Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; be thankful to him and bless his name. - Psalm 100:4
For the Christian, our practice of giving thanks is a daily discipline. However, Thanksgiving is the one day of the year set aside for us to inventory our blessings and to express our gratitude to God with specific intentionality. As Johnson Oatman, Jr. reminds us in his great hymn, “Count your many blessings, name them one by one; and it will surprise you what the Lord has done.”
As you plan your Thanksgiving schedule, I pray that you and your family will enjoy a fun and memorable gathering for Thanksgiving. May our feasting truly be a celebration of God’s grace and provision. May our table emanate an aroma of gratitude affirming that our blessings are indeed a gift from God. And may our living reflect our commitment to prioritize our plentiful resources for the glory of God and an eagerness to generously share with those in need.
William Faulkner once wrote, Gratitude is a quality similar to electricity: it must be produced and discharged and used up in order to exist at all. This year, above all else…turkey, travel, football, and shopping…above all, give thanks!
If you are on the road during the Thanksgiving holiday, I hope you will be back for worship and Bible study on Sunday. If not, please plan to attend worship and Bible study with those friends and family you are visiting.
This Sunday begins the first Sunday of Advent. We launch our countdown to Christmas by lighting the prophet’s candle and by singing songs that point us toward the birth of the Christ Child. Our theme this year is “When Heaven and Nature Sing.” This Sunday we are talking about how we are “Like Clay in the Potter’s Hands” as we look at Isaiah 64:1-9.
Once again this year our Children’s Ministry has coordinated the publication of our Advent Devotional Book filled with inspiring daily entries by members of our FBCP family. You can pick up a hard copy at the Welcome Center
May our feasts and our festivities this week remind us of our blessings and encourage us to live our days serving God, sharing with others, and growing in faith and friendship.
