We just celebrated Thanksgiving, entering the season of giving. It is so good that we begin our season of giving by first giving thanks to God for His abundant provision in our lives. For many, Thanksgiving is simply another holiday, but for we who proclaim Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, thanksgiving really should be a way of life. (Unfortunately, this is sometimes easier said than done!)
In First Thessalonians 5:18, we read, “In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” Notice that Paul says to give thanks in all things rather than for all things. We all know that when difficulties arise, thankful is probably the last thing we feel. But then, Paul didn’t say to “give thanks in all things if you feel like it…”. We are simply instructed to “give thanks in all things.” As Christ followers, we are never without hope. Because of God’s presence in our lives, we can always find something to thank Him for, no matter how tough our circumstances may be.
During this season of giving, I am challenging you, church family. We all know that we cannot repay God for all that He’s done for us. However, we can give and serve and say “thank You, God” by giving to others, especially to those in need. In Matthew 25, Jesus said that whatever we do to help the “least of these” – the marginalized, the vulnerable, and the less fortunate – we are also doing to Him (vv. 44-45). So for the next month or so, we want to show our gratitude to God, as a church family, by giving a gift to God that will also help others in our community.
We are asking each person to bring non-perishable food items for the West Davidson Food Pantry and place your gifts in the bins provided here at the church. There is a bin just inside the front entrance of the church, and there’s a bin back in the hallway (between the fellowship hall and sanctuary). Every time you shop for groceries between now and the first of the year, please consider picking up an extra item or two for the food pantry – a can of beans, a can of vegetables, canned meats, a jar of peanut butter, boxes of macaroni and cheese, canned soups, boxes of dried pasta or canned prepared pastas, cans or plastic jars of pasta sauce, packets of instant oatmeal or grits…whatever you wish to give – and place your gifts in one of the bins here at the church.
As you bring your gifts, we encourage you to offer up a short, simple prayer of thanks to God for His provision in your life, or thank Him for blessing you so that you are able to be a blessing to others in His name. Remember, you are bringing a gift to God, so treat it accordingly. Make it an act of worship. Treat it as reverently as you would the offering that you put in the offering plate on Sunday morning.
In looking at two types of offering envelopes that we have here at the church, I noticed that both quoted part of First Chronicles 29: “…we give You thanks, and we praise Your name…everything is a gift from You, and we have only given back what is Yours already.” As you meditate on those words, I invite you to also consider Paul’s words in Colossians 3, verse 23: “Whatever you do, do it from the heart for the Lord and not for people.” You’ll see part of that verse on the bulletin board in the hallway. It’s not the prettiest bulletin board I’ve ever done, and I apologize for that, but I will be using it to track our progress.
I know we are a small family right now, but I am setting us a goal of 100 items. We have just over a month to make this happen, and I believe we can do this! I know you all, and I know y’all have big hearts and you are givers. I will count your gifts each week, and I will color in the candles on the bulletin board accordingly so that we have a visual of how much we’ve given and how much more we need to give in order to reach our goal. After the first of the year, we will place all our gifts on the altar and pray over them during a worship service, and then they will be taken to the food pantry so they can be used to do good among our neighbors here in the Reeds community.
Remember, as you bring your gifts and place them in the bins here at the church and offer up your prayer of thanks to God, you aren’t just giving to the food pantry or to our neighbors in need, but you are giving to the Lord.
Let us give thanks! Amen.
Peace be with you,
Jeanna
