Donna Putney

This is a perfect time of year to be humming the hymn “Give Thanks” authored by Henry Smith.

These are the lyrics, provided by hymnary,org:  

“Give thanks with a grateful heart, 

Give thanks to the Holy One;

Give thanks because he’s given Jesus Christ, his Son.

And now let the weak say, “We are strong!”

Let the poor say, “We are rich because of what the Lord has done for us! Give thanks.”

This week is Thanksgiving. And after Thanksgiving is Christmas! So many reasons to be humming “Give Thanks.” 

When I hear the words to this hymn, my heart is full. We can find ourselves becoming consumed with the hype that comes this time of year. This hype distracts us from where our hearts and minds should be. One of my favorite quotes comes from St. Benedict, “Listen with the ear of the heart.” 

If we listen with our heart, we will hear the words of Jesus and the voices of those in need. Our focus will turn to others instead of ourselves. It is too easy this time of year to focus on what we need to get done, but I encourage you to “give thanks” for all that Jesus Christ has done for you, so you can share Jesus’ love with others. This is the season of giving!

I was recently asked what has been an awe moment for me as a pastor in this community. My response to the bishop was, “This community shows up.” 

If there is a need in the church community as well as the Powell community, people show up. As we enter into this holiday season, I encourage everyone to continue to be present when you see a neighbor or stranger in need. By serving others, we are showing our gratitude to God for the many blessings in our lives.

These many gifts Jesus has given freely to all of us are given so we too will have a preexisting attitude of gratitude to be shared with all people. Richard Rohr states, “Only a pre-existent attitude of gratitude, a deliberate choice of love over fear, a desire to be positive instead of negative, will allow us to live in the spacious place Paul describes as, ‘The peace of Christ.’”

Thanksgiving is a time to give thanks for everything God has given us, both the struggles and joys. Through our struggles we find hope and through our joys, we will bring joy to others. To show our gratitude to God, we give thanks through prayer. So let us pray. Lord, thank you for your abundant generosity and neverending grace. Let us remember you, the source of all our blessings, as we give thanks for all we have, all we’ve had, and all that’s yet to come; through Jesus Christ your son. Amen, ( prayer from ELCA.org).  Happy Thanksgiving and a Merry Christmas to you all.

(Donna Putney is pastor at Hope Lutheran Church in Powell.)