Sabbath of Thanksgiving

This Sunday we begin our Christian new year with the advent of Advent. We are entering a season of waiting and watching, preparing our hearts to receive God's presence.

This week, the United States takes time out to celebrate Thanksgiving. Whatever our sordid history or troubled present, at our best, we are a people who give thanks and share our blessings. Yet how well do we really embody a spirit of thanksgiving this season? I myself am making my lists, spending time shopping and cleaning and cooking, preparing for guests (my parents are coming to town, and you'll get to meet them on Sunday!), and trying to get ahead on some work. I am determined to spend some time relaxing and enjoying my family, but I know it will be a challenge - how quickly things come up and stress takes over!


Every year the same drama plays out in our culture, from the frenzy of preparations, to the tired cleaning up and dealing with leftovers. And then comes Friday - "Black" Friday as it's often called - the day when everyone rushes to buy things they probably don't need, all because it seems to be a good deal. So we go from frantically preparing for a time of Thanksgiving, to a brief and sometimes stressful or lonely (depending on family dynamics) Thanksgiving day, right back to a focus on consuming - getting more, for a better deal, than we really needed in the first place.

And somewhere in there, we have lost the concept of Sabbath, a time to worship and be renewed, to just be and take in the blessings that surround us. In her article Black Friday and the Importance of Sabbath Rest, Danielle Tumminio writes, "Even though Black Friday is not on a Saturday or Sunday, it follows a period of heightened work and stress; it's a natural time for rest, and yet, it's a time in which rest is not encouraged. One at a time, we can change this culture. As God's children, it is our responsibility to find that rest for ourselves because without it, regardless of religious affiliation, we will psychologically dry up like turkey left too long in the oven."



So perhaps this year we can start Advent a bit early - every year we enter into the same drama, hearing the story of Christ's impending birth, allowing our hearts to sit with the anticipation and hope of a world transformed. And if, for you, this season is one of loneliness and heartache, you may know better than the rest of us what it means to long for a new world, where every tear will be dry and you will know the deep peace of God's presence. 


Wherever you find your hearts this season, will you accept the challenge and honor the Sabbath this week? As you sit around your tables and celebrate the Eucharist (Greek for Thanksgiving), let the moments linger and savor the gift of Sabbath. And I will do the same.

I wish you all Thanksgiving blessings, and I look forward to beginning the new year with you on Sunday.

In peace,
Manda

Texts for Sunday:

Psalm 98

Matthew 1:18-25

Reign of Christ

This Sunday is the last Sunday in the Christian liturgical year, traditionally known as "Christ the King" Sunday, and in many modern churches as "Reign of Christ" Sunday. Interestingly, most of the scripture texts are about shepherds and sheep, with the implication that Jesus is the shepherd par excellence. But much more of the focus is on how we are to act, whether we are shepherds (as in Ezekiel) or sheep (as in Matthew). The Matthew text, in particular, is familiar to us, and rather than reflect at length on it, I want to share with you some other readings that play with these same themes, both drawing on the Matthew text. I hope you'll read these and the scriptures for Sunday and consider what our still-speaking God might be saying to you. Blessings and peace, and I hope to see you Sunday! 

- Manda

A reading from the Islamic tradition:

       On the day of judgment God Most High will say,

       "Son of Adam, I was sick and you did not visit Me."

       He will reply, "My Lord, how could I visit Thee

       when Thou art the Lord of the Universe!"

       He will say, "Did you not know

       that my servant so-and-so was ill

       and yet you did not visit him?

       Did you not know that if you had visited him

       you soon would have found Me with him?"

       -Hadith of Muslim

"You Who Bless" by Jan Richardson

You Who Bless

You
who are
yourselves
a blessing

who know
that to feed
the hungering
is to bless

and to give drink
to those who thirst
is to bless

who know
the blessing
in welcoming
the stranger

and giving clothes
to those
who have none

who know
to care
for the sick
is blessing

and blessing
to visit
the prisoner:

may the blessing
you have offered
now turn itself
toward you

to welcome
and to embrace you
at the feast
of the blessed.

(To see a longer reflection and art work by Jan Richardson on the Matthew text, click here.) 

Texts for Sunday:
Ezekiel 34:11-24 
Matthew 25:31-40

"For Those Who Walk the Walk"

On Sunday, we will ponder the rather complicated parable of the talents. My 6th Grade Sunday School teacher once said, "There are two sins: 1.) Using people & loving things and 2.) Failing to use your God-given talents to do all you can to make a difference in the world."

As I put the texts with her wisdom, I feel so grateful for all of the people who use their talents to 'walk the walk' of service to others. Certainly the usual suspects are teachers and medical providers and social workers. And there are those we honor this weekend, our veterans who have truly 'walked the walk' to serve their country. In this moment, I am grateful for my colleague and friend, Margie Mayson, the Pastor of St. Paul's United Methodist Church who died suddenly on Tuesday. Like so many local church pastors I've met over the years, Margie always worked every day to use her talents to love her people, encourage them and help them use their talents to make a difference. I also think of all of the people in this church who so freely 'walk the walk' and use their talents in ways great and small to make a difference in their families, in our church, in our community and in the world.

So, I invite you to read the text and think a bit about the people who've made a difference in your life. Think a bit about how you are using your own talents. Think a bit about how God might be calling you to make a difference.

Hoping to see you all on Sunday, Laura Lee

"The Little Holidays - Big Surprises"

I like the little holidays the best. You know, my birthday or Arbor Day. Last week, it was National Deviled Eggs Day. That was fun. These are days that aren't burdened by commercialism or the weight of generations of tradition. I love the big holidays, too. Especially Christmas and Easter or even Pentecost. But, there are the 'little' holidays in the life of the church that are truly wonderful, like Transfiguration Sunday. These holidays (holy days) remind us of important experiences in the life of Christ or in the history of our faith and because they aren't burdened by lots of traditions, they have the capacity to surprise us.

On Sunday, we will be celebrating two of the Church's lesser celebrated holidays: Reformation Sunday  and All Saints Day. We will do those things that ground us to these days: honor the saints who have died over the past year and singing "For all the Saints". We will also celebrate  in a special and surprising way. Vikar Markus Krieger will be our guest. He will preach and will offer an AfterWord forum. Markus is a pastor in the EKHN (Evangelical Protestant Church in Germany) and is spending an 'intern' year here in the NY Conference. So, we will be celebrating our German protestant roots with a German partner in ministry! And, this time of celebrating will be blessed with communion.

I'm looking forward to this big celebration of little holidays that are truly important in our common life. I expect to be a bit surprised and hope you will all come expecting something new.

Hoping to see you on Sunday - Laura Lee