Thanksgiving

 Thanksgiving is this Thursday. I hope you each have a blessed and joyous day. Although the fourth Thursday in November is set aside to remember what we are grateful for, we can also give thanks every day.

An activity for Advent (which starts this coming Sunday, December 1) could be to specifically find at least one thing to be grateful for. Finding two or three is even better. The Advent meditations on the blog will guide you through some hints for this.

Thanksgiving and Gratitude

 It is almost Thanksgiving here in the US. A meditation from November 14 by Mark Roberts of the Fuller dePree Institute includes this suggestion, which is a good one for any time of the year. 

"[It will soon] be Thanksgiving Day in the United States. For many years I have used this occasion as an opportunity to remember God’s gifts in my life. These days, I’m able to do so on Thanksgiving morning. I get up early and while it’s still quiet I reflect on the past year. To help me with this reflection I pull out my calendar and journal. I make a list of all the gifts I’ve received in the last year. Some of these are obvious and repeated every year (gratitude for my family, for example). But many of the gifts I jot down were special to the previous year. Without fail, I end up remembering things I had been taking for granted. As I make my list of gifts, I thank God again and again for such marvelous grace.

I would encourage you to join me in this exercise of Thanksgiving reflection and prayer. It may not work for you to do it on Thanksgiving Day. That’s partly why I’m mentioning it now. I expect you’ll be able to set aside an hour or so in the next eight days, or perhaps during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend."

Thanksgiving

 Since the end of May we’ve been looking at Words, Story, and how that impacts our Action. Names are the words we use to identify each other, the things in our surroundings, and yes, the Un-Nameable, Un-definable Holy One.

Today is Thanksgiving—a day set apart to be thankful and remember our blessings. It’s become all about the food and the shopping and the football, perhaps, but the core should still be pausing to say ‘Thank you’ for our blessings, and for each other.

I hope you can find time on the day, or sometime during the weekend to pause and think about what you are really, deeply thankful for in your life, your family, your work, your surroundings, your blessings. Brother Curtis of the Society of St. John, Evangelist notes that “’sitting at table’ with someone, sharing food or drink, makes a social statement about yourself and your guest. Eating and drinking is our most basic human need, one that is shared across gender, race, culture, language, orientation, religion, education, or age…But the invitation of the table can invite us beyond our boundaries. To share food is an experience of being one with another. This opens a possibility to find commonality with those with whom we might disagree. To sit at table with others is to experience the humanity that we share, even with those whom we might consider as “other.” A conversation at table can be a disarming, delightful venue for meeting our neighbors. We are all neighbors to one another. At table with one another, we begin from a point of unity: our common need for our thirst to be quenched and our hunger to be satisfied”…Breaking Bread: How Eating Together Makes Us Whole – SSJE                                             

Next Sunday is the First Sunday of Advent, and the start of a series about Empowering one another to act in a way that builds relationships and community. I’ll be borrowing from some of the Advent and Christmas resources of The Episcopal Church, which invite us to remember: “Advent is a season of preparation: shopping for gifts, decorating our homes and sanctuaries. Advent is also a time to prepare our hearts and communities for the coming of Christ, the Almighty God who came among us poor and homeless, a stranger and a child. There may be no better time to reflect on how we [all] embrace the Holy One who continues to draw near in the neighbor, the stranger, the refugee, or the one who seems most “other” to you. It is the ideal season to commit to becoming Beloved Community and growing loving, liberating, life-giving relationships across the human family of God.”

Thanksgiving 2020

 This Thursday, November 26, is Thanksgiving Day in the USA. Traditionally it’s a time to gather with family and friends to have a giant feast. With COVID19 restrictions, huge gatherings are not wise. So, how can we celebrate Thanksgiving?

Let’s pause and think about the reason for the holiday. Is it an excuse for excessive eating and drinking (and football games) or a time to be grateful for family and friends, and the grace of God? Let’s ask ourselves what’s really important. Is it the food, or taking time to be grateful?

What is the history of Thanksgiving? Was it at all like all those images of “Pilgrims and Indians” sitting around a bountiful table after the first harvest in Plymouth? Yes, and no.

