In our gospel reading from last week, Jesus predicted the destruction of the Temple.  His shocked and frightened disciples quite reasonably asked him when that would occur and how they would know it was about to happen.  Jesus responded by telling the disciples that though they would indeed face persecution and troubles, maybe even death, ultimately not a hair of their heads would perish, and that their endurance in the face of suffering would gain them their souls.  Though this reading foretells frightening events, it is ultimately hopeful, and it invites courage and deep peace even in the face of adversity.

As I read this gospel passage last week, I thought of an event from my childhood.  (I've no doubt told this story before, so I hope you will indulge my repetition.) When I was about ten and my brother eight, we got a little horse named Trixie.  She was aptly named.  Trixie would follow us around and nuzzle us like a dog, delicately accepting treats from our hands, and presenting her velvety nose to be stroked.  But put a bridle and saddle on her, and her tricksy nature would reveal itself.  She might trot along meekly for awhile, but eventually, she would take off heedlessly, trying to remove her rider, at least when that rider was my brother or me. 

One day, I was riding Trixie when she broke into a gallop.  I remember being terrified as she sped down a hill and through the hollow.  My dad saw what was happened and he sprinted off after us.  As Trixie approached a fence, she seemed to brace to jump it.  I had been utterly silent, but finally I think I screamed.  That may have been what startled her into stopping, or maybe she just realized it was unlikely she could clear the fence, but by the time my dad reached us, she was peacefully standing stock still, as if nothing at all had happened.  My relieved dad asked me, "How in the world did you stay on that horse?"  I answered, "Well, I just cinched in and prayed."  That phrase became a part of our family shorthand during bad times.  "Cinch in and pray."

We often tell ourselves, "It's not the end of the world."  But the truth is, sometimes things happen in our lives that really do feel like the end of the world.  Maybe it's an illness, or the death of a loved one.  Maybe it's the loss of a job and the fear of economic insecurity, or it's the loss of a relationship.  The sad truth is that no one is immune from suffering.  We think we're in control, but oftentimes that is an illusion.  Sometimes, the only thing we can control is how we choose to respond when bad things happen.  Jesus never promised that bad things won't happen--in fact, he said quite the reverse.  But he did promise that God will never leave us when bad things happen.

The horrifying events Jesus predicted in last week's gospel reading could have inspired timidity and fear.  And yet, Jesus promised that the disciples could choose instead to be brave and faithful.  Remember that the first thing Jesus offered his terrified disciples when he appeared to them after the resurrection was peace--not the absence of strife, but real, deep, abiding peace.  He offers us the same.  In the face of whatever life hurls our way, we can claim the deep peace of God.  When grief, loss, and pain assail us, we can continue to do our jobs, continue to be present and faithful, and we can trust that we can endure.  Sometimes all we can do is cinch in and pray.  And that's plenty.

Days of thanksgiving are part of nearly every culture and harvest festivals are among the oldest religious observances.  In our culture, Thanksgiving Day has largely come to be seen as a day of feasting with family and friends, and in some communities and families, it has become a day for football or parades, and increasingly, for the beginning of Christmas shopping.  The first Thanksgiving Days in the United States may have included a feast, but were mainly religious observances. 

Although there is evidence that a kind of Thanksgiving Day was routinely observed all over what is now the U.S., the most famous is the three-day Thanksgiving feast at Plymouth Plantation in 1621.  After a time of near starvation, the 53 surviving Pilgrims celebrated a bountiful harvest by inviting the Native Americans who had helped them to survive.  About 90 members of the Wampanoag tribe joined them, including their chief, Massasoit, and Squanto, a member of the Patuxents who lived with Massasoit's tribe.  (Squanto, who spoke English, had been instrumental in instructing the Pilgrims on how to grow crops and how to care for native plants in the inhospitable New England climate.) 

The first government proclamation of a Day of Thanksgiving was issued by the Continental Congress in 1777.  George Washington also declared a Day of Thanksgiving for his soldiers after their improbable victory over the British in the Battle of Saratoga in that same year.  Presidents and Congress periodically declared national Thanksgiving Days, including a national holiday designated Thanksgiving Day to celebrate the ratification of the Constitution in 1789.

