Thanksgiving weekend has arrived. It is important for us to come together and thank God for who He is, for what He has done, and for his goodness in our lives. Parliament officially declares Thanksgiving as “a day of general thanksgiving to almighty God for the bountiful harvest with which Canada has been blessed.”
It is just as important, if not more important, to thank Him in the midst of trials. As scriptures command, we need to, “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thess. 5:16-18)
This has certainly been a year of trials. A defining characteristic of a Christian is how he or she responds to trials. It is God’s will that we offer thanksgiving to Him, because in spite of trials “we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” (Romans 8:28)
By finding the good in the bad and giving thanks despite the negative circumstances, Christians set themselves apart from the rest of the world while simultaneously lifting their own spirits by fixing their eyes on God instead of the world.
This Thanksgiving Sunday, we will lift our eyes to Jesus as we share Communion together. We will celebrate with grateful hearts what Jesus has provided for us through His death on the cross. Together we will examine what empowered Him to endure such agony on our behalf, and the secret to enduring the trials in our own lives.
We encourage you to make a special effort to join us this holiday weekend if you have not yet come to an in-person gathering. We have implemented good safety protocols and are providing a proven, safe environment for worshipping together. You will experience something powerful when worshipping in person versus watching online. So plan to join us this holiday weekend with your family and let’s worship and celebrate communion together! Happy Thanksgiving!
Every Blessing,
Pastor Barry Risto
Lead Pastor