In November of 1621 Governor William Bradford organized a thanksgiving feast with some Native American allies. The Pilgrim chronicler Edward Winslow states, “Our harvest being gotten in, our governor sent four men on fowling, that so we might after a special manner rejoice together, after we had gathered the fruits of our labors; they four in one day killed as much fowl, as with a little help beside, served the Company almost a week, at which time amongst other Recreations, we exercised our Arms, many of the Indians coming amongst us, and amongst the rest their greatest king Massasoit, with some ninety men, whom for three days we entertained and feasted, and they went out and killed five Deer, which they brought to the Plantation and bestowed on our Governor, and upon the Captain and others. And although it be not always so plentiful, as it was at this time with us, yet by the goodness of God, we are so far from want, that we often wish you partakers of our plenty." The men and women were Thankful for the food to keep them through the winter.

Thanksgiving wasn’t made a holiday until 1863, when President Abraham Lincoln set aside a day in November. He was likely influenced by the work of Sarah Josepha Hale who had worked for decades to promote a national day of thanks. 

Throughout the centuries, men and women have paused to give thanks at and for memorable occasions. Giving thanks doesn’t have to be limited to one day a year when we eat more than we should and watch football and parades before heading out to get the best bargains on Black Friday. In this COVID-tide perhaps we can rediscover things, people, ideals, joys, and the happiness of simple things to give thanks for.

I invite you to find time to make a list of at least 10 things you are grateful for. If you feel creative, you could even make a turkey and write your thanksgivings on the tail feathers. (LOL!)

Sunday, November 29 is the First Sunday of Advent, a season to prepare our hearts for the coming of Christ, both at Christmas and at the second coming. What discipline will you be taking on this year? Reading special prayers, making a Jesse Tree, opening an Advent calendar, participating in AdventWord, intentionally reaching out to family and friends...? 

Whatever you do, I pray that your Advent will be a time of renewal and blessing. On this blog, I'll share some of my thoughts about the season. 

Gratitude Journey: Family

It’s not a coincidence that I chose the week of Thanksgiving as a time to look at Family as a reason to be Grateful to God. In the final weeks of Pentecost we’ve been on a Gratitude Journey. We’ve looked at Nature, Heritage and History, Community, and the World as places we can find reasons for Gratitude.

Family is a complicated organism. It is the people we live with, those we are related to, and those we are descended from. It is also the Family of God, which is a much larger and more diverse entity. Family can comfort us. Family can make us angry. Family can be dysfunctional. Family can hurt and it can heal. It is the first relationship we experience. Family is where we can feel at home, where things are familiar and we know where we stand.  

The readings for Thanksgiving Day help us look at two ways that God provides home and family for the faithful. In the Deuteronomy lesson, God gives instructions for giving thanks “when you have come into the land that the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance…” (Deuteronomy 26:1). Just like at Thanksgiving, “you shall take some of the first of all the fruit of the ground, which you harvest from the land that the Lord your God is giving you…You shall set it down before the Lord your God and bow down before the Lord your God. Then you, together with the Levites and the aliens who reside among you, shall celebrate with all the bounty that the Lord your God has given to you and to your house. (Deuteronomy 26: 2, 10-11)

The lesson from Deuteronomy reminds the Children of Israel that they should remember the family they are from. In a sort of creed, the people were instructed to recite “this response before the Lord your God: ‘A wandering Aramean was my ancestor; he went down into Egypt and lived there as an alien, few in number, and there he became a great nation, mighty and populous. When the Egyptians treated us harshly and afflicted us, by imposing hard labor on us, we cried to the Lord, the God of our ancestors; the Lord heard our voice and saw our affliction, our toil, and our oppression. The Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with a terrifying display of power, and with signs and wonders; and he brought us into this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey.” (Deuteronomy 26:5-9)

The Epistle gives some instructions on how to get along with one another, perhaps especially those in our family. “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. [Think about what is] true, honorable, just, pure, pleasing, commendable, any excellence and worthy of praise…Keep on doing the things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you. (Philippians 4:4-9)

When we gather with family, it can sometimes be difficult to deal with the personalities, and sub-texts between one another. We too often remember past hurts, and maybe even bring them up. Perhaps if we followed the words to the Philippians and looked for the good in each other, our gathering would be easier, and we would find that the ‘God of peace’ will be present. 


You might want to write a creed like the one in Deuteronomy using your own history. For instance, mine might start “A traveling pastor was my great-grandfather…” Or alternatively it could say, “A hardworking farmer was my grandmother…” What might yours say? 

