News for October 2008
An Interfaith Community Thanksgiving
Once again, it is time for our annual Community Thanksgiving Service. The service will be on Tuesday, November 25th , at 7 p.m. and hosted by Lancaster United Methodist Church, located at 918 West Ave. J. This will be AVIC’s ninth community Thanksgiving service. Through the years we have chosen themes focusing on coming together as a community and celebrating our blessings.
We all know the story of the first Thanksgiving when the Pilgrims faced their first winter on a new continent that they knew very little about. Fortunately for the Pilgrims, the Native American Indians chose to be neighborly, teaching the Pilgrims how to farm, and catch game. The Pilgrims and Indians then shared their plentitude together in celebration of their accomplishments and survival. More Pilgrims would surely have perished during the harsh winter that followed without the help of the Indians.
As a nation, we now keep the tradition of the first Thanksgiving, taking twenty-four hours once a year to give thanks for all our blessings. Like everything else in modern times, even Thanksgiving has been commercialized; however, the marketing frenzy seems less intense for Thanksgiving in comparison to other holidays. Let’s take advantage of these conditions and step back to examine what giving thanks really means.
It’s easy to focus on all the bad stuff that happens in life. Current times are not easy for any of us– with foreclosures, high gas prices, the increased cost of living that has resulted, drought, global warming, unemployment, the on-going war, and the state of political leadership in our country. “What’s to be thankful for,” you wonder?
Believe it or not, gratitude can improve our lives. Re-programming how we think can improve our outlook, relationships and quality of life. If we just shift our emphasis to focus on what we have rather than what we are lacking. We could consider keeping a gratitude journal. We could write down what we are thankful for daily. Even the challenges of life can be recorded in a positive way, such as: “I survived the commute to work today” or “I have been able to pay my mortgage for another month.” Hard times do serve a purpose in this life and can help us to develop new skills, and appreciate the basics of life. People can live without new cars, expensive vacations, and the latest clothing styles. After all, these things are fun and can add to our quality of life, but sometimes they distract us from what is really important.
Traditionally, giving thanks means saying grace, showing gratitude for the food we are about to eat. It can also be an opportunity for sharing special moments through family story telling or the sharing of a memory. This is a good time to celebrate the important things we have, the things that continue to be a part of our lives, whether we are experiencing good times or bad. Our foundation is made up of those who lend meaning to our lives including family, friends, the good works we do, and knowing we belong to something that is bigger than ourselves.
We invite you to join us on the 25th to experience a combination of different traditions as we gather together at the community table to say grace in a variety of traditions.
Gratefully,
AVIC’s Community Thanksgiving Committee
Edited: October 20th, 2008
