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Last Sunday I had the privilege of preaching on gentleness as one of the fruits of the spirit from Galatians 5:22-23 with the good folks at Lancaster Church of the Brethren.  We were participating in the Church of the Brethren Atlantic Northeast District initiative to connect with our sister churches.  I was grateful for Raleigh and Peggy Osborne, Herb and Darlene Kreider, Karl and Sue Auker, Don and Carol Trimble, Deb Krantz, and my wife Ruth who attended to represent Mechanic Grove.  Pastor Misty was a tremendous host, and we were blessed by lunch with the key leaders of the church as well as a tour of the facility.  And I heard lots of positives about having Pastor Don Fitzkee sharing with you in my place.

On Wednesday this week, we had Roots, and it began with a great meal.  I shared devotions on thanksgiving and how we need to be thankful for the salvation we receive through faith in Jesus Christ.  At our Adult Bible study, we continued our series on “Great Passages of the Bible” by looking at Acts 2 and the birth of the church.  We considered again the significance of the Holy Spirit coming at Pentecost and how Peter preached and three thousand people were saved.  The final six verses paint a vivid picture of the early church.  Take a moment and read Acts 2 as it is a beloved passage of Scripture of the Holy Spirit coming and the church beginning.

We are less than a week away from Thanksgiving and just four days after Thanksgiving is the first Sunday of Advent.  At our staff meeting on Monday, we spent a great deal of time talking about getting ready for the Thanksgiving Eve service as well as beginning the season of Advent.  On Sunday, I will share a Thanksgiving message from the Old Testament but on Wednesday evening, we will continue the beloved Thanksgiving Eve service.  We have four people from the congregation sharing.  Our thanksgiving offering will be taken that night and don’t forget to bring your food items as well.  Wednesday evening service will begin at 7:00 pm and it is a great service to bring a friend to as we praise and thank God for His favor and blessings.

I spent some time this week just reading through the psalms.  I had been reading exclusively through the New Testament this year, but after the third time through I wanted something different.  And so, I read all 150 psalms this week, looking specifically for psalms of thanksgiving.  While many psalms include a verse or phrase about thanksgiving, I recorded seven psalms that have a strong Thanksgiving theme.  They are Psalm 9, 30, 34, 69, 100, 116, 124.  Let me encourage you to start today by reading one of those psalms and continuing reading on right through Thanksgiving Day. 

I serve on the Board of Solanco Neighborhood Ministries along with Ken Rutt and others from the community.  It is exciting to see how that ministry is flourishing.  While the needs they are seeking to meet keep growing, God continues to provide the volunteers and resources for them to make a real difference in our community.  One of the great blessings I see is how churches including Mechanic Grove are supporting Solanco Neighborhood Ministries and partnering with them to bless our community. 

I am so glad that our BDM volunteers returned home safely last weekend and yes it was great to have my wife back with me this week.  We are excited for tomorrow as we will be celebrating our first thanksgiving in our new home.  Molly and Tessa and Tessa’s fiancée Everett are coming down as we celebrate Thanksgiving together.  We chose tomorrow as Tessa and Everett will be away celebrating Thanksgiving with his family over the holiday.  As our family grows, we try to be flexible and celebrate holidays and special events whenever we can get together. 

As I was looking over the calendar for the remaining weeks of the year, I was excited for all that God has for us.  Coming up is the Women’s Ministries Pine Trail, the OAKS “Everything Christmas” celebration, Journey to the Nativity is a few weeks away and we have Candlelight Communion and Christmas caroling coming in December.  In addition to the special Sundays of Advent, we are already planning the Christmas eve service and next week I will begin working on my last sermon for 2024.  What an amazing six weeks we have before us, and I am looking forward to sharing this most wonderful time of the year with you.

Let me close by sharing a part of Psalm 100, one of those Thanksgiving psalms.  Psalm 100:4 says, “Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.  For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.”  Sounds like a call to worship to me.  So, let’s plan on it for this Sunday when we can once again gather as the Mechanic Grove Church of the Brethren.  Let’s enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise.  We have so much to be thankful for so let’s praise him together this Lord’s Day. 

Have a blessed weekend and start reading those Thanksgiving psalms.  And remember, it is Friday…but Sunday’s coming!

Pastor Kevin