Thanksgiving

Pastor’s Epistle—November, A.D. 2014 A

A Sacrifice of Thanksgiving

November is a time of endings and thanksgiving. For the Church, this is the last month of the year. We dedicate it to remembering those who have died in the faith before us, and who live on now as saints in Heaven—praying for us in the direct glory of God, and awaiting the Resurrection of the dead at the end of the age. Jesus turned our understanding of death on its head. No longer a loss, no longer a source of despair, the grave now represents our entry into eternal life. And for this we give thanks.

Strictly speaking, Thanksgiving is no more a Church holiday than Independence Day or deer season. But how wonderfully countercultural it is that our society takes this one day out of the year to thank God for the true blessings of life: friends, family, and homemade food. That’s also why so many of us love hunting, isn’t it? We have the opportunity to sit in silence amidst the wonders of nature, communing with nature’s God. Few things are more basic or more satisfying than providing fresh meat for your family’s table. In the midst of an economy that thrives by convincing us that we don’t have enough, that we need forever to buy more, it’s so refreshingly honest simply to stop and give thanks for the generous abundance we already possess by the grace of God.

I know we’ve seen quite a bit about how St. Peter’s, like all parishes in the area, has fallen behind our budget. I suspect that a long, harsh winter with exorbitant fuel oil prices had a lot to do with that. But in truth we as a congregation have a great deal of abundance for which to give thanks. We have that beautiful basement, in which volunteer labor saved us as much as $100,000! Recently the diligence of our parish administrator saved that basement from drowning, and the bill to pump and clean it was immediately covered by the generosity of our congregation in a simple, special offering. Thank you.

And that roof! Ever since I first came to New York Mills, folks have been warning me that St. Peter’s would need a new roof before long. We kept putting it off in favor of more immediate concerns—street assessments and the like—but we knew it would be a difficult project looming somewhere down the line, and we’d best be prepared. Yet what’s this? Along comes a hail storm, and our insurance covers the cost of a whole new roof complete with rain gutters and windows! Talk about a windfall! We give thanks that God has given us such fresh abundance amidst unexpected adversity.

But perhaps our greatest abundance is all the passion and dedication and hard work of you, the people of St. Peter’s, who so generously volunteer your time, talent, and treasures. You have grown our Youth and Confirmation programs from almost nothing to a flourishing, vibrant ministry. You greet, usher, acolyte, read, and provide hospitality every single week. You show up for committee meetings and special services and maintenance projects. Most importantly, you worship the Lord of Heaven and earth, gathering around Word and Sacrament, praying for the Church and the world. Through you, Christ has grown His Church in wondrous and unexpected ways here in New York Mills. For all this and so much more, we offer our thanksgiving.