O taste and see
the goodness of God
who calls us to the table
and
meets us in every feast.
-Jan Richardson
Happy Thanksgiving, beloved community!
As we gather around tables this week, I give thanks for the goodness of God who meets us there, no matter their shape or spirit.
… For those of us whose tables overflow with love and abundance, God meets us there.
… For those of us whose tables have grief has become a guest where beloved ones sit no longer, God meets us there.
… For those of us whose tables mostly see famine, God meets us there.
… For those of us whose tables will only see discord and resentment, those whose tables are heavy-laden with fear and anxiety in ample measure, God meets us there.
… For those of us whose tables are loud and messy and imperfect, God meets us there.
… For those of us who are unwelcome at the tables where we once found our place and must create new spaces for inclusion and acceptance, God meets us there.
And for those of us who hunger for God, those among us who ache to taste and see nourishing hope, peace, joy, and love in a world where they feel in short supply, God meets us at the table of Love, a table where Christ is both host and guest.
Friends, for all of you and for the God who beckons us to the holy table, I find overwhelming gratitude today and every day! I found these words below I had written a few years ago, words that are truer today than ever before.
Today, I give thanks…
… for you, dear church, and the power of your faithful witness in this world.
… for my family and friends, colleagues and partners in life and ministry, whose love I do not deserve but through which I know life abundant.
… for the material things that meet basic needs and allow space for delight.
… for freedom and possibility, for health, for eyes that might see and ears that might hear.
… for the God who became flesh so that all creation may know hope, peace, joy, and love.
O taste and see that the Lord is good! May it be so in your life — this day and every day!
Together in God’s work of Love,
Pastor Emily