Thanksgiving Service

Rev. Harriette Cross First United Methodist Church of Wilmington November 25, 2020 Psalm 100 Thanksgiving Prayer Service I want to wish everyone a happy Thanksgiving. I know that this is a strange celebration like no other, but we still have many things in life to be thankful. Thanksgiving is an uniquely American secular holiday, started by the presidents, not the priest and pastors. But we all know that Thankgiving has deep roots in religion. We also know that everything that we have to be thankful in life comes from God. So God should be the center of all that we do on that day. I know that last Sunday’s service was a Thanksgiving service, I thought that it was important for us to start our Thursday celebrations off thinking of God. First I want to share with you some scripture - Psalm 100 - enter into his gates with Thanksgiving I know that we are familiar with the five kernel story. Supposedly the first year that the pilgrims were here, was a difficult year. Sometimes all that they had to eat was five kernels a day for each person. So when they had the first Thanksgiving – they symbolically bought those five kernels to dinner. Those five kernels could represent: 1. God’s love for us, 2. God provides for us, 3. We have friends in our life, 4. We have those who love us. 5 God hears our prayers. I wanted to share with you that there are also five blessings of being thankful in life. 1. Those who are thankful are stress free and happy. 2. Thankfulness increases immunity 3. Thankfulness lowers blood pressure 4. Thankfulness improves relationships with others and 5. Thankfulness helps us to age gracefully. So when I wish you Happy thanksgiving this year – I truly wish you happiness – spiritually and physically. I want to share with you this Thanksgiving prayer by Father John Martin. God Almighty, this has been a terrible year. So much death. So much illness. So much misery, all around the world, for every human being. I can hardly believe it. And I certainly don’t understand it. It breaks my heart to think of how many people have lost family members, spent hours worried about sick friends in the hospital, not been able to attend funerals, been laid off from their jobs, seen their businesses closed and agonized over whether to send their children to school or not. Sometimes the only prayer I can say is the prayer of the psalmist: “How long, O Lord?” And now it’s Thanksgiving, when I’m supposed to be thankful. How, O Lord? Maybe the only prayer I can utter this Thanksgiving is: Teach me to be grateful. each me to be grateful for what I still have. Help me to see where you are blessing me, even in the midst of this pandemic. Give me a new pair of eyes, so I can more clearly see your grace: Let me see the generosity of health care workers on the front lines as a sign of your love. My prayer for you is that God may help you to count your blessings. May God be with you in all circumstances, and family situations. May you see God in all things, and may you have many things to be grateful for. Finally we are approaching the Advent season. This is the time of year where one day it is fall and the next it is Christmas. Advent is the season of waiting. This year may we truly prepare our hearts for the day when we can be a church again. Grace, Peace, Love go with you in both season! Peace Out!