A Season of Thanks

For many years my wife and I have wanted to visit Door County in the fall, but we always found ourselves with either too much on the calendar or too little in the bank account. Finally this year we made it happen. Taking advantage of my wife having a day off of school at the end of October, my family and I had the opportunity to get away for two days. I had heard stories about the colorful beauty that can be seen during the fall. The stories are true, as you drive through the streets you can enjoy the beautiful landscape reflected in the forest.

As you may know, fall in Door County is one of the peak seasons for tourism. As we passed by, hotel after hotel had the messages on their entrances: No Vacancy. I immediately thought that the streets were going to be crowded all day but as we drove through the cities, the streets looked like they had little traffic. In the evenings, the streets, restaurants and shops showed something different. The reality was that most people during the day were immersed in all the hiking spots, forests, and lakes enjoying and giving thanks for the beauty that can be found around the peninsula. I thought to myself, what a great way to start the season of thankfulness.

As we approach gathering and celebrating Thanksgiving with family and friends, let us thank God for the things and moments God has given us. We as a Church thank God for the eight students from our Church who made their confirmation of faith on Reformation Sunday. We are thankful for the 75th anniversary of our Church that reminds us that we are always growing. We are thankful to have attended the Youth Gathering in New Orleans last summer and that the energy from that experience still inspires our students to have an active faith life in the church. We are thankful that a delegation was able to visit El Salvador this summer and that Rick Frowein is visiting Tanzania, strengthening the bonds of our partnerships and exploring new ways that Ascension can support our brothers and sisters. We are thankful for new members. As we also approach Dia de los Muertos, we give thanks for all those who have gone before us, but left wonderful memories in the hearts and minds of many of us.

I personally thank God for allowing me to visit Door County in the fall with my family. I am thankful that this summer I was able to celebrate my first year as an ordained pastor and my twelfth wedding anniversary. I am thankful to have had my first experience leading a youth trip and looking forward to our next one.

And you, what are you thankful for during this Thanksgiving holiday season?

“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his loving-kindness is everlasting.” (1 Chronicles 16:34)

Happy Thanksgiving.
Pastor Edwin

Always Thankful

As I sit here staring at a blank document on my computer wondering, “What am I going to write about for the November newsletter?”, I thought, since no new and original idea was coming to mind, I should go back and look at some of my previous articles over the years. I came across one I wrote several years ago about being thankful and even though I was trying to avoid using the ever popular “be thankful” theme, something slightly different came to mind which I think is still applicable to all of us today. So, here we go.

November is a month where people tend to list out the things we’re thankful for, (it’s probably because of that one holiday called “Thanksgiving”). Some will even list something every day on their social media pages (which is not something you’ll never find me doing). Don’t get me wrong, it’s good to be thankful, and I am thankful for many different things – I just don’t care to broadcast it all over social media. Besides, many times the things listed after family and friends are all material things which eventually break, get lost, or simply need to be replaced.

But don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to be the Scrooge or Grinch of Thanksgiving, it is good to be thankful. The Bible even tells us that. First Thessalonians says, “Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

Wait, look closely, did you notice what it says? “Give thanks in all circumstances…”. So, does this mean we’re supposed to give thanks in those times when life isn’t going like we’ve planned or when something bad happens? Well, I hate to be the bearer of bad news but, yes, that’s exactly what it means.

We all know that bad things are going to happen. People will get sick, things will break or be stolen, feelings will be hurt by those we call our friends, and relationships are going to go through tough times and may even come to an end. It may be hard to see these as times to give thanks, but they are. And here’s why…

Notice the word that comes before “all.” What is it? It’s the word in. We’re told to give thanks in all circumstances, not for all circumstances. The evil, the bad things of life don’t come from God, those are a result of sin being in the world. This is why we’re not thankful for all circumstances. We’re thankful in all circumstances because no matter what we’re facing in life, God is still in control and God’s presence is still with us. This means that his love, mercy, compassion, and all the other wonderful things God is and does are still with us. They are with us because we are his beloved children. And to prove that, God sent Jesus, His only Son, so that anyone who believes in him may have eternal life.

So in this month of reflection on what it is that we’re thankful for…the thing I’m most thankful for is this – the precious gift of Jesus and his victorious resurrection! Because through this we are claimed as God’s children. And I’m thankful that God continues to go with us wherever it is that we go. It’s my constant prayer that no matter what any of us experience in our lives, that we remember that he’s always there with us and we can lean on him all the time. May you have a blessed and thankful Thanksgiving!

Pastor Tony

Practicing Thankfulness

Being thankful and taking stock of our blessings tends to rise this time of year because of the Thanksgiving holiday that comes around on the fourth Thursday each November. Typically, many think of Thanksgiving as an opportunity to pause, gather, reflect, and give thanks. However, the chaos that continues to rise around the world threatens to upend much of what we look forward to each Thanksgiving.

Politics have left many divided, troubled, and exhausted and the anger and violence taking place in so many places, including within our own communities and families has left many of us nervous over the uncertainty and instability taking place around the world. 

As a spiritual practice I’ve tried to be intentional about taking time each day to think about what is means to truly give thanks to God, to live with a thankful heart, and to reflect a thankful life – especially one that goes beyond a holiday. But living a thankful life isn’t always easy, and it can be especially difficult during challenging times like the ones we find ourselves in at this moment. So, while living a thankful life isn’t necessarily complicated, it does however require intentionality about making a choice to be thankful.

