November has the feeling of a month of transition. It is the month that the church year comes to an end. It is also the month where rehearsals and planning ramp up for the new church year, beginning with Advent, then Christmas, then Epiphany. While we tie up the loose ends on one year, we also unwrap the possibilities for the new year. Transitions.
But during this month of transitions, we take time. We take time to give thanks. And I don’t just mean the Thanksgiving Eve worship service on November 27. We take time to give thanks for the saints of the congregation we will remember on All Saints Sunday. We take time to give thanks for being in a position to prepare a plan of ministry for next year. We take time to give thanks for Christ the King, who continues to guide us, support us and prompt us to act and serve in a manner which reflects his ministry in the gospels.
Each week we pray the petition, “your kingdom come.” When that happens, our work is finished. Until that time, we will keep going, striving to share Jesus’ love in word and deed. We give thanks to God, for calling us into the mission field of grace. And we give thanks that we can do this together.
Clifton D. Eshbach,
Pastor