Thanksgiving Week 2023
Dear friends and members of St. Matt’s,
Below is the collect for Thanksgiving Day. If you’re the lucky person who gets to say grace at the table, and you’re wobbling a little bit about what to say, this might get you started. And then you can add to it, of course. The holidays are a tricky time for many people – it’s a season that can be filled with so much brightness and joy. And it can also open old wounds and remind us of people and days past, filling our eyes and our spirits with tears. In my experience, it’s frequently both – especially now – as I’m able to look backward – and to look forward in the eyes of my children.
One thing that always helps me is to remember to be grateful for the blessings of today: for the roof over our heads, the food on our plates, the people round the table, all the time, resources, and relationships that God has given to us, for the laughter we share, and even for the tears. I hope you all are able to spend time this week with loved ones, to honor beloved traditions, to eat good food, and to give thanks for all that God has given to you and to your family. You will all be in my prayers this week.
I also want to thank all of you for your prayers and for checking in on us after I missed church on Sunday. It takes a bit of an act of nature for me to miss church – it has to be a very big, immoveable reason – and still feels very, very strange. I’m grateful that we have lay leaders who can step in and make sure the show goes on. Thank you. And we are grateful for your prayers and your care. It’s going to be a bit of a recovery road for Lyn this week, but she is on the mend and we are looking forward to spending the holiday with our family.
I won’t be with you this coming Sunday – but there is a lot to do at church! If you’re in town, please go and be part of our life together. A wonderful supply clergy person will be with you. Especially if you have little ones who want to be in the pageant – as rehearsals start THIS week during church. I look forward to rejoining you on December 3rd for the first week of Advent, the new church year, and the continuation of our journey together. I’m reachable, of course, if you need anything before that. Please don’t hesitate to be in touch. Until we are together again, remember that God loves you, and so do I.
Faithfully,
–Marissa +
Almighty and gracious Father, we give you thanks for the fruits of the earth in their season and for the labors of those who harvest them. Make us, we pray, faithful stewards of your great bounty, for the provision of our necessities and the relief of all who are in need, to the glory of your Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.