But in order to do that I think it’s helpful for us to have a guide. And while Jesus is certainly number one, another great example for us is Paul and his letter to the Colossians. Despite what he was suffering personally, locked away in prison along with the many reasons he had to be angry, fearful, and despairing – he nevertheless remained thankful. “We always thank God,” he begins (Colossians 1:3). He could have begun his letter with complaining, and instead he punctuates his letter with profound thankfulness (Colossians 1:12; 2:7; 3:15–17; 4:2), and each chapter captures another element of healthy, God-glorifying thankfulness.

Giving thanks to God can be difficult and it’s generally not our first reaction when we find ourselves in the midst of disappointment, anxiety, stress, or fear. And although these are normal and natural responses to circumstances such as those taking place in our world right now, the apostle Paul shows us that there are things that still remain to be grateful for. Amid all the challenging things taking place in our world and in each of our daily lives – there remains opportunities to laugh, to connect, to work, to love, to care, and to find ways to enjoy life. 

As Paul nears the end of his letter, he emphatically stresses the fundamental and spiritual importance of thankfulness. Notice how he repeats himself: “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” (Colossians 3:15–17)

Did you catch the theme – Let peace rule in your hearts with thankfulness. Let praise rise up from your mouths with thankfulness. Let all that you say and do – let it all be done in thankfulness. Whatever you do – even in a shifting and uncertain world, even amid political upheaval, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health – do it all in the name of Jesus and do it with thankfulness to God.

My prayer for all of us is that as we journey through these uncertain times, each of us would allow this season of Thanksgiving to be an opportunity to renew our thankfulness to God. Because, no matter what we suffer, or how deeply we suffer, or how long we’re forced to wait for healing and relief, God has claimed us in Christ and promised this forever – and this my friends should give us endless reasons to be thankful.

With this in mind then, I wonder how you would choose to live differently for the remainder of this challenging year and beyond? What doors might God be opening in the inconveniences, the struggles, and the uncertainty to come? Because, if we do all that we do with thankfulness on our minds and in our hearts, then I also think we’ll be far more likely to recognize the doors as God opens them. 

So, I’d like to say how thankful I am for all of you and for the gift of being one of your pastors. Thank you for your love, trust, understanding, compassion, partnership, encouragement, honesty, and your wrestling. But most of all I’d like to thank you for continuing to walk this journey of faith and life together.

I thank God every time I think of you! Thanks be to God! Amen.

Pastor Tony

Practicing Thankfulness

We tend to focus on giving thanks this month because of the Thanksgiving holiday that comes around on the fourth Thursday each November. And typically, Thanksgiving is meant to be a welcomed time to pause, gather, reflect, and give thanks. However, the last eighteen months have certainly tried to upend much of what we look forward to each Thanksgiving.

Politics have left many divided, troubled, and exhausted and the pandemic has left many of us nervous around and isolated from one another. There are many who still wonder if it’s even safe to gather the way we’d like or are used to. And for others, the instabilities and uncertainties that remain have left us more anxious, irritable, and prone to complaining. I suspect for some; this Thanksgiving may feel strangely inconvenient and perhaps even inappropriate.

For myself, as I have walked the journey with my mom and her battle with cancer, I have found myself spending a considerable amount of time thinking about what is means to truly give thanks to God, to live with a thankful heart, and reflect a thankful life – one that goes beyond a holiday and grows into an everyday expression of thankfulness. But living a life of thankfulness isn’t always easy, and it can be especially difficult during challenging times like the ones we find ourselves in at this moment. So, while living a life of thankfulness isn’t necessarily a complicated task, it does require us to be intentional about making a conscious choice to be thankful.

I think what we need right now is a guide, and when I dwell on who that guide could be, besides Jesus, I can think of no better example than the apostle Paul and his letter to the Colossians. Because despite what he was suffering personally locked away in prison along with the many reasons he had to be angry, fearful, and despairing – he remained thankful. “We always thank God,” he begins (Colossians 1:3). He could have begun his letter with complaining, and instead he punctuates his letter with profound thankfulness (Colossians 1:12; 2:7; 3:15–17; 4:2), and each chapter captures another dimension of healthy, God-glorifying thankfulness.

Giving thanks to God is difficult and generally not our first response in the disappointment, anxiety, and complaining, which are the normal, natural, earthly responses to circumstances like ours. And the apostle Paul knew that all too well. However, there are things that remain to be grateful for. Amid all these challenging things there are still opportunities to laugh, to connect, to work, to love, to care, and to find ways to enjoy life. 

And as Paul nears the end of his letter, he is emphatic in stressing the vital and spiritual importance of thankfulness. Notice how he repeats himself: “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” (Colossians 3:15–17)

You can hear him driving home the theme – Let peace rule in your hearts with thankfulness. Let praise rise up from your mouths with thankfulness. Let all you say and do – be done in thankfulness. Whatever you do – even in a global pandemic, even amid political upheaval, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health – do it all in the name of Jesus and do it with thankfulness to God.

My prayer for us as we journey through these uncertain times is that each of us would allow this season of Thanksgiving to be an opportunity to renew our thankfulness to God. Because, no matter what we suffer, or how deeply we suffer, or how long we’re forced to wait for healing and relief, God has made us his in Christ and promised us himself forever – and in this my friends we have endless reasons to be thankful.

I wonder then how you would choose to live differently for the remaining weeks of this challenging year and beyond? What doors might God be opening in the inconveniences, the cancellations, the restrictions, the interruptions, and the disappointments to come? And, if we do all that we do with thankfulness on our minds and in our hearts, then I also think we will be far more likely to recognize the doors as God opens them. 

So, allow me to take this opportunity to share with you one of the things I am most thankful to God for, and that is YOU! I’d like to say thank you for your love, your trust, your understanding, your compassion, your partnership, your encouragement, your honesty and your struggling. Most of all for your willingness to continue walking this journey of faith and life together. 

I thank God every time I think of you!

Pastor Tony