Sarah Jane
Cunningham knew her Facebook posts about the election rubbed her family the
wrong way, but did not realize it would get her uninvited to the family
Thanksgiving dinner.
The 19 year
old received a call from her mother a week ago. She was asked - are you going
to be disrespectful to her family? She said it could work either way. “If what
I say is disrespectful, it is likely they will also be disrespectful to me.” So, she was uninvited to the family
gathering in Maine! A few hours later, her mother called back, but it was too
late. Sarah plans to spend the day with her 2 cats in Boston.
It is one of
our great problems today. We cannot respectfully disagree!!! We can’t even seem to talk.
So many Dividers!
– love to attack, to tear, they refuse to listen. The only person who is right
is me!
But to be a
Unifier -requires much more strength, patience, to try to understand, to listen,
to enter into the experience of the other, debate respectfully, logically – and even when we disagree, to love.
Pope Francis
recently traveled to Lund, Sweden for a Commemoration of the 500th Anniversary
of the Reformation. He saw it as an opportunity to take a step closer, to
listen to one another, to talk! There
are many differences between us, but there is also so much in common, most
especially our love for Jesus Christ.
And, there are so many areas where Christians can work together,
especially to support our brothers and sisters persecuted for their faith in
Jesus.
So, I was
delighted, when I arrived in Hopewell Junction now 2 ½ years ago, that some
local pastors were meeting informally each month for lunch and just to talk.
They welcomed me, and I found them to be a fine, dedicated faithful group, and
I am happy that we decided to celebrate Thanksgiving together.
Thanksgiving!
Sara, who is
2, is always busy. Momma, I want a banana. She gets it and starts to run away. Sara, stop – what are the magic words? Please, Thank You, You’re Welcome, God
bless you, I love you mommy!
To say thank
you – it has to be learned!
When we come
into the world – it’s about what I want: hold me, feed me, change me, rock me,
sing to me RIGHT NOW!
It is a sign
of maturity to say – Thank You!
Thanksgiving
– from the Latin = gratiae which is the
plural of gratia – grace Thanksgiving –
an overflowing of grace!
1) Thanks – For the very gift of life –
all is gift!!!
Inventory -dads store – we have to take inventory – what does that
mean? Make a list of everything that you
have – easy to forget what you have. Count the things I have in life!
As pastors, we am so grateful for you and having the opportunity to
serve!
2) Giving - Leads us to acts of mercy
towards God’s Children!!!
A 4th
grader religion teacher asked her students to notice acts of mercy toward
others:
“My dad was
in a hurry to get to grandma’s. The woman in front of us stopped her car right
in the middle of the road and everyone was honking and driving around her but my
dad stopped to see if she needed help. She has a flat tire and had no idea what
to do, so my dad changed the tire for her. She was really happy and I was
really proud of my dad!”
“I invited
this kid to my birthday party, even though he did not invite me to his party.
And now we are friends!”
“Almost
every night my brother is So annoying. He just won’t start talking right when I
am trying to go to sleep. He’ll be popping me with his pillow, turning the
light on and off, and usually I just freak out and start yelling at him. But
last night I didn’t. I showed him mercy and just ignored him!”
“I wanted
some popcorn in the cafeteria. I got up to the counter the same time as another
kid. There was only one bag left. The boy said – I forgot my lunch and I only
have enough money for a bag of popcorn – so I said – go ahead, you have the
popcorn and I’ll have something else. And he said thank you!”
“My mon says
we should never throw out good clothes or shoes because others could wear them.
So we bring them when the church is collecting them. And we also bring school
supplies each September. It was nice to help others!”
Thanks –
Giving!
First
National Thanksgiving Proclamation
Whereas, it
is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to
obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His
protection and favor; Whereas, both the houses of Congress have, by their joint
committee, requested me
"to
recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and
prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and
signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity
peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and
happiness!"
Now
therefore, I do recommend next, to be devoted by the people of the states to
the service of that great and glorious being, who is the beneficent Author of
all the good that was, that is, or that will be, that we may then all unite in
rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and
protection of the people of this country.
George
Washington, 1779.
