Summit Church Kansas

Dear Church Family,

1 Thessalonians 5:18 says, “In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you”. The holiday we now call Thanksgiving is rooted in the harvest celebration of the Plymouth Pilgrims in 1621, and their harvest celebration had excellent biblical precedent: at least three feasts, in Israel, included thanks for the blessings of the various harvests. The feasts of Firstfruits (March-April), Weeks/Pentecost (May-June), and Tabernacles (September-October) all included thanks for various harvests, during the agricultural year. George Washington encouraged the celebration of Thanksgiving, and Abraham Lincoln made it official in 1863 as a national day of “Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father, who dwelleth in the Heavens.”

In the New Testament, we find that Christ changed everything, including the giving of thanks. Since all the ceremonial celebrations of Israel were fulfilled in the Messiah, there are no more “official” days of thanksgiving. Rather, we are told that in everything we should give thanks. In Christ, we have reason and opportunity to express our thanks to God for all things, at all times.

Let this official Thanksgiving Day be a reminder to give thanks in everything, today and every day! God’s giving deserves our thanks-giving! We all have so much for which we should be thankful! Set aside some time every day to “count your blessings”, and you’ll have much less trouble with disappointment, discouragement, and depression. Our family, our church, our nation, and most of all our salvation, should fill us with overflowing joy!

I’m thrilled that Dr. David Reagan, the founder of “Lamb & Lion Ministries”, will be the featured speaker for both our morning worship hour, and the special memorial time afterwards.  I’m looking forward to greeting you, personally, this coming Sunday at 10AM.

Love always,

Bro. Joe