FROM THE PASTOR'S DESK
November 2025
Thanksgiving
Soon we will we celebrate Thanksgiving, a holiday that has become synonymous with family and food. We travel miles upon miles to be with our loved ones and gather around tables to indulge ourselves in the bounty of blessings we call Thanksgiving dinner. Even if you see where I'm going, let's take the trip anyway. If we simply look at the name of the holiday itself, we can see that there is equal value on both the sides of "thanks" (6 letters) and "giving" (6 letters). Read both forwards (THANKS / GIVING) and backwards (GIVING / THANKS), it still means the same thing. But are we really thanking and giving? If so, who are we thanking, and what are we giving? More over, how often are we thanking and how much are we giving?
Scripture (Matthew 25:45) teaches us that not only will the least of these always be among us, and that what we fail to do for them equates to what we fail to do for Christ. So as we prepare to give thanks for what God has given us, let us also thank God for the opportunity He has provided us to give. We could give of our time—packing and delivering supplies or serving dinner to families at a local soup kitchen. We could give of our talent—creating festive centerpieces for tables or providing entertainment at a shelter or group home. Or we could give of our treasure— meeting a variety of needs both cheerfully and anonymously. 2 Corinthians 9:6-8 says the one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that by always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work. In essence, God has provided more than enough, so that we would in turn, we would have enough to share. So, although the holiday never changes (the last Thursday in November), the way that we celebrate it this year and in years to come very well may.
Scripture (Matthew 25:45) teaches us that not only will the least of these always be among us, and that what we fail to do for them equates to what we fail to do for Christ. So as we prepare to give thanks for what God has given us, let us also thank God for the opportunity He has provided us to give. We could give of our time—packing and delivering supplies or serving dinner to families at a local soup kitchen. We could give of our talent—creating festive centerpieces for tables or providing entertainment at a shelter or group home. Or we could give of our treasure— meeting a variety of needs both cheerfully and anonymously. 2 Corinthians 9:6-8 says the one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that by always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work. In essence, God has provided more than enough, so that we would in turn, we would have enough to share. So, although the holiday never changes (the last Thursday in November), the way that we celebrate it this year and in years to come very well may.
