Oh, Give Thanks!

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His love endures forever. Psalm 136:1

It is hard to believe, but the holy/holidays are upon us. During this time of year, I like for us to be intentional about at least two things: Grief and Gratitude. They may not seem to go together, but I assure you, they are linked. Our willingness to grieve our losses, however substantial they may seem to anyone else, is critical to our healing and to our ability to offer comfort and grace to others.  

With these two things in mind, I extend an invitation to you to join me (virtually or in-person) for the next two Wednesdays. First, on next Wednesday, November 16th I have asked a colleague and friend who serves as a Chaplain to our veterans to lead us through an exploration of healthy grieving and to share tools for grieving during the holidays. Second, on Wednesday, November 23rd you are invited to join us for our annual Thanksgiving Testimony, Prayer, and Praise Service.

The services will begin at 6:50pm both virtually via WebEx (using the same link as our Wednesday Night Bible Study) and in-person in the smart classroom at the John Leland Center (contact me for directions). For the Thanksgiving service, I am soliciting participants to lift a scripture, prayer, testimony, spoken word, poem, or song. Do you have something to share with our church community? One of the most beautiful aspects of our church is the diversity of voices across age, gender, ethnicity, and experience. If you want to participate, please let me know as soon as possible, and no later than Sunday, November 20th.  

I hope that many of you will make time at attend both services and that you will prayerfully ask your family and friends to join in. We need to be together – to grieve and to share gratefulness. Gratitude makes the difference in our lives! I am ever grateful for you!

Loving and praying for you,
Pastor Danielle