Dear Friends:
Thanksgiving can be a complicated holiday. The myth of “The First Thanksgiving” is largely untrue and deeply racist towards Indigenous people. In some circles, including my own family’s, Thanksgiving is not a celebration but a “Day of Mourning” for American Indian Nations decimated by European colonizers. In fact, the day of Thanksgiving only became a national holiday during the Civil War, as President Lincoln, looking for a way to both pay homage to the fallen and give thanks for the living, enshrined the day into our national calendar and character.
And yet, there is something quite special and sacred about Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is a secular holiday with a spiritual core: the moment in our busy lives when we give thanks for the abundance and gifts of our lives. I am fully aware that not everyone feels able to give thanks for the life they are living. Part of the potential of this holiday is that we also remember those who are in need of our gifts and our love.
We are a generous congregation. We give our time, talent, and treasure to our mission to transform lives through love, service, and our welcoming faith. I witness dozens of brilliant moments of generosity each week; whether through pledge payments to our operating fund or through special collections for causes beyond our walls, or in the gifts of food, rides, and companionship to those in need. While some may assume that everyone in our community is doing well, I can tell you that I offer hundreds of dollars in assistance each week through the Minister’s Discretionary Fund (MDF) to those among us in need. The MDF is funded completely by your donations. I am in awe of our capacity to give deeply and often. Thank you.
Like most congregations in America today, we are facing a new reality in our religious life as our elders depart and new generations join our congregation. There is no fault to assign to this reality. Our congregation, like thousands of others, is facing a new future in terms of what resources we have to dedicate to our mission.
We are growing in size, spirit, and outreach. Some of this is a reaction to the present political reality we are living in . . . and some of this is because people yearn for community. Fifteen new members have joined our congregation over the past two weeks. All of them are thankful we are here and fostering a community where love is at the the center of all we do. And for that I am thankful.
Yours Always,
Rev. John Morehouse
Senior Minister