To the people of the Southwest California Synod, its pastors and deacons, and to all to whom this message comes: Grace and peace in God our Creator and the Lord Jesus Christ!

 

In many places and throughout human history, the autumn season has brought with it festivals of thanksgiving for the bounty of the land: the harvest, the gathering in of ripe fruit, and the preparation for winter. In California we don't have as clear a delineation of the four seasons of the year, and yet at this time of year we are still drawn by the shortening of the days into an anticipation of the end of the year. It is a good time to reflect on the blessings we enjoy and the good things the earth has provided us.

 

Over Thanksgiving Day and the weekend that follows, many families will reunite for a festive meal and to spend time together. I wish all of you who are doing that much joy in your togetherness. Family is sometimes complicated, and for all those who are estranged from individual family members, or even their whole family, I hope you find friends and companions with whom to spend some holiday time.

 

For those who have lost loved ones in the last year or two and for whom getting together is a painful reminder of those you've lost - please know that my prayers are with you; remembering loved ones together is a holy thing. Those who've gained new family members by birth or adoption, engagement or marriage - I also hope you will find holiness in the joy of being together.

 

Every Thanksgiving Day is both a remembering of years gone by and an anticipation of new ones yet to come. I believe we owe thanks to God for both - for what has been and for what is yet to be. In a nation polarized by politics and vexed by disagreement, Thanksgiving can be a challenging time to speak of unity. But I believe that we can be united in our gratitude for the gifts God has given each of us; we can be united in our commitment to making our country a better place for all who live in it; and we can be united in our effort to treat everyone as we ourselves would like to be treated.

 

Though our popular culture likes to link our Thanksgiving celebration to stories of the Pilgrims of New England and the hospitality of their Native neighbors almost 400 years ago, I think it is much more fruitful for us today to ask ourselves how we, today, are exercising hospitality to our own neighbors - and to try to find ways to promote greater understanding of each other in our diverse communities in Southern California.

 

Right after Thanksgiving we will begin the new church year with the First Sunday of Advent, and our hearts will turn to the coming of Jesus among us as God's Word made flesh in Mary's holy child - born to reconcile us to one another, show us God's perfect love and mercy, and restore to us the purity of heart that helps us love our neighbors as ourselves.

 

May this holiday weekend be for you and yours a time of renewal, unity, and hope; and may God bless you this day and always!