November 24, 2021 Weekly Update
This week many of us are ‘gathering.’ We are gathering at the grocery store in anticipation of cooking. We are gathering around the Thanksgiving table to share a special meal with family and friends. Many of us gathered last night at Our Savior’s Lutheran to mark a holy moment. When you gather this week, I’d encourage you to take a moment to reflect on gratitude. Ask yourself, and ask those around you, “What are you grateful for – this month, this year, this day?”
Scripture reminds us that as people of Jesus, we are also to be people of gratitude. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 says, “give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” When we are able to recall and reflect our gratitude, it grounds us in the present moment. Anxieties about the future and regrets of the past lose their tight grip on us. Our gratitude helps us connect to God, to our own hearts, and to one another.
So, I invite you to finish this statement sometime this week: “I am grateful for ….”
Looking to go a little deeper during this long weekend. Our friends at Love Lives Here recommend the documentary “Gather” for Native American Heritage Month. This film – available on Netflix – tells the story of harmful settler colonialism and the joy Indigenous People find as they reclaim their heritage.
Blessings,
Pastor Jared