On this Thanksgiving Day, we pause as a community to give thanks — not in spite of the world as it is, but in the midst of it. At Church of the Good Shepherd, United Church of Christ, we remember that gratitude is not simply a feeling; it is a practice, a posture, a way of opening our hearts to God’s presence in all things.
Today we give thanks for the love that binds us together, for the Spirit that sustains us, and for the many ways God continues to move in and through our lives. We give thanks for the beauty of creation, for the gift of breath, and for every moment of grace that meets us along the way.
We hold in prayer those for whom this day carries heaviness — those who are grieving, those who are lonely, those who are without enough. May our gratitude move us toward compassion. May our blessings call us to be a blessing.
As followers of Jesus’ way of justice, peace, and radical welcome, we give thanks for the chance to build a more loving world. We celebrate the communities we are part of, the ministries we share, and the work we continue together as a church committed to hope.
On this Thanksgiving, may you find moments of rest, joy, and reflection. May your table — whether full or simple, shared or quiet — be a space where you feel held by the love of God.
From all of us at Church of the Good Shepherd UCC,
may this season be filled with gratitude, grace, and peace
