As we all recover from turkey induced comas, we enjoy the space between Thanksgiving and Advent. 

We have just celebrated our nation’s Thanksgiving where we focus on the story of Puritans journey and survival. Before we enter into the Nativity Journey, we need to take time to think about the understanding of Christian thanksgiving. 

Thanksgiving is a critical component to the Christian life and our liturgy is a reflection of this. The purpose of gathering on Sundays, or other days, is to give thanks. The worship service is an opportunity to gather and give thanks to God for the many blessings we have received. Worship is an act of service to recognize our thanks, a service that is offered to God.

At the heart of the worship service is the Lord’s Supper, which is the Protestant understanding of communion. However, perhaps the oldest understanding is of the eucharist, which means thanksgiving. The prayer that we offer as we come to the table is the Prayer of Great Thanksgiving. Our lives reflect this thanksgiving.

This sense of thanksgiving goes further than just worship, it is a way of life. To living with thanksgiving is to live with hope, love and humility. It is to live with confidence and purpose. 

And most importantly it is a daily practice, it is not seasonal but daily. 

Blessings

Todd

We have begun our conversation about the Didache, an early training manual for the church. Come join us on Sunday morning at 10 am for COALESCE when we explore the Second Unit.