As we begin the month of November, we look forward to celebrating Thanksgiving Day. This secular holiday provides a marvelous opportunity to communicate a message of generosity in your congregation. Connecting our thanks to God for the abundance we enjoy to one's response in giving is a well-communicated theme. The caveat, however, was that the Pilgrims gave thanks not out of their abundance, but in times of scarcity. In times of abundance, giving thanks to the Lord through praise and monetary giving may not feel like a difficult message to communicate. For many people, however, these past twelve months have not brought about abundance, but rather scarcity. Our present context may find us resonating more with the Pilgrims than any time since The Great Depression. This provides an opportunity to grow in our understanding of financial stewardship and in our trust of a God who does provide even when we are gripped with fear and uncertainty. Giving thanks is what we are called to do, even in times when the reason for giving thanks may escape us.
 
A lesson I learned about living thankfully was from the people of the Welega region in Ethiopia. In the midst absolute poverty, the people exuded joy and thanksgiving. They were generous with what little they had, especially sharing their food and providing hospitality to those of us visiting from distant lands. For them, living thankfully is an on-going response to God and is lived throughout the year. As we begin this month of November, we can focus our worship, preaching, communications, and actions on living thankfully. And we can continue that focus throughout the year.

 Written by Jonathan Buuck - Director, The James Company