The Fairy Tale Ending / Grab for the Gusto

For those not familiar with an Anglican Service; there are four Scripture Readings before the Sermon.

The Scripture Readings for this day were: Acts 1:15-17, 21-26; Psalm 1: 1-6; 1 John 5: 9-13 and John 17: 6-19.

You only go around once in life, so you�ve got to grab for all the gusto you can."

Some of you may remember that television commercial. But, what exactly is gusto?

Webster defines it as "Hearty or Keen enjoyment."

And according to that commercial, you gain it by drinking a certain brand of beer. Schlitz!

I don�t know about that, (P) but the question that commercial raises is very important.

As human beings, we are all looking for gusto.

But where do we find this elusive gusto?

What road do we take to arrive at gusto?

The psalmist begins by telling us that the road to avoid when seeking happiness (P) when seeking gusto. The road to avoid is ungodly counsel (P) that is counsel with the wicked.

"If you want to go to Greensburg from here, don�t turn left on Route 30. That road will get you to Somerset, not to Greensburg."

The Psalmist is clear (P) crystal clear, "If you want to find happiness (P) if you want to find joy (P) if you want to find gusto, do not go this way of the ungodly (P)

Do not seek counsel with the wicked." Do not seek council with the unrighteous.

So, where then do we find gusto where do we find true happiness?

Well, a good place to begin is God�s Word.

Psalm 1 begins, BIBLE "Happy (P) Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of scornful." END

Blessed" is often translated happy in the scriptures.

Blessed are the pure in heart -- happy are the pure in heart.
Here the psalmist says, Happy is the person who does not walk with the wicked, (P) who does not stand nor linger with the sinners, (P) who does not sit with the scornful.

Happiness has more to do with what we are (P) than who we are or what we have.

Happiness at one time was, "a chicken in every pot" then it was a "car in every garage."

Too often we look in the wrong places for happiness.

Too often we expect a fairy tale ending.

If you turn to the last chapter in the book of (P) Cinderella. The last verse reads..."and they lived happily ever after."

If you turn to the last chapter in the book of (P) Sleeping Beauty. The last verse reads..."and they lived happily ever after."

Finally, if you turn to the last chapter in the book of (P) Snow White. The last verse reads...(P) "and they lived happily ever after."

We all long for the fairy tale ending.

We have yearned for it since our childhood. (P)

We just want to be able to live "Happily Ever After".

We desire happiness, we long for it, we search for it, we want it in our lives.

Our search for the fairy tale life will often cause us to seek happiness from sources other than God.

In fact, sometimes our search actually leads us away from God (P) to a place of sinfulness.

A place where God is no longer at the center of our life, (P) Our Lord has been replaced by another person, possession, pleasure or ideology.

This leading away is typically a very subtle thing but if we continue to stray over time we feel ourselves falling into the happiness trap.

If you seek happiness as an end in itself you will never find it;