If you are dreading Thanksgiving, make a list of at least one thing you are thankful for about each person attending. You may want to share this with each individual.

This prayer for Thanksgiving from the Book of Common Prayer is a good one to pray on Thanksgiving, or throughout this week. “Almighty and gracious Father, we give you thanks for the fruits of the earth in their season and for the labors of those who harvest them. Make us, we pray, faithful stewards of your great bounty, for the provision of our necessities and the relief of all who are in need, to the glory of your Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.”


Starting next week, I’ll be offering a way to deepen your Advent wreath devotions by adding symbols to your wreath throughout Advent. It is hard to keep focused on the Advent part of December with all the stores and music proclaiming Christmas! I hope that by taking some time each day to consider one of the symbolic representations of Advent (adapted from Jesse Tree images), I will find some quiet for my soul, and I invite you to join me. I’ll be posting images, on Facebook, of my own Advent wreath as it progresses.

There will be a video describing the process and a pdf file with images to cut out, or you can create your own with the instructions that will be provided. There are also kits available with the pieces needed for the various symbols. ($5 each) This could be a nice family activity, or you can just use it to deepen your own Advent walk.



If you need some other Bible references about family, try these:

Ephesians 2:19-22, John 1:12-13, John 13:34, Genesis 2:24, Romans 8:15, Col 3:13, Ephesians 6, Proverbs 22:6, 1 Corinthians 13

Finding Holy Ground: in Thanks

Many gathered this past Thursday, and throughout the weekend, to give thanks and to remember blessings of family and friends. Thanksgiving is one of the cornerstones of our interaction with God, and a way to find Holy Ground. 

In our celebrations, may we remember those less fortunate. As Br. Allen notes, “God does not need our prayers in order to call others to ministry, but I believe that God wants our prayers so that we may be aware of the needs of the Church and the world - and be aware of the role of every one of us to help guide, nurture, and encourage those whom we know who are responding to God’s call.” (Br. David Allen, Society of St. John, Evangelist)

May your prayers help you be aware of God’s Holy Ground within and around you.

Next week is the beginning of Advent, when we look toward and prepare for the birth of Jesus and the celebration of Christmas.

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving to all my faithful readers.
I encourage you to take time this week to pause and consider all the blessings you have.

Next week is the beginning of Advent. Here are links to a couple Advent devotional disciplines that you might find interesting. Leaders of the Episcopal Church, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Anglican Church of Canada, and Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada have prepared devotions for the 4 weeks of Advent. They are downloadable as pdf files: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/page/advent-resources-2014

Another idea that sounds quite fun is using your phone to create a digital Advent calendar. You can share your photos or just use them for your own devotions. You may find some of my photos on this blog as I hope to follow along on this calendar.

http://episcopaldigitalnetwork.com/ens/2014/11/12/anglicans-invited-to-celebrate-advent-using-your-camera-phones/#.VGPa0HdWu-x.facebook

The idea is to take a photo and then post it as below. I likely won't post to Instagram since I don't have an account. You can also sign up to get the calendar in your inbox: http://www.aco.org/adventword.cfm

For the first week: take a Picture, Hashtag #Adventword &

 #Look (30 Nov)
#Remember (1 Dec)
#Imagine (2 Dec)
#Thrive (3 Dec)
#Abide (4 Dec)
#Notice (5 Dec)
#Watch (6 Dec)

Psalm 34 as Thanksgiving

David in the wilderness turns to God in Adoration and then Confesses his need for the Holy One of Israel in Psalm 34, which we are looking at this Lent. Then he continues with thanksgiving for all that God does.

O taste and see that the Lord is good;
 happy are those who take refuge in him.
O fear the Lord, you his holy ones,
 for those who fear him have no want.
The young lions suffer want and hunger,
 but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.

David proclaims, “those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.” That’s a pretty extravagant promise from a man on the run for his life. However, it is a true statement. God does provide us with all that we need. It may not be what we THINK we need or what we WANT at that moment. Sometimes it’s only looking back that we see that God did indeed provide what we need.

In Lent we hear many sermons on taking time to be in the wilderness and exploring our spiritual connection to God. We don’t hear as many sermons about being thankful to God for those wilderness times. It’s an odd paradox that sometimes it is the very wilderness times, when we think we are far from God, we turn around and realize that God is just behind us. God is walking through our wildernesses with you and me.

