Thanks in Everything
St. David's Episcopal Church | The Rev. Frank Allen | 11.26.2015
 
"I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation."
Philippians 4:12

Dear People of St. David's,

I pray that you and yours are well and that this Thanksgiving is a feast of food and love and thankfulness.

I love this day. I love Thanksgiving Day among all the holidays because even though it's not a religious holiday, it is the one day in the year when we come closest to getting our hearts and lives in the right place. I love this day because most Americans take a day off or take some time off from their regular lives so they can rest and play and talk and eat. I love this day because it's a moment of calm - an eye in the storms of life. I love this day because most of us actually sit down to a meal, even those of us who are hungry and homeless. I love this day because we take some of the simplest food and make it a banquet.
 
I love Thanksgiving Day because it gives us a tangible moment when we can experience the truth that it doesn't take all that much to give us deep physical and emotional and spiritual pleasure. We can be thankful for the triumphs and trials of our lives and be drawn closer to the kingdom of God, simply by giving thanks.
 
Finally, I love this day because it reminds me of the paradox of learning to give thanks when life is going well - when we have plenty; when we have good health; when we have things to do and people to love and love us back; when life is difficult and we struggle to make sense of why bad things happen. It is the one day when almost all of us will remember that life itself, hard or easy, has been given to us as a gift from God, simply because God loves us.
 
The Christian life on Thanksgiving Day and the other 364 days of the year is a life of blessing and giving thanks. Thanks and gratitude, is the key that opens the door to the life lived with God and the peace that passes understanding. That's what St. Paul is driving at in his letter to the Philippians. When we learn to be content in any and every situation, then we are living our lives connected to this God who loves us so.
 
Wherever you find yourself this Thanksgiving, I hope and I pray that you can give thanks and that you are willing to go ahead and have seconds.
    
Grace and Peace.

 Frank Allen
P.S. This Sunday at St. David's we will have all the materials to make your Advent wreath in St. David's Hall following the 9:15 worship. I hope you will join us.
Happy Thanksgiving!
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Worship Schedule 11.29.2015
The First Sunday of Advent 
8:00am, 11:15am, 5:00pm | Church
9:15am | Chapel 
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St. David's Episcopal Church
763 South Valley Forge Road | Wayne, PA 19087
610.688.7947