Dear Friends,
I hope that you had a relaxing and joy-filled Thanksgiving!
That being said, it is not lost on me that this year’s celebration has fallen on a week when we have had many loved ones hospitalized, homebound or isolated as cases of RSV, Flu and COVID are on the rise. May we keep all of those who are recovering and their caretakers in our prayers.
It also has been a week of multiple mass shootings including one that was specifically targeted at the LGBTQIA+ community…. A community which the church has historically marginalized. May we repent for all of the ways the church has spoken against the worth and dignity of any person or group. May we continue to do the work of rebirthing and growing the church into a community of faith that takes Jesus’s way of love, grace, non-judgement and inclusivity seriously.
In the backdrop of all of this and more, I can think of no better themes than the ones we will be encountering in worship this week: Hope and gratitude.
For it is in our GRATITUDE that we care for others who have not had the same opportunities and privileges that we have had in our lives. Also, it is our HOPE that the promise of scripture is true: that absolutely nothing is impossible with God (Luke 1:37).
An end to gun violence and mass shootings is possible with God.
A day where no one is by themselves or ignored during the holidays is possible with God.
A day where everyone has access to adequate healthcare and an excellent education is possible with God.
A day where all can sit around the table in love and care is possible with God.
For nothing… absolutely nothing is impossible with God.
In Hope and Gratitude,
Luke
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