In our world, nation, state, communities and churches we have been talking about how people are angry, sad, depressed, and despairing. The conversations take place in person, on social media, in the news. It can bring us all to places of sadness and depression. OR we can choose to develop an attitude of gratitude—looking at all with which God has blessed us.
For the entire month of November, we will be giving thanks to God for each other. We will be doing this with Gratitude Bags. Beginning November 4, we will have lunch bags out in the overflow area with names of all those members and friends who are our church family. Then all of you are invited to write something to fill the bags. You can do something on the computer that’s the same for everyone or you can choose to write personal notes to a few or you can be creative with artwork and stickers or you can write personal notes to everyone! A list is included in this newsletter of all the names we currently have prepared for bags. Please let us know if there’s an oversight so we can add bags. You can take your bag home after worship on November 25.
In addition, I invite everyone to join in worship in November as we learn to practice an attitude of gratitude. We begin on November 4 with expressing gratitude for ordinary saints in our lives. Some have passed, and we will honor them in worship by lifting their names and lighting candles in memory of lives lived in Christ. We will also honor those living, ordinary saints who bless us every day.
On November 11, Veterans Day, we will remember the 100th anniversary of the end of WWI and all veterans. You are invited to bring pictures and family mementoes of WWI. Uniforms, or parts of uniforms, letters that were saved, newspaper pieces are all welcome. We ask that they be brought by Friday, November 9, if possible, in order to create the best display possible of all these items. If you can scan photos or have photos of WWI veterans, we will do a video display of those. Email scanned copies or bring hard copies to the office to be scanned. Our gratitude focus will be on service on behalf of others.
On November 18 we will build our gratitude for all that God brings to life. This will include our lives, all of nature, the seasons, and much more. The little things that we often take for granted but which enrich our lives will be celebrated. On Wednesday, November 21, we will give thanks at our Thanksgiving Eve worship at 7pm.
We will finish the month with gratitude for Christ our King, Christ reigning in our hearts and in our world today in ways that help us overcome hopelessness, selfishness, and partisanship by focusing on the gift of God’s Son.
Come, let us worship and give thanks! Go, to serve others in love!
Come, with an attitude of gratitude! Go, to share the light of Christ!