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Choosing Thanks: Don’t Give Thanks, Choose It (#2172)

2024/11/24 By Greg

This morning I preached a Thanksgiving themed sermon at Advent Lutheran Church (ELCA).

Friendsgiving 2024 (photo by Greg Smith)

Sermon

My message, “Choosing Thanks” was based on Deuteronomy 8:7-18 and Luke 17:11-19.

You can watch the message below or read the manuscript.

Excerpt

Thanksgiving is just a few days away. To prepare, I’ve been asking people to share some of their family traditions. Most of what I’ve heard so far focuses on the location of the gathering, the guest list, or the menu. And, in it isn’t just what’s on the menu; it is the specific person responsible for preparing those delicious dishes.

To be honest, however, more than a few people have provided less cheery responses. Thanksgiving is a great idea, but the actual event with real families isn’t always that simple.

For some families, Thanksgiving just isn’t the same any more ever since a specific family member passed from this life to the next. For others a gathering will not happen this year as the distance between people in the family is insurmountable, whether that distance is geographical or political. And for yet other families getting together will be hard because everyone will be on edge worrying that someone will break the unwritten rule that there are certain topics we just don’t talk about.

Thanksgiving is all of these things and more. Whichever situation you are stepping in to this year, you will have the power to choose how you respond.

Today we are focusing on thankfulness and gratitude. It is our centering theme in worship and it is the reason that folks from Advent and from Adviento will gather in Luther Hall at 1:30 this afternoon to feast together. We’ve officially advertised that event as Friendsgiving, but, I’m calling it Churchgiving.

After a lifetime with Thanksgiving as a holiday, we’ve been invited to consider a more expansive view – perhaps you’d call it a more spacious perspective.

We’ve been invited to shift our November focus for giving thanks from being a family activity only to being for both families and friends. Now we have Thanksgiving for families and Friendsgiving for friends. So why not also Churchgiving for a special gathering of church family and friends.

And while I’m adding the suffix of giving to a variety of groups, let me add one more. I’m also glad to have celebrated Staffsgiving this week. On Monday I gathered at table with the staff of White Rock Center of Hope. On Wednesday I gathered at table with some of our staff here at Advent . . .

For more on Friendsgiving, check out my reflections on the holiday from 2023.

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Greg Smith

Greg is a follower of the Way of Jesus who strives to make the world a better place for all people. Currently, he serves as Chief Executive Officer of White Rock Center of Hope and as Interim Senior Pastor of Advent Lutheran Church. He has served ten congregations, taught religion to undergraduates for eight years, and helped three organizations provide quality healthcare to underserved populations. (Read More)

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