Thanksgiving is the response of a grateful soul to a gracious Savior.
Thursday, November 22, 2018
Dear Church Family and Friends:
It’s that time of year again…the leaves have changed from green to vibrant shades of red, yellow, and orange; the trick-or-treaters have visited; and we’re making plans for Christmas celebrations. But there’s another holiday and holy day that arrives prior to Christmas. It is still November and we have an entire day set aside on the calendar to offer our gratitude to the Lord.
How do you celebrate Thanksgiving?
- Many of us gather with family and friends around a table overloaded with food that provides enticing aromas wafting in the air, delicious flavors to our taste buds, and nourishment to our bodies.
- Some may devote a few hours to serving dinner to those who are lonely or homeless at a community meal.
- Others gather around the television to watch holiday football games, special movies, or other programs.
- While others spend time analyzing the store circulars for the forthcoming holiday sales that begin no later than early Friday morning. Some may even do some shopping on the internet before the doors open.
But something is missing from these activities…the actual reason for the festivities – a time to spend at least a few moments reflecting on, and expressing gratitude for, our many blessings. A beautiful thanksgiving hymn proclaims and instructs:
All good gifts around us are sent from heaven above,
Then thank the Lord, O thank the Lord for all His love.
My hope and prayer for each of us this year is that we will take a few moments on Thanksgiving Day and “thank the Lord for all his love.”
Happy Thanksgiving!
Pastor Martha Dominy
“We gather together to ask the Lord’s blessing”
Thursday, November 27, 2014
Dear Church Family and Friends,
We are in the midst of the busy “holiday season” that seems to expand each year. Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas decorations crowd each other on store shelves as soon as we finish celebrating our nation’s birthday on July 4th. The least commercialized of these holidays continues to be Thanksgiving – that time when we pause and reflect on our lives, and express gratitude to God.
I enjoy music and there are numerous hymns that focus on the theme of Thanksgiving. In one hymn, we are encouraged to “Let all Things Now Living” raise a song of thanksgiving to God the Creator. Whether we are weak or strong, poor or rich, we have much to be thankful for. We can “Count Our Blessings, count them one by one”. “For the Beauty of the Earth,” for the love of friends and family, for God’s Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ.
This is an opportunity for us to “Now Thank We All Our God” for the many blessings of the past year. As we “Gather Together” with family and friends this year, to ask the Lord’s blessing, may we remember the large and small ways God has blessed us over this past year…a comfortable home, a challenging job, companionship of friends and/or family members, a caring church family..(you may add your own personal blessings).
“Come, Ye Thankful People, Come” on Sunday, November 23 at 11:00 a.m. During the service of worship we will have an opportunity to use our hearts, hands, and voices as we dedicate our financial pledges for 2015 and our gifts to this year’s financial Thanksgiving Offering and Ingathering of food. All ingathering donations will be used by Housing Families, Inc. to help provide Thanksgiving meals for their clients.
May we “Give Thanks” with grateful hearts each and everyday.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Rev. Martha A. Dominy
Pastor