There are many metaphors for God’s protection for us in the wilderness. I like the image of a child learning to ride a bike. We may start out using training wheels, or maybe not. Either way, Mom and Dad are right there helping and watchfully encouraging us to pedal and holding onto the seat to help us balance. Then one day we discover we are pedaling and balancing all on our own with Mom running down the road behind us, still ready to catch us, and to pick us up when we skid on gravel. God’s like that. We think we are pedaling alone and really we are not alone.

In fact, years ago I was given a poem about Jesus that presents another vision of bike riding with Jesus. (Sorry I don’t know who wrote the poem-there’s not any acknowledgement on any of the websites that have this poem.)

When I first met Christ
It seemed as though life was rather like a bike ride,
But it was a tandem bike,
And I noticed that Christ
Was in the back helping me pedal.

I don't know just when it was that
He suggested we change places,
But life has not been the same since.

When I had control, I knew the way,
It was rather boring, but predictable...
It was the shortest distance between two points.

But when He took the lead,
He knew delightful long cuts,
Up mountains, and through rocky places,
At breakneck speeds,
It was all I could do to hang on!
Even though it looked like madness,
He said, "Pedal"

I worried and was anxious and asked,
"Where are you taking me?"
He laughed and didn't answer,
And I started to learn to trust.

I forgot my boring life
And entered into the adventure.
And when I'd say, "I'm scared,"
He'd lean back and touch my hand.

He took me to people with gifts that I needed.
Gifts of healing, acceptance, and joy.
He said, "Give the gifts away;
They're extra baggage, too much weight."

So I did, I gave them to the people we met,
And I found that in giving I received,
And still our burden was light.

I did not trust Him, at first, In control of my life.
I thought He'd wreck it;
But He knows bike secrets,
Knows how to make it bend to take sharp corners,
Knows how to jump to clear high rocks,
Knows how to fly to shorten scary passages.

And I am learning to shut up
and pedal in the strangest places,
And I'm beginning to enjoy the view
And the cool breeze on my face
With my delightful constant companion, Jesus Christ.

And when I'm sure I just can't do anymore,
He just smiles and says...

"Pedal."

When we are pedaling through the wildernesses, and the joyful times, of our lives we can be thankful that our God loves us enough to ride along with us. God ensures that we “Taste and see that the Lord is good…[for] those who seek the Lord lack no good thing” when we turn over control. We learn, gradually or quickly, that God loves us so much that God is with us in all things! And that’s something to be thankful for. When we allow Jesus to take over the steering, we’ll find even more surprises in store. Are you ready to let Jesus steer and to just ‘pedal’?

Next time we’ll look at what the Psalm says about Intercession

Thanksgiving

Back at the beginning of the season of Pentecost I used the image of the Holy Bridegroom and quoted from St. Patrick’s Breastplate. It seems a fitting way to end this season of Ordinary Time, which really isn’t ordinary at all, but full of the action of the Holy One. God is our Bridegroom, God is our partner, God is indwelling in all parts of our life. Next Sunday is the First Sunday of Advent-the time of preparation for Christmas. I’ll be offering ideas on how to live as if we really Expect God to be present and act.  

Thanksgiving is this Thursday. In the midst of the feasting, we could perhaps pause to remember those less fortunate and also offer thanks to the One who is our reason for being, our companion and our guide. The One always above, below, behind, before us, on right hand and left as the hymn says. The Holy One who is in our troubles and in our joys. The God of Love to whom we are bound as a bride to bridegroom and who holds us forever in that love. And not just you and me, but everyone in the world (even those we don’t personally find lovable)!

Thank God for God’s great love and offer yourself to him in St. Patrick’s hymn of praise, which you can view above:  

I bind unto myself today
The strong Name of the Trinity,
By invocation of the same
The Three in One and One in Three.

I bind this today to me forever
By power of faith, Christ’s incarnation;
His baptism in Jordan river,
His death on Cross for my salvation;
His bursting from the spicèd tomb,
His riding up the heavenly way,
His coming at the day of doom
I bind unto myself today.

