Greetings, all –

May this spring weather find you as well as can be. This light and warmer weather is doing my heart so much good. And the crocuses are beginning to bloom on the church grounds!

On Sunday we cried out “help!” through our exploration of lament, part I of “The Ancient Wisdom of the Psalms.” This Sunday, we’ll join our hearts in “thanks!” as we dive into part II, the psalms of thanksgiving. 

Thanksgiving is similar to, but not quite the same as, gratitude. While gratitude is the feeling of appreciation one has for what they possess, thanksgiving is how that feeling is expressed. It’s the outward display of gratitude… how you communicate it to the world. I do care what you’re grateful for, but I’m honestly a lot more interested in how that gratitude shapes your life. How does appreciating the gifts in your life change how you act, and even who you are? 

Leaving a hospital visit earlier in the week, I felt a profound sense of gratitude for the deep connections I have with you, my congregation, and the opportunities I have to love people through challenges. I said that one syllable prayer, to whom it may concern, as I walked to my car: Thanks. More importantly, I found myself gentler, softer, and a little bit kinder the following day. That tenderness I brought back to the world, that was my thanksgiving. 

It is no small miracle to stay soft in a harsh world. Or to give thanks when so much is falling apart. I am with you in the struggle, in the joy, and in the in-between. 

See you in church, 

Rev. Tara