Dear Friends,
By week’s end, I hope you have had some time for napping, watching football (I understand that is what a lot of people do! 😊), or whatever helps you mark the day of Thanksgiving. Although Thanksgiving is a federal holiday, the attitude of gratitude is at the heart of the Christian faith. So, even if your Thanksgiving (like mine) is also marked by grief over those we are missing this year, I pray that you will take a little time to name the people/events/things for which you are grateful.
I am grateful for so much. This time of year, it is evident what an active, engaged congregation inhabits the FLPC environs. There have been members all over the place cleaning and preparing for Advent. Steve and Cathy Hyman spent HOURS weeding, deep cleaning the kitchen, etc! Daniel Whitehouse wrapped the trees outside our Downstairs Lobby with beautiful lights! Margaret Haymaker, Jane Shear, Stuart Hunter, and an army of elves have hung wreaths, decorated the Crismon Trees, and put the Nativity Set in the Connecting Point Lobby! The FLPC Woodshop made beautiful wooden Advent Wreath bases, and Worship Ministry bought Advent Candles – all free for the taking – to encourage us to light the candles of Advent in our homes. Margaret Harris organized the installation of our very wonderful outdoor Advent Wreath! And that doesn’t even mention all the volunteers who make worship run smoothly every Sunday, in season and out! I am also grateful that so many FLPC folks showed up last Sunday first to pack Thanksgiving Food Boxes that were given to neighbors in our Decker Collective Neighborhoods, and then a slew (a technical term) of FLPC folks attended the Interfaith Thanksgiving Service at Tree of Life Temple at 4pm! I am grateful that our new website is up and running! Sam Holland used his drone expertise to shoot wonderful footage of our facility that is on the front page. Liz Roberts’ photographic generosity makes our website the gold standard by which other churches measure their own websites! And Jodi Beckham has worked tirelessly to make our website as user-friendly and welcoming as possible. I could go on and on! But you get the point.
Even if this Thanksgiving is tough for you – as it will be for many of us for many reasons – please make time to stop and pray, giving God thanks for the blessings we do have. Maybe a prayer like this:
O Lord, our God, Ruler of the Universe, you bring forth bread from the earth and supply every living thing with what we need to live. We thank you for all the good that we have received from your hand. Focus our hearts on the memories and love we received from those who are not sitting at the table with us this year. Focus our minds on the love and history we share with family and friends with whom we disagree. Focus our hands on supplying the needs of those who have less than we have. May what comes out of our mouths, this season of Thanksgiving, reflect a heart of gratitude, humility, and love.
To God be the Glory and the Thanks! See you Sunday for the beginning of Advent! I’ll be leading a special Advent Faith Formation Class in the Parlor following worship! See you there!
Ellen
