Reverend Ref +

THANKSGIVING DAY SERMON

So . . . what are you thankful for today?

I think the lectionary readings for today are especially good. We hear about thanking God for the good things we have, while trying to remember that they come from God, not from anything we've done. The OT lesson is especially good, especially for this area. This lesson is given just before the Israelites cross over into the promised land. God tells them about all of the good things there -- fruit, rivers, plentiful land, hills with iron. What better reading can you have for this area that was built on mining?

And it's true, this is the Promised Land for me. One of the things that commissions on ministry are concerned with are where their aspirants, postulants and candidates see God. I guess they want to make sure that their charges have the proper amount of spirituality. Anyway, my last meeting was a phone conference with them this past summer. One of them asked, "Where do you see God."

"Can I say, 'Everywhere'? I see God in the mountains, and in the people of this community, and in the energy of knowing that we will accomplish something here."

Yes, I have alot to be thankful for. I'm thankful for a wife who has put up with this little adventure over the past eight years. I'm thankful for a daughter who has done remarkably well through it all. I'm thankful for Cynthia who changed the altar hangings to purple this week, even though I forgot that today is white. I'll change them back after service. I'm thankful for Jan who worked to keep this community going during the hard times and offers me little pieces of local wisdom. I'm thankful for Bobby who plays the organ on Sunday. I'm thankful for George who is helping me with many of the ins and outs of this job. I'm thankful for old friends and new friends. And I'm thankful for being here.

Thank you for having me.