"The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world's deep hunger meet.”
My Dear Sisters and Brothers at Christ Church,
That quote by Fredreick Buechner captures my feelings about Christ Church's Thanksgiving Dinner. Though I've been out of town, I've watched the photos on social media. I see deep gladness in the faces of Gaylon Parsons and David Burton (our fearless leaders!), Stacey Dembroge, Jim & Sarah Passard, Joan Caton, the Woo family, Melanie McMullen and Hanna Hurley, Jan Spry, Alisa Rasera, Doug Dembroge, Scott Piehler, and so many, many, many others. And over the last few weeks I've literally heard about the deep hunger of many in our community who are looking for a meal on Thanksgiving Day.
Throughout the autumn you have heard me blathering on about the question, "Who is God calling you to be?" I should have just shown people photos of our parish hall on Thanksgiving Day. The spirit of the meal which our church has served for so many years captures the hope of Christianity really well. We find joy in gathering as a community, and we direct that energy towards the needs around us. In the Gospel, Jesus puts it thus: "'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." While theologians call us to gather as the body of Christ and create a world in which God's will is done on earth as in heaven. But that fancy language doesn't capture the smell of roast turkey and gravy, the sound of laughter, and the generosity of our church.
As we look towards a new (liturgical) year and continue to ask who God is calling us to be, remember the lessons we're learning on Thanksgiving Day at Christ Church. God bless you and happy Thanksgiving.
-Stephen McHale
