Thanksgiving Thoughts
A sermon I’ve given on a number of occasions around this time of year (though my records tell me I haven’t offered it to you all yet) is about why Thanksgiving is probably my favorite holiday. One of the primary reasons is that, where the culture has appropriated so many of our religious holidays (Ash Wednesday Hallmark cards, anyone?), the opposite is true of Thanksgiving. Established as a civic and cultural holiday, instituted by Presidential decree in 1863, it has since been muscled into as a religious holiday among much of our culture. And no, I’m not ignoring its puritanical roots, but it was more a tradition, and a spottily observed one, until Lincoln codified it.
Once again this year, the Valley Shore’s religious community will mark the occasion this Sunday at Chester’s Congregation Beth Shalom synagogue at 4pm for our annal Interfaith Service of Thanksgiving. It is, again, one of my favorite services of the year. Multiple clergy and congregations (and choirs!) will gather to celebrate, give thanks and sing praise. I hope to see you there.
Sunday morning at the United Church will be our annual Service of Dedication, when we commit ourselves and our pledges to the work and ministry of our church for the year ahead. Please remember to bring your pledge cards to worship, as we come forward to make our commitment and to receive a blessing for the many blessings we bring to God on a regular basis.