After all, our guiding text this Sunday is Ephesians 5:15-20 which reminds us to "Give thanks to God at all times and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."

What I didn't know was that my Facebook feed would be flooded this week with links to videos, articles, and talks about...the power of saying "Thank You!"

It is great when the Spirit works like that.

Here are some of my favorite links so far, and don't be surprised if a story, a quip, or an anecdote from one of these excellent resources works its way into my sermon on Sunday:

Growing and Changing the World One Thank You at a Time
In this deeply insightful talk, Rajesh Setty showcases his research on gratitude, the REAL cost of forgetting people, and most simple and effective ways to maintain a gratitude practice. The video is a bit long (21-minutes) but it is well worth watching.

Ted Talks Playlist: Giving Thanks

Are Ted Talks more of your thing? Well it turns out they have collected seven different segments on gratitude into a "Giving Thanks Playlist." I particularly recommend "Remember to say Thank You" by Laura Trice.

The Importance of Saying Thank You

Even the business world is recognizing the importance of saying "Thank you." This article from inc.com explains how "these two simple words can help you in many different professional and personal situations."

The Two Most Important Words
Need further proof that the business world is getting into this? Well, The Harvard Business Review ran an article from recently retired Mattel CEO Robert Eckert that gives five handy tips for saying "Thank you."

Claim the Power of Thank You
Our friend Bruce Barkhauer over at the Center for Faith and Giving penned this excellent Five Step Guide for churches to get better at saying thank you and fostering communities of gratitude.

Research Shows Importance of Saying Thank You
About a year ago Professors Monica Bartlett and Lisa Williams released a study with the first known evidence demonstrative that gratitude leads to perceptions of interpersonal warmth, and creates fertile ground for relationships to bloom.