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Dear Friends in Christ,
Happy Thanksgiving to you and to your loved ones! Holidays can be such busy occasions, if we let them; I hope you will take the time to pause and to reflect on all the many ways God cares for God's people. Gratitude is such an important spiritual practice. It shapes us to seek the presence of God in all things and to return our hearts to the One who provides for us and guides us at all times. I encourage you to remember God in your holiday gatherings with family and friends-- after all, our thankfulness is rightly directed toward God first and foremost:
"Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
for his mercy endures for ever.
Give thanks to the God of gods,
for his mercy endures for ever.
Give thanks to the Lord of lords,
for his mercy endures for ever.
Who gives food to all creatures,
for his mercy endures for ever.
Give thanks to the God of heaven,
for his mercy endures for ever." Psalm 136:1-3, 25 & 26.
As you celebrate Thanksgiving Day and give thanks for all your blessings, I pray that you will feel a sense of God's presence with you in the love that you share. If you are traveling, my prayers go with you.
Let us pray.
Almighty and gracious Father, we give you thanks for the fruits of the earth in their season and for the labors of those who harvest them. Make us, we pray, faithful stewards of your great bounty, for the provision of our necessities and the relief of all who are in need, to the glory of your Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
O God, your unfailing providence sustains the world we live in and the life we live: Watch over those, both night and day, who work while others rest, and grant that we may never forget that our common life depends upon each other's toil; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
With Gratitude,
Brandon J. Hudson+
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