Dear First Pres,
Happy Thanksgiving!
“Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his steadfast love endures forever!” This is the way one of my favorite psalms begins – Psalm 118. (I encourage you to meditate on it this weekend.) The Psalm reminds us of the many blessings we have in the Lord. It calls us into thanksgiving (not the holiday, but the practice). If you’ve been slow to give God thanks, I encourage you to practice this week. Thank Him for His character, for who He is. Thank Him for what He has done for you in Christ. Thank Him for the way He is working by the Spirit in your life. Thank Him that His steadfast love endures forever. Thank Him for what you know He is going to do when Christ returns. And finally, thank Him for the many other blessings He has given you.
But don’t just say you’re grateful, practice it.
How? One of the best ways to practice thanksgiving is to show hospitality to others. May we demonstrate the awesome love of God this weekend by inviting others to join us at our table.
Another way to practice thanksgiving is to worship. Don’t forget this Sunday afternoon is the Messiah-Sing-Along. It’s an incredibly powerful worship gathering. Bring a friend who doesn’t yet know the goodness of the Gospel. The good news of Jesus is the message of this wonderful musical.
Finally, another way to practice thanksgiving is to push back against all the consumerism that overtakes our culture during this holiday season. Pushback by participating in our upcoming Alternative Gift Fair as Terry wrote about in the recent Stories@FPC email.
Don’t forget to give God thanks this week. He deserves it. “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ” (Ephesians 1:3).
Happy Thanksgiving,
Pastor Jeremy
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