Dear Grace,
Happy Thanksgiving! As the holiday is about to be upon us, know that I am praying for your safety (if you’re traveling), and your whole-hearted presence (if you’re entering into potentially difficult or hard spaces with family coming together).
Whole-hearted. The word has been resounding in my prayers lately. I’ve been asking God to give me a whole-hearted obedience to courageously do whatever He lays before me. A whole-hearted sincerity to be fully present to the task or the person in front of me. A whole-hearted honesty to use my voice and to own my responsibilities. The list could go on and on.
The more I am rooted in the love of Jesus, the more whole-hearted I can be. I can be whole-hearted in owning mistakes and failings because I know that I am fallible…and that Jesus still loves me. I can be whole-hearted in sharing my perspective without fear of judgment or repercussions because I believe that Jesus is forming me into a gift to the world.
Be warned: you may hear the word “whole-hearted” repeat through some coming sermons!
This Sunday we turn towards Advent, specifically turning our worship and longings to the second coming of Jesus. We’ll be in the book of Revelation for the next four weeks, and I’ll be setting the stage this weekend for how to understand and engage this important bookend to the Scriptures. Revelation doesn’t have to overwhelm you or scare you – it’s a deeply hopeful book with a simple, yet profound message.
Sunday afternoon, our GraceKids is planning for quite a party! Families are invited to come together to launch the Advent season with games, activities, and interactive learning around what it could look like to “wait for Jesus.” It’s a great opportunity to invite a neighbor to experience a deeper meaning for the season.
As you come together with family and friends, if you’re looking for a way to get deeper in your Thanksgiving conversations, Ken Sande offers a great resource. It’s a list of 10 questions from which each person chooses one to answer. Each of the questions has to do with recalling a person that you are grateful for (remember that gratitude is an interpersonal act).
Here are the questions:
Tell a story about a person God placed in your life …
- Who loved you in a way you’ll never forget.
- Who showed you amazing kindness or forgiveness.
- Who kept you from making a big mistake.
- Who changed the course of your life.
- Who reassured you when you were afraid.
- Who taught you an important lesson by example.
- Who has been especially loyal to you or others.
- Who is a remarkably good listener.
- Who inspired you by standing up for what is right.
- Who gave you courage to do something difficult.
If you want a pdf, you can download one here. You could also just have people pull up rw360.org/thanksgiving on their phones.
We have so much to be thankful for this year, and I pray that His goodness would fill your remembrances to overflowing, into your hearts and out of your mouths…for the praise of His glorious grace!