I bind unto myself the power
Of the great love of cherubim;
The sweet ‘Well done’ in judgment hour,
The service of the seraphim,
Confessors’ faith, Apostles’ word,
The Patriarchs’ prayers, the prophets’ scrolls,
All good deeds done unto the Lord
And purity of virgin souls.

I bind unto myself today
The virtues of the star lit heaven,
The glorious sun’s life giving ray,
The whiteness of the moon at even,
The flashing of the lightning free,
The whirling wind’s tempestuous shocks,
The stable earth, the deep salt sea
Around the old eternal rocks.

I bind unto myself today
The power of God to hold and lead,
His eye to watch, His might to stay,
His ear to hearken to my need.
The wisdom of my God to teach,
His hand to guide, His shield to ward;
The word of God to give me speech,
His heavenly host to be my guard.

Against the demon snares of sin,
The vice that gives temptation force,
The natural lusts that war within,
The hostile men that mar my course;
Or few or many, far or nigh,
In every place and in all hours,
Against their fierce hostility
I bind to me these holy powers.

Against all Satan’s spells and wiles,
Against false words of heresy,
Against the knowledge that defiles,
Against the heart’s idolatry,
Against the wizard’s evil craft,
Against the death wound and the burning,
The choking wave, the poisoned shaft,
Protect me, Christ, till Thy returning.

Christ be with me, Christ within me,
Christ behind me, Christ before me,
Christ beside me, Christ to win me,
Christ to comfort and restore me.
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ in quiet, Christ in danger,
Christ in hearts of all that love me,
Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.

I bind unto myself the Name,
The strong Name of the Trinity,
By invocation of the same,
The Three in One and One in Three.
By Whom all nature hath creation,
Eternal Father, Spirit, Word:
Praise to the Lord of my salvation,
Salvation is of Christ the Lord

Thanksgiving is a Thin Tinme

This week we celebrate Thanksgiving. I think every culture in the world has some sort of celebration in recognition of the bringing in of the harvest and rejoicing that there is food in the barns for the winter months. In most traditions this takes place at the end of the growing season rather than later in the fall as we, in America, celebrate it.

For the Celtic Christians and many other traditions, the harvest festival was a time to celebrate, and also to share and ensure that others in the community were not hungry. It often came in late summer-August or September. Like most harvest traditions, special foods were associated with it. One is a kind of biscuit or scone called Bannock:

Pitcaithly Bannock
1 cup flour
½ cup butter
¼ cup sugar
2 T. chopped almonds
2 T. mixed candied citrus peel

Set oven to 325^oF. Grease a baking sheet. Mix flour, butter, and sugar to form a dough. Add the almonds and the peel, making sure they are evenly distributed. Form a thick round on a lightly floured surface and prick all over with a fork. Place on the baking sheet and bake for about 45-60 minutes. Allow to cool and serve sliced thinly, buttered or with fruit jelly.

The Jewish festival of Sukkot (Succoth), in the fall, is the celebration of the ingathering of the fruits of the fields, and a reminder of the time in the wilderness. In Leviticus, Moses tells the people, "On the first day you shall take the product of hadar trees, branches of palm trees, boughs of leafy trees, and willows of the brook" (Lev. 23:40), and "You shall live in booths seven days; all citizens in Israel shall live in booths, in order that future generations may know that I made the Israelite people live in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt" (Lev. 23:42-43).

By creating booths of the branches, the Jewish people are reminded of their sacred history. They are made aware of the thin time when God was present and led them in the wilderness wanderings until they came to their new home. There are special foods for Sukkot. Challah, the soft, egg bread braid is one, as is apple crisp.

The Celtic Christians, and the Jewish people, and we all celebrate God’s providing for our needs during the harvest festivals of our lives. Whether we call it Lughnasadh, Sukkot, or Thanksgiving we need to take a moment to remember that God is near when we give Thanks and that there are those who are less fortunate who need our care.

There is a prayer from the Celtic book of prayers The Carmina Gadelica that reminds us that God in Jesus Christ is in all things and that we should give praise and thanks.

It were as easy for Jesu
To renew the withered tree
As to wither the new
Were it His will to do so.

(Antiphon)
Jesu! Jesu! Jesu! Jesu!
Meet it were to praise him.

