Pastor's Message
November 2008
Greetings Children of God:
What-was, What-is, What-will-be
I recently bought a book named: Crazy Talk: A Not-So-Stuffy Dictionary of Theological Terms. In it there is a definition for Thanksgiving. It is defined as: Any prayer or action that admits you didn't do it all yourself and, yes, you did need a little help along the way. The author explains that Thanksgiving Day is a secular holiday and then goes on to write:
Giving thanks is not something that we should save for a single day on the calendar. Giving thanks is even more than our PRAYERS before meals. Ideally, our entire lives are an OFFERING of thanksgiving. "In everything, give thanks", it says in 1 Thessalonians 5. Easier said than done, that’s for sure.
The writer ends by saying, “Perhaps thanksgiving begins with simple gratitude that God is God (and we’re not).
Emmanuel will begin to have its own special thanksgiving beginning in 2009. 2009 will mark the 150th Anniversary of the congregation. As I reviewed some of the history of Emmanuel I could not help but wonder what it was like for Pastor Fenker to begin using English as the primary language of this community of faith. It was surely a significant transformational time for the congregation. That past transformation changed the communal life of Emmanuel from that time until now.
We must remember what-was influences what-is and what-is influences what–will-be. Emmanuel has an entire year to put special times in place to celebrate and to give thanks for what-was. Emmanuel has an entire year to put special times in place to celebrate and to give thanks for what-is. Emmanuel has an entire year to put special times in place to celebrate and to give thanks for what–will-be. We have the opportunity to show simple gratitude to God for being with Emmanuel in the what-was moments. We have the opportunity to show simple gratitude to God for being with Emmanuel in the what-is moment of now. We have the opportunity to show simple gratitude to God for being with Emmanuel in the what-will-be moments that are yet to come. Despite depressions, recessions, civil disruptions, heated debates, pastoral changes, demographic shifts, cultural transformations and leadership changes God has been, is, and will be with Emmanuel. An opportunity presents itself to Emmanuel to give thanks to God for being God and for being with Emmanuel in all the moments of time! Let Emmanuel CELEBRATE its life as a community of faith on a journey that includes what-was, what-is, and what–will-be.
We need to begin to plan for this wonderful time of thanksgiving and celebration of Emmanuel’s 150th Anniversary. 2009 will be here in two months. If you are interested in helping to discover ways to celebrate and give thanks to God for being with Emmanuel for 150 years, and for God’s presence into the future, I want to invite you to meet with me at the Big Boy located at 2800 Washtenaw Ave. in Ypsilanti on November 11 at 7:00 p.m. Please contact the church office to inform us if you will be coming. Let the thanks giving begin in earnest!
One of Christ’s servants,
Pastor Dave Hendricks-Child of God