16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 19 Do not quench the Spirit.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-19 (NRSV)
It is November, the month of Thanksgiving! Of course, as St. Paul tells us, giving thanks is central to our Christian life. It is a work of the Holy Spirit in our lives to be able to see God at work and give thanks. Yet it is also a reality of our life that the more stressed, tired, and busy we get the harder it can be to recognize what God is doing around us and the reasons we have for being thankful. As we move to the last stretch of the year, often it is a particularly busy time that brings with it plenty of stress. This year is no different in that respect, even as it is different in so many other ways. As winter comes upon us and we continue to face more uncertainty, we may indeed be threatened by despair at all that we see around us.
In the midst of the darkening days, look for signs of God’s presence. Where has God been carrying you in these days? What blessings have been buried in the busyness? God is around you, and when we slow down enough to recognize it that realization can change our entire outlook. The Holy Spirit can lead us to an enlivened sense of gratitude towards life.
November is busy in the life of St. Matthew. We have All Saints Day, a baptism to celebrate, Christ the King Sunday, and Commitment Sunday all happening this month. Yet though these things can be seen as ways of staying busy, they are also all moments to pause and recognize the ways the Holy Spirit moves in our lives. From the new life in baptism to the new life found among the eternal communion of saints; from the recognition that Christ is the true king of all creation to our response of offering ourselves: these are all moments to recognize God at work in the fullness of our life and to respond by giving thanks. All of that leads us to the ability to come to the holiday of Thanksgiving ready to lift up our thanks to God for all that God does for us.
—Pastor Eric
pastor@stmatthew-lutheran.org