There is no plant in the ground
But it is full of his virtue,
There is no form in the strand
But is full of his blessing

(Antiphon)

There is no life in the sea
There is no creature in the river
There is naught in the firmament
But proclaims his goodness

(Antiphon)

There is not bird on the wing,
There is no star in the sky
There is nothing beneath the sun,
But proclaims his goodness.

(Antiphon)

I hope you have blessed Thanksgiving times with family and friends. In this season there are many who are not as blessed as we are. Some may even be our neighbors. Keep them in your prayers and perhaps take some kind of action as your heart leads you.

Next week we will look at a Thin Time in the life of Jesus himself.

Thanksgiving 2010

This week we celebrate Thanksgiving. The grade school images of Pilgrims and Indians linger in our minds. Traditionally the Pilgrims celebrated the first Thanksgiving in 1621 with their Indian neighbors. A good harvest meant that the small colony would survive the winter in the new world. This was certainly a reason for the religious refugees to give thanks. Other locations have claimed the honor of the first Thanksgiving, though. Florida, for instance says that the earliest ‘thanksgiving’ celebration was by the Spanish in 1565 in St. Augustine. Virginia, too, notes that a ‘day of thanksgiving’ was in the founding charter 1619. Even Texas lays claim to the being the location because the Spanish explorer Coronado celebrated a thanksgiving Eucharist in 1541 in what is now the Palo Duro Canyon of West Texas.

 Wherever it started, Thanksgiving has only been an actual holiday since 1863, but the date of the celebration varied. It was established as fourth Thursday of November when President Franklin Roosevelt signed it into law on December 26, 1941. Two years later Norman Rockwell painted what has become the iconic Thanksgiving picture as one of his Four Freedoms series. Entitled Freedom from Want, it was published in the Saturday Evening Post in 1943 and then was featured on war bond posters.

Some of us are blessed with having family nearby to share Thanksgiving with. Others will travel to share the home fires. For many, Thanksgiving isn’t the Norman Rockwell painting, but another equally homey gathering. There are others who will not find much to give thanks for.

I hope you will have a lovely, blessed Thanksgiving, however you celebrate, and that you will find a way to offer a helping hand to someone less fortunate.

Next Sunday is the First Sunday of Advent. During the season, I’ll be exploring how we ‘say yes’ to God by looking at the response of Mary, of Joseph, of the Magi, and of the Shepherds. I hope you’ll join me.

Servanthood

Ministry has been the topic recently. The word ‘ministry’ itself is from the Latin ministerium meaning servant. I think too often we forget that ministry is all about service. Recently I attended a breakfast honoring ‘servant leaders’ in the community. Many of the men and women have dedicated their lives to making a difference simply by the way they live their lives.

According to the organization Servant Leadership: “may grow out of a calling to help those in need, to live out one's faith in day-to-day work, or to mentor and influence others to a life of leadership focused on outcomes that are above and beyond one's own self-interest.” Doesn’t that sound like the Golden Rule that we looked at earlier this fall? — “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and love your neighbor as yourself.”

Taking these two thoughts together, I think we can say that Christian Ministry is being a servant to one another out of love that comes first from God and then flows through us as we live in obedience to God’s call on our life and hearts. It is living what Christ modeled to his disciples at the Last Supper. “After he had washed their feet, had put on his robe, and had returned to the table, he said to them, ‘Do you know what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord—and you are right, for that is what I am. So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you. Very truly, I tell you, servants are not greater than their master, nor are messengers greater than the one who sent them. If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.” (Jn. 13:12-17)

Many people think of Advent as the ‘church’s new year.’ It’s when we start the cycle of church seasons again by focusing on Jesus birth and on the Second Coming. As we move toward Advent, how can we more fully live into the ministry we are called to? I hope you have found insight in these mediations that will encourage you to “let go and let God” be in control of your life.

Next Sunday we will be almost to Thanksgiving. I've taken on a Facebook challenge to post one thing I am grateful or thankful for from now until Thanksgiving. It's always good to find something to be thankful for because no matter how dark the day, there will be some glimmer of grace to be found.

After Thanksgiving we enter Advent on December 29. I invite you to join the Advent meditations here in an exploration of Mary’s story and the hymn Great is Thy Faithfulness. You can also be part of the Yahoo group study “Dancing in the Footsteps of God (with Miriam)” starting the beginning of December. (Go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/dancinginthefootprints/ to join--you do need a Yahoo account.)