There are three kinds of giving:

grudge giving,

duty giving,

and thanksgiving.

Grudge giving says, “I have to”;

duty giving says, “I ought to”;

thanksgiving says, “I want to”

The First comes from constraint.

The second from a sense of obligation,

The third from a full heart.

Nothing much is conveyed in grudge giving since

The gift without the giver is bare.

Something more happens in duty giving ,

But there is no song in it

Thanksgiving is an open gate into

the love of God.

These words come from a book that Robert Rodenmayer wrote in 1960 called, Thanks Be to God.

The Thanksgiving Holiday always comes In that liminal time between stewardship season and the day the Session brings the Ministry plans for the new year to the Annual meeting of the congregation in January. I say liminal because we never know in November where we will land in January. The COVID pandemic has clearly created boundaries. We do not know yet how the church, the whole church, the worldwide church in its many manifestations will come out of this massive change. Clearly we stand on the threshold to something new. Neither does Ark and Dove know what 2022 holds. I do give thanks for this congregation which has accomplished so much new ministry over the past 20 months. The love of God has been evident in the way you have held each other up.

As of this morning we have received pledges from 54 of the 160 or so households of Ark and Dove toward our Harvesting Generosity effort.

This Sunday is the first Sunday of Advent and we will light the first of four candle on the Advent Wreath. Advent marks the beginning of the liturgical church year. You may want to set up your own wreath at home, especially if you are worshipping exclusively on Livestream.

Peace of Christ,

Holy One source of blessings, as we move from the national holiday of Thanksgiving to the beginning of the church new year in Advent help us to come with grateful hearts for your expansive grace and the wideness of your mercies. May giving Tuesday be just as important to us as Black Friday. As we feast our way toward the celebration of the birth of your Son, may we be generous in our concern for the many people in the world who hunger not just for their daily meal but for fairness and justice on this globe. As we light the Advent Candles each Sunday, may our hearts grow bright with anticipation. Jesus, the Light of The World is coming again in peace. This is our practice; to welcome the new life that is born again and again in Christ Jesus. Amen

PRAYERS OF HEALING AND SUPPORT for Louise Sharrocks; Angela Goska; Belinda Edwards; Karen Stokes; Ezra; Sarah and Bojan; Betty Small; a friend of Bob Fuller; Shirley & Bob Fuller's daughter-in-law, Mary; the Unger family; Ellen Makar's friend Mike Mitchell; Debbie and Bruce Arey's niece, Sarah; Calvin Latham; Brianna Lapp; Anne Hirschy's relative Isaiah and cousin Gordon; Diane Makar; Tina Anthis’ father, Steve Bissel; Dennis; Lourde's Cordero's brother; Gabriele Mecca; Charlotte Davie; Hiley Green; Adell Gaurin; Dotty Kaufman; Jai’Quain, Nicole Chidlow’s baby; Carol Saylor; Ray Bussey's mother, Doris; Liz Olson; Margaret Floyd; Russ Hester; Vaughn Brown; Patty and Steve Plander; Arlyce Lohr; Krista Klohr; Michelle Schoonmaker; Dick Paronto; Richard and Edie Budd; Cindy Schafer; Cheryl Walcutt’s sister Judy and mother; Christy Hipchen’s Uncle Frank and grandmother, Ann Chubon; Amy Hagemann’s sister, Susan Pratt; Mary Benson’s sister; Amy Carskadon Lifsey’s father-in-law, Bill Lifsey Sr.; Karen Dodson’s cousin, Miles, and Miles’ family; Tricia Gray’s grandfather, Paul; Helen Wilkens' mother, Jane Reinert; Christina Nelson’s grandmother, Patricia Dole; Judy Cooper’s daughter, Jessica Quigley; Paul Doughty’s mother, Ruth Doughty; Camille Dubois’ parents and the Dubois family; Debbie Saylor’s sister, Christine; a member of the Tardiff family; Dionne Whitby's daughter, and niece, Jannah; Dotty Kaufman’s daughter-in-law, Carol, granddaughter, Sarah, and grandson Nathan; Kathy Miller’s sister, Beth Krauth, and brother-in-law, Jeff Miller; Lewis Shorter and Lewis Shorter’s niece, Jennifer Schwandt-Gayle; Bob Fuller’s brother, Joe Fuller; Dot Forloine’s granddaughter Melisa Tucker Saatthoff, and her great-grandson Luke; Debbie Arey’s sister, Denise; Debbie and Bruce Arey’s daughter, Allison; Linda Taylor’s mother, Izola; Kennon Bauman’s uncle, Dan Johnston; Amy Goldberg’s grandmother, Ruth Cooper; Christy Yeager’s mother, Linda Jordan; Linda Jordan’s niece, Bonnie; Diane Johnson's Uncle Ed, Aunt Janet, and cousin Richard; Shelley Franklin's father; Amanda Wehage’s sister and father, Dave; Laurie Barrow’s nephew, Gunther Kurtz; Sabonna Keeney’s mother; Bernabe and Griselda Solano, and Griselda's sister, Irma; Laura Doughty’s brother-in-law, Carl Hahn; Laura Willoughby's father, Norman; Ann Hirschy’s aunt, Cindy, and brother; Kelly Burnett’s nephew, Justin; Lou Kareha’s cousin, Thomas Kochis; Cheryl and Doug Walcutt’s grandchild, Gray Adacutt; Erika Sealing's grandmother, Margaret Schade; Lourdes Cordero's brother Jose, granddaughter, and friends, Fred and Arelene Jones; Mike and Charlotte Davie’s friend, Dave Page; Linda Lewis’ friend, Carol Fudge; Rob Yeager’s friends, Greta Daughtrey and Peter Brown; and Maren McGillivray-Stubbs’ best friend’s father, Gentry Sims.

PRAYERS OF THANKSGIVING AND PRAISE from Shirley and Bob Fuller on the birth of their grandchild.