Minister’s Message

On Thursday, the U.S. celebrates Thanksgiving Day. In his Thanksgiving Proclamation in 1863, President Lincoln calls on the nation to observe the last Thursday of November as a day of thanksgiving and praise to God for the abundance of our lives. Writing in the midst of the Civil War, he also calls on Americans to for “the Almighty hand to heal the wounds of the nation, and to restore it…to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquility, and union.” This Thanksgiving, I hope you will raise similar prayers to whatever your image of the Divine.

I also acknowledge that, for most Native People, Thanksgiving is a day of mourning. The foundational stories of Thanksgiving, beginning in the 1600s, are romanticized and ignore the genocide and oppression of indigenous people in this country. Let us correct history, to make sure that Lincoln’s prayer quoted above applies to all people in this country – and around the world, for that matter.

For me, Thanksgiving is a time to celebrate the joys of family, friends, and the abundance in my life. It is a day filled with memories and traditions. This year’s twists: my sister is bringing a salmon for us to bake, and a new friend will be joining us. Whatever your traditions and twists, I hope your holiday is a happy one.

In faith,
Rev. Susan