I see gratitude as a huge part of this season of Thanksgiving and as we approach Advent it is significant as well. I am grateful for many things including being part of a welcoming, inclusive congregation. Gratitude is a way to orient our lives not just on a day where we feast on turkey, dressing, and pie, but a way of life for all times. We are a nation of consumers and somehow it is never more evident than the time following Thanksgiving. Now Black Friday sales are extending well beyond Thanksgiving as retailers try to extend the shopping season even further. Big sales and their proximity to a time of gratitude implicitly link our gratitude with all the stuff in our lives that we can be thankful for.
Don’t be fooled into the thinking that our gratitude can be so easily measured. Now it’s not as if I avoid the malls completely. I enjoy finding deals for friends and family (at a reasonable hour!) However our sources of gratitude are decidedly intangible. We give thanks for people and small gestures, for encouragement and love. We give thanks for a baby born in humble conditions, greeted by shepherds and astronomers. We are grateful for places where peace and joy overcome hurt in the world. I am personally thankful for the opportunities I have experienced at BVUMC and I look forward with anticipation as once again we welcome the Christ child into the world, the Good News that no Black Friday sale can compete with.
Pastor Eddie