So tonight is Thanksgiving Eve and at IPC we have a long tradition. We take pumpkins and write what we're thankful for on them and then place them on the alter, as a way to thank God. I have been going to this service for a long time, and while I don't like all of the service, the idea of all of us in the church, coming together to thank God for our blessings is nice. It reminds me of the classic song, "We Gather Together"
We gather together to ask the Lord's blessing;
he chastens and hastens his will to make known;
the wicked oppressing now cease from distressing:
sing praise to his Name, he forgets not his own.
Beside us to guide us, our God with us joining,
ordaining, maintaining his kingdom divine;
so from the beginning the fight we were winning:
thou, Lord, wast at our side: all glory be thine!
We all do extol thee, thou leader triumphant,
and pray that thou still our defender wilt be.
Let thy congregation escape tribulation:
thy Name be ever praised! O Lord, make us free!
I will post my pumpkin later. I always write one for the alter and then copy it and save one for me.. so that I can be reminded of all I have to be thankful for. If you don't have service to go to, I suggest you write out what you're thankful for. Write out your blessings. It's a great thing to come back and look at throughout the year. And I love to pull out the ones from the past and read them before the service each year.
God has truly blessed us all in many various ways. This year has been big for me. I don't think I'll be able to fit it all on my pumpkin, but we'll see...
Wishing you a very happy Thanksgiving Eve.
