Pastor Dan - November
As I have been praying and reflecting about this message for the month of November, I have come to realize that November is a rather spiritual season in my yearly cycle of faith formation-ing. (I know formation-ing isn’t an official word, but it’s still a good “made-up” word.) The first Sunday of the month is a celebration of all the saint’s whom have walked this terrestrial sphere in faith. The more popular celebration of November is a day of Thanksgiving. Many gather throughout the year to give thanks and praise to our Lord on Sunday, but on this day, we gather as a nation rooted in a tradition to give thanks for the many blessings in our lives.
Why I find the month of November a rather “spiritual” month is because I find myself giving thanks and praise to the Lord for the many saints, living and passed, who have been influential in the on-going process of faith development in my life. There are saints in which our faith lives who have crossed paths for just a moment and then there are other saints in which we continually encounter each other for years and years; seemingly a life time. Some saints spoke just a word at the right time, never to be seen again. Others, seem to become a consistent model in their day-to-day whom we get to witness as we journey together to live more like our Master, Jesus the Christ. But as I give thanks to the Lord for all of them, I feel very blessed because there are just way too many to recall and remember. The Lord is the Lord of abundance.
The other side of the coin in this month of November is to also reflect upon those people perhaps I’ve been able to touch along the way of our faith journeying in this realm. The past month of October with its expressions of appreciation for living out the office of pastor, also touches my heart in deep and profound ways. With all the positive expressions I can’t’ help but think of those in which I did not live out the office of pastor in which the Lord was able to work through my efforts to minister. I am human and my filters and lenses get plugged or foggy and yet, despite the failures the Lord is able to cause me to grow fuller and richer as a pastor and faith matures. I regret that this painful growth may come at the expense of being a stumbling block to the other. Yet, in a strange sense, I still have to thank the Lord for my failures. Granted it is with a very heavy heart this thankfulness comes.
All the thanks that comes forth from our hearts and minds and souls and strength is rooted in something awesome. It comes from the understanding that the Lord actually cares for us and shows that by being at work in our lives. The Lord is the one who allows us to share together in our faith journeys. The Lord is able to sow seeds of joy and expressions of care. The Lord is able to build up faith from ashes and sorrow. The Lord is able to cause and deliver growth in faith for faith is a gift which comes from the Lord. Thank you Lord and Almighty Savior.
In Christ’s love and service,
Pastor Dan