Give Thanks
-By, Mary Anne Grand from Raymore United Church
There is so much to be thankful for as I sit to write this message.
The orange, yellow, red and rust colours showing in the trees bring us the beautiful image of God’s colouring book. The gathering of cranes and geese in the freshly combined fields and the disappearance of the songbirds to warmer climates, but left us with memories of their presence among us. The combines moving up and down the fields gathering in the rewards of the work of the farmers. The golden grain swaying in the gentle breeze is an image of beauty to behold. The promise of the weatherperson that, for the next week, the sun will be shining brightly, giving the opportunity for harvest to continue. There is so much in our lives to give thanks for. Praise and thanks for all God has done for us. For the beauty of this world and communities, for the wonder of life, and for the mystery of love. Praise and thanks for the blessings of family and friends and for the loving care which surrounds us on every side. Thanks for helping us find comfort in you, even in failure or distress. But above all, we thank God for God’s Son, Jesus Christ, for the truth of his word and the example of his life and for his faithfulness. We thank you, God, for the many gifts bestowed upon us. May we honor each one. God’s Blessings.
Always remember to give thanks
-By Deacon Norbert Gaudet, Sacred Heart Church, Raymore
Hopefully, the harvest is completed, or near completion and the garden produce have been harvested.
This year was better than last year. Are we thankful? Do we let God know? We are blessed to have access to food, although priced high, but never the less, we have.
At Thanksgiving, do we truly give thanks to God for what we have, to what was given to us, or do we simply enjoy without the realization of the many blessing we have? Do we just plan to feast with family, hosting or visiting, or do we incorporate time for reflection and truly thank God? Do we incorporate actions of sharing within our thanks?
With the natural disaster effects of climate change (fires, drought, floods, etc.), covid, world conflicts and the increased use of social media, many in our families, our communities, our country and around the world are left by the wayside. Alienated.
Giving thanks also requires actions of sharing and assisting others less fortunate, not only within our midst but throughout the world. It is not a matter of just making a verbal thank-you. We must not be blind to our blessings and blind to the less fortunate.
On his way to Jerusalem near a village, Jesus healed ten men from a dreaded skin disease. Only one came back to say thank you. Then Jesus asked, “Were not ten made clean? Was none of them found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” (NRSV Lk 17:17-18). Let us ask ourselves: Am I the one or one of the nine?
End of year growth
-By Rev. Rick Shott, Nokomis Baptist Church
The other day, I looked out the window and saw a flight of snow geese, line upon line, filling the sky.
It is a sign that winter is coming, and it will soon be time for Thanksgiving. It is appropriate to have thanksgiving at this time. Hopefully just before the snow flies, yet late enough to see the end of the year of growth. Most of the flowers my wife has planted have wilted into nothing, with only a few hardy plants giving splashes of colour to a rapidly fading garden patch. This change lets us think about what we have received as the garden fades away, soon to receive a fluffy white blanket.
Personally, it is a blessing that we are able to continue on. There are those around the world that suffer under a war or are affected by it. There are those Canadians who will have a difficult thanksgiving because of the hurricane. For the most part, this year has had better weather than the past few years. This year we have seen a move toward normal in our lives. We are able to be a proper community once again. As we see the suffering of others, we should be led to pray for and help as we can; while recognizing that we are blessed with peace. There are many things wrong in this world, but we should never forget what is going right as well, and be thankful for it.
I’m Thankful for the Church
-By Tim Falk
Today I want to say thank you to everyone who is an active member of their local church.
It is amazing that two-thousand years ago, God put His plan into motion of creating a people group that would go above and beyond normal human expectations and look out for and care for the oppressed and the marginalized. This group has grown and influenced cultures all around the world in a way that cannot be measured. All we can do is stand back and be amazed at people’s kindness and generosity when they see others in need.
However, all too often, the church falls short of this expectation. We miss the mark and fail to accomplish our purpose. We become known for our failures. And we accept the blame and carry the burden of our shortcomings.
Thankfully, that isn’t always the case. My family moved to our community three years ago, and in those years, we have grown to love our town. We have participated in different events, volunteered and found jobs in town. We have made acquaintances and friends through work, play and our kids’ activities, but we have made family in our church. Through all the ups and downs of the last three years, our church family has shown their love and care through bringing us meals, checking in on us regularly, and welcoming us into their homes.
So for those of you who have been family to those who don’t have, seen a need and filled it, and reached out to care for someone else, I want to say thank you. I am thankful to God for His Church.
Thank you, Creator
-By Rev. V. Young, Raymore
See others as God sees me. That’s my prayer every morning.
Who is God? He is the beginning of all and the end of all. Hebrews 11 tells us.
God formed the universe, and what is seen was made out of what is invisible. By faith, we understand this. What is faith? Hebrews 11:1 says, “Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” God, who created the universe, also created every one of us, red, yellow, black and white, and all shades in between, to be His companions. The same Almighty God who created the sky, sea, earth and all therein created us from mud and spit. He very lovingly, tenderly created each one of us to be in fellowship with Him and each other. He also gives us freedom of choice. That’s where it becomes too easy to forget or ignore. We are the created beings, not the Creator.
God asks two things of us in order to have peace and order. We are to love God and love our neighbour. Instead, we have wars, violence and ugliness. The Bible tells us it will end in God’s time. Until then, we have the chance to put aside rejection of God and His way and follow His simple rules. Unbelief does not change the love of God. Each one of us has to make a choice. That decision is an eternal one. Our Lord promises He is preparing a place for us. Trust and obey.
Thank you, Lord, for your free gift of salvation!
Devote a day to thanksgiving
-By Rev. Carlton K. Larsen Strasbourg Sk
Thank you. Thanks a lot. A thousand thanks. So many ways to say it. So much to be thankful for. Our lives are filled with opportunities to be grateful. So it’s useful to devote a day to thanksgiving. It is too easy to take things for granted. This explains why every religious faith has rituals for giving thanks.
We lose so much when we neglect thanksgiving. We miss out on the joy of gratitude. Gratitude feels good. Grateful hearts are not complaining and moaning and looking at the dark side of everything. An ungrateful attitude is painful and self-centred. Gratitude causes us to look outside ourselves and appreciate all that we have been given. When we give thanks, we begin to appreciate instead of complain.
Prayer is powerful because it opens us up to that which is bigger than we are. Prayer looks to a larger reality and generous creation. The larger our universe, the more gratitude it holds. If our world is no bigger than our in-group, whether family or sports fandom or church, we miss most of reality. Healthy prayer sees blessings and beauty in everything. It cries out for good to every person whether we like them, agree with them, believe like them, or not. We do well to ask blessings on those unlike us: To pray, as Jesus commands, for even (perhaps especially) our enemies. When we do, our world expands with our gratitude.
So happy thanksgiving, and let giving thanks make you happy!
