Grace and peace to you in the name of Jesus Christ!
Not to rush things, but, we are a few days away from beginning a new month. As Americans who have a tradition of setting aside a day of national “Thanksgiving,” November is a good time to pause and give thanks.
Good Lord willing, we will each have a meaningful way to celebrate Thanksgiving Day. If holidays at your house are anything like they are at mine, they will be busy with things to do, traditions to uphold, and catching up with family/friends. So much goes on during these annual festivities!
To help us all prepare a thankful spirit within (and to do so before things get really busy), I have prepared twenty-five days of devotions that focus on thankfulness. Thank, Give, Grow begins on November 1 and offers a daily Inspirational Image (containing a Bible verse) and a prayer. They are simple and short. You are invited to share both prayers and images with your family and friends; “here is something that my church sent me and I think you might like it.”
There is no cost for this devotional if you sign up through the above link or the link on the St. James Lutheran website. Feel free to share this link with others. It is one way that St. James ministry can extend through you to the larger community.
Sunday is Reformation Sunday, a time each year for Lutherans to celebrate the work of the Spirit who is reforming and reshaping the church in each age to share the love and grace of Jesus. My sermon on Sunday will focus on the freedom of Christians and will be inspired by a treatise of Martin Luther by that same title. I look forward to waving to you this coming Sunday at the start of worship, whether you attend in the parking lot (8:00 a.m.), in-person in the sanctuary or online (9:30 a.m.), or make use of our online archive (worship whenever it works best for you).