This is the week when we as families and a nation take a moment to pause and express our thankfulness for what we have. Even people who don’t necessarily come from a religious background who thank the divine for their well-being celebrate the Pilgrim’s 1621 celebration of harvest. Many may not believe their blessings flow from God, but they certainly will appreciate that they have them. Whether as a fall harvest festival or as gratitude to the Almighty, many feel thankful for what they have.
Of
course, not everyone is in a good place from which to be thankful. Many people have had hard years, with
troubles and difficulties. Many are
economically beaten up. Their
celebrations are modest, sometimes helped by others.
This
year’s huge holiday irony is the Ohio Walmart having a food drive for its own
workers who cannot afford Thanksgiving meals.
Low wage employees are being asked to help low wage employees while six
members of the Walton family collectively are worth $144 billion, more than the
bottom 42% of US families combined.
There is something not right in our national social contract when both
the stock market and the numbers of people hungry and homeless and un- or
under-employed are at all-time highs.
So it
seems to me a bit facile for many of us in good places of thankfulness to
simply thank God for our blessings.
“Giving thanks” may not be enough when our neighbors are stressed. So my challenge to us this thanksgiving week
is to go further and give and give
thankfully. Take the recognition that
(as the psalmist says) the lines have fallen pleasantly for us, be thankful,
and express your gratitude for God’s goodness by doing for the least of our
neighbors (remember Matthew 25:31-46?). And do at least one thing seriously, more
than the usual token donation to the myriad of causes clamoring for our dollars
between now and Christmas. Do one thing
(yes, “do,” not just write a check. Do something.). And give something substantial, something
over and above, something that you will notice.
To get you thinking of ways you might respond
thankfully, I’ll remind you of the various causes available, beginning with the
gifts of conscience and compassion and justice like through the Church World
Service or Heifer gift catalogs. Other
things are happening denominationally.
Help with Philippines Relief; the UCC is supporting early
response and recovery efforts of partners in the ACT Alliance and the United
Church of Christ in the Philippines. To
see how you can help or make a donation, go to http://www.ucc.org/disaster/philippines_typhoon_appeal.html
or write a check to our church and indicate that it is for Typhoon Haiyan, and
we will send it to the conference. Feed My Starving Children Philippines
relief effort: To read about the efforts being made by FMSC and to donate
toward additional meals in the Philippines, visit https://www.fmsc.org/Philippines.
There are simple things really close to home.
Christmas Shoeboxes for Catholic Charities of Tompkins County
should be returned to the church by Sunday,
December 8 for the youth to gift wrap the boxes. Thanksgiving
Meal Basket Project: Children’s Ministries is collecting
food items to create six Thanksgiving Meal baskets to be distributed
to local families through Family and Children’s service of Ithaca. Heifer International fund raiser: The
youth will be selling organic and fairly traded chocolates, coffees, teas,
dried fruit and nuts from Equal Exchange during Advent. Please support
sustainability and make a difference in the lives of small farmers and artisans
across the globe. Look for their display
in the Narthex starting Sunday, Nov. 24.
Heifer gift cards will also be available for sale. Our Warm Wooly Tree is up earlier than usual this year because we want to get
warm items to the folks who need them before cold weather hits. Bring in new
hats, mittens, gloves, scarves and socks for kids and adults to decorate our
tree. At the end of the month, the items will be donated to community members
in need through the Salvation Army.
There are individuals you may know who could use a bit more money, or
some time with you being a friend, or a ride somewhere or some few minutes or
hours of your time. Something will nudge
at you this week or month; respond in thankfulness. Stretch yourself a bit this season. Do and give to others because God has been
good to you. God has made a difference
in your life; make a difference in someone’s life.
It’s more than thanksgiving. It’s thankfully giving!
In Christ,
David
Texts For Sunday Worship:
In Christ,
David
Texts For Sunday Worship:
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