Pastor's Column
November 2009

Each of us has been blessed in many ways.  I know that we all face many difficulties.  Persons are out of work.  Others persons face disease.  There are struggles within families.  Some of those problems weigh heavy upon us.  There is loss and tragedy.  Yet, a major holiday in November is Thanksgiving.  Some of us will take time to be with family and friends.  For some families the tradition is to eat together. 

Even with the many problems faced, there is much that we are blessed with.  The greatest blessing is the relationship with God made possible through Jesus.  That relationship lasts for eternity.   People are in need and the church has tried to help many of those persons. Jesus challenged his disciples to do that.  Those disciples were to give of what they had been blessed with.  Even when we do not have a great deal, we each have something to give.  The Acts of the Apostles tells the story of two of Jesus' disciples seeing a man in need.  That man probably wanted a financial gift.  The disciples did not have the money to give.  What they gave was healing in the name of Jesus.  Those disciples had spiritual resources.  We do too.  Some of us have been blessed with financial resources.  

The Thanksgiving season can be a time to remember the blessings we have been given.  We can give thanks for all of this.  We can reflect upon the opportunities we have to give of those blessings.  We can be a blessing to many persons.  As we give, the problems we face are still present.  We might think less of them as we are able to give thanks and be an instrument of blessing to people.

In Christ Jesus,

Richard