The first Thanksgiving Day celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November was one declared 150 years ago this week, by President Abraham Lincoln, in response to a series of Union victories in the Civil War, including the fall of Vicksburg and victory in Gettysburg.  It was timed to coincide with the consecration of the Cemetery at Gettysburg.  From then on, Thanksgiving Day became an annual holiday, and gradually some of the foods we associate with our traditional feast became common. 

Thanksgiving was celebrated on the last Thursday in November in the belief that that was President Lincoln's intention, but in 1939, President Franklin Roosevelt, realizing that there were five Thursdays that year, moved it from the fifth to the fourth Thursday.  Roosevelt knew that people considered it poor taste to begin the Christmas shopping season before Thanksgiving, and he feared that a shortened shopping season would cause retail business to suffer, and so he moved the day in order to boost sales.  (Black Friday is therefore not as new as many of us thought!)  In 1941, Congress passed a resolution to standardize Thanksgiving Day, making it the fourth Thursday of November.

It became a tradition to present the President and his family a turkey each year.  It was President Kennedy who first spared the turkey, saying, "Let's let this one live."  President Reagan initiated the tradition of offering the turkey an official Presidential Pardon.

Our class facilitator is The Rev. Lisa Fagerstrom, a United Methodist Pastor who is director of Christian Formation and Discipleship at Wesley Memorial Church in Worcester and Minister of Program and Administration at Harvard-Epworth Church in Cambridge.  She is also a certified Spiritual Director.  Rev. Lisa and Rev. Scottie are fellow alumnae of Vanderbilt.  (Lisa holds an engineering degree, ensuring that though she and Scottie overlapped in their time at Vanderbilt, their paths never crossed!)

This time of the year, folks are looking at the people who might be called to serve in leadership positions at our church.  The nominating committee is beginning to think of individuals who might like to be vestry members or officers of the parish.  Do you feel called to be on our vestry?  Would you like to serve as a parish officer?  Do you know someone whom you think would be great?  Contact Rev. Scottie or any member of our nominating committee to give suggestions.  Your nominating committee is Linda Hank, Dave McDonald, Warren Poor, Ben Sands, and Norma Strack.

Our budget process is a transparent one.  We publish and approve the budget, first on the vestry and then at annual meeting.  Every line of what we do is public.  We are in the process of putting together a budget for next year.  Barbara Luddy takes a leadership role in putting together our budget, and we welcome your input.  

Joe and Marie Field are about to enter into an exciting time, but they need some help to make this happen.  Their son, daughter-in-law, and two grandsons are hoping to move to Reading, and to live with Joe and Marie.  Rather than finding a house big enough for everyone, they hope to level Joe and Marie's current house and build a new one with room for a young family and a separate apartment for Joe and Marie.  That's the great news.  The less than great news is that Joe and Marie will need a place to live for six months or more while the new house is being built.

Joe and Marie are looking for a short-term rental, or better yet, a housesitting arrangement.  They have asked us to put the word out in the Good Shepherd Community:  Do you know someone who is traveling or away for a few months who might want dependable housesitters?  Do you know of an inexpensive, short-term rental?  Joe and Marie are more than willing to live in several places while their new house is being built.  Construction is to begin this winter, and the hope is that it will be finished sometime in the fall.  If you know of a place for our beloved Joe and Marie, please get in touch with them directly or contact the parish office.

Christine Camper, Kevin Cellucci, Betty Fraser, Bernice Herrick,

Scott Johnnene, Thomas and Henrietta Kane, Debra Katt-Lloyd, Tony Lopes, Lynn McDonald, Rheta McKinley, Ken Nowakunski, Elsie Saunders, Bishop Thomas Shaw, Kevin Smith, Jake Torrisi, Ralph Ventola, Stephen Wagner, and Michael Webb.

Please remember George and Donna Norman and their son Sam in your prayers.  George's mother Alice Norman died on November 14th.