The Shepherdess' Voice

"...this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shalt not perish from the earth."

-President Abraham Lincoln.
Gettysburg Address, November 19, 1863

Thanksgiving celebrates the gathering of two very different cultures who set aside their differences to share a meal. It's a sweet thought, the English colonists (Pilgrims) of Plymouth and the Wampanoag people breaking bread over their equivalent of Pumpkin Pie. Less sweet is the thought of brothers and cousins dying on battlefields under the guise of ending human trafficking. Still, we travel long distances or take to online and give thanks for another year together. We've lost so much these past two years, but we are adapting to our circumstances. I pray that we close our Liturgical Year a little wiser, kinder, and full of grace.

We'll begin this month reading Margaret Attwood's The Handmaid's Tale, which will be paired with excerpts from our ELCA Social Statements. Everyone is encouraged to bring pictures of their dead loved ones to worship on November 7th, when we will celebrate All Saint's Sunday together.

This Thanksgiving, I plan to work with another worshiping community that has a steady foothold in serving meals to those in need. I hope that you'll join me either before or after you've celebrated the day eating your version of Pumpkin Pie with loved ones.

We'll conclude Year B, which follows the Gospel of Mark, with Christ the King Sunday on November 21. The Church ushers in the Gospel of Luke with Year C with the first Sunday of Advent on November 28.

"Start being brave about everything. Drive out darkness and spread light. Don't look at your weaknesses. Realize instead that in Christ crucified you can do everything."

In God’s Abiding Love,

Pastor Jeniffer Tillman
Mission Developer