APPRECIATE THESE THINGS

Pastor Marissa preached this sermon on August 23, 2026 at Beechmont Presbyterian Church on Exodus 1:8-14

‘Preciate you

Jill Duffield, in her book Appreciate These Things, tells us about hearing the phrase “’preciate it” in the waiting room of her father’s medical practice. She also noticed other variations of the expression. People passing by said, “’Preciate you.” The clerk at the grocery store, the person for whom the door was held, the mother whom you let go ahead of you in line—each would take the time to say, “’Preciate you.” And she says, “This is an even more personal expression of gratitude that seems to me an affirmation of our worth not based on anything other than our human connection and small kindnesses.”

To appreciate things means intentionally noticing, considering, and valuing what reflects goodness: in ourselves, in our neighbors, in people with whom we disagree, and throughout creation.

Her central argument could be summarized this way: When we discipline ourselves to recognize and appreciate what is good and worthy in others, our hearts can move from outrage to awe, from condemnation to closeness, and from contempt to compassion.

What we habitually notice shapes how we perceive other people; how we perceive them shapes how we treat them. By looking for the eight qualities Paul names in Philippians 4:8—true, honorable, just, pure, pleasing, commendable, excellent, and worthy of praise—Christians learn to recognize the divine image and inherent worth present in every person. Then “’preciate you” becomes more than just words; it becomes a way of life.

A Forgetful Pharaoh

But what happens when we forget to appreciate people?

The phrase “Now a new king arose over Egypt who did not know Joseph” (Después se levantó un nuevo rey en Egipto que no había conocido a José) has always caught my attention. Most people remember Psalm 23 by heart, or John 3:16. But my brain remembers Exodus 1:8.

I remember Exodus 1:8 when I see people having to prove their worth in their work lives when a new boss comes along. I remember Exodus 1:8 when a new governmental administration comes along and tries to rewrite history, casting new villains and enemies to instill fear and hate. Someone who does not remember Joseph—or who willfully chooses to forget him—is someone ungrateful, unwilling to read, research, or look at historical facts and be convinced that their vision should be complemented by the stories of the past so that they can better comprehend the present and the future.

According to Exodus, several generations passed after the deaths of Joseph and his brothers. The generations after Jacob and Joseph remained in Egypt and became a robust population within the land.

Several historians and theologians have proposed different identities for this king: Ahmose I or his predecessor, Kamose. If you’ve watched The Prince of Egypt, you should recognize the names Seti I or Ramesses II. But the important thing here is that the new king does not know Joseph—and the consequences of that lack of knowledge. And there are big consequences for the people connected to Joseph.

Not knowing Joseph leads to a total disregard for Joseph’s legacy. The leader of Egypt forgets how Joseph’s historic administrative achievements saved Egypt from famine. He also forgets the political promises that his predecessors made to Joseph’s family. Rather than treating his family as typical foreign migrants, Pharaoh had elevated them to a privileged status. Egypt became a haven for Jacob’s descendants, and the family flourished in Goshen, which is described in the Bible as “the best of the land.” Egypt did all this out of gratitude to Joseph, who was respected as Egypt’s savior. But this gratitude and these promises depended on Joseph’s continued favor and authority. They depended on respect and remembrance—and on a version of history that actually considered what Joseph had done. And when that was over, then danger came a brewing.

Fearing that the large Hebrew population would side with foreign enemies during a war, this Pharaoh systematically oppressed them. He implemented forced labor and subjugated the Israelites to harsh servitude. And, even worse, he committed state-sanctioned infanticide, ordering the Hebrew midwives—and eventually all Egyptian citizens—to drown newborn Hebrew boys in the Nile River.

That is how dangerous not knowing your history—or willfully forgetting it or erasing it—can get.

The Importance of Appreciating These Things

This is when the importance of appreciating people comes to the forefront of our lives as Christians, but also as communities and nations. These movements that Duffield describes need to happen in order for us to know one another better, be grateful for one another, and move from dismissal to love.

The first movement she mentions is from outrage to awe. She mentions a bumper sticker she has seen on cars that reads, “If you aren’t outraged, you aren’t paying attention.” But the problem is that reacting from rage is not necessarily the answer. Pharaoh possibly reacted from an imagined rage, baited by numbers and his own prejudices. We see this all the time. We even have the words “rage bait” to describe posts that make us mad enough to share things that may be mostly untrue!

The challenge, then, is to move to awe—to awe of the people and creatures that are part of this planet Earth where we all must live. Duffield says that “generosity of spirit might be a means of resistance to the contempt that threatens to render all of us extinct.”

The second movement is from condemnation to closeness. It is easy to condemn people from a distance. You don’t have to do research. You don’t have to get to know them in any intimate way. It is easier to hold on to all the isms in the world when you have not exchanged a single word with someone who is different from you or who thinks differently from you. How many times could you say that knowing and becoming close with a person has changed your perspective on their life? I know that the prayers of the people in this church have moved me many times from easy answers at a distance to places of empathy and action.

And the third movement is from contempt to compassion. Duffield presents appreciation as resistance to contempt. By recognizing another person’s goodness, inherent worth, and small acts of kindness, we become more capable of caring for that person—including someone with whom we strongly disagree. Imagine if Pharaoh had done his work, looked at the historical record, and discovered that the people living in Goshen were not as bad as he thought they were. Imagine if he had traveled there, met with them, and asked them about their intentions without assuming that they were in cahoots with his enemies.

These movements would have redirected his attention, and they can redirect ours: from merely noticing what provokes outrage, judgment, and contempt to recognizing the God-given worth that can awaken awe, draw us closer, and cultivate compassion. A movement from outrage, condemnation, and contempt … to grace.

Quick Mantras

Duffield asks herself if trying to live this life of appreciation is naïve. But she also wonders if, in the current state of our life together, it might be worth giving it a try.

From what I’m seeing, grace is becoming more and more a tool of resilience and resistance. As she says—and I agree—focusing on rage, contempt, and disdain doesn’t seem to enable us to coexist, let alone care for one another. We need to try something different. We need to know Joseph! We need to remember gratitude! We need to appreciate others for what they are worth! We need to notice the beauty of our world and the value of every creature that is a part of it!

When we deliberately notice and value what is good—in ourselves, our neighbors, and even our adversaries—we resist Pharaoh’s path of dehumanizing forgetfulness.

In one of her chapters, Duffield says that she keeps quick mantras at her desk that help her tell truth from fiction. I would say that they can keep us from falling for rage bait all the time, wherever we may find it.

May God help us to breathe deeply. May God help us to be present. May God lead us away from cynicism. May God help us to appreciate others and ourselves. Amen.