United Lutheran

A Message From Pastor Beth

“COME, YE THANKFUL PEOPLE COME” ELW#693

  This first line of a very familiar and well-loved hymn probably brings thoughts of fall, harvest and especially, Thanksgiving. While Thanksgiving is far off, the harvest has begun and will continue for quite some time. As we enter into this time of Harvest and Fall we tend to think more about the gifts that God has given, especially in a rural area. God’s gifts are right before us in the ripening crops, in the overflowing harvest trucks. It has all been there, right before our eyes all summer, yet we sometimes take it for granted. And possibly we miss it, because until the harvest actually comes, there can be some certainty and anxiety about the crops: too much rain, too little rain, disease, bugs, etc. Yet, in the end, we know that God cares for us. We see it with our own eyes.

The same is true for us in life. It is so easy to get caught up in the anxiety of feeling that we don’t have enough time, that we don’t have enough in our finances, that we don’t have enough of whatever. Sometimes, when we feel anxious, we need to take time to reflect on how God has cared for us in the past. Such reflection helps us to trust that even when things seem tough or when everything isn’t how we want it to be, God will still provide. God is not only a God of love but is also a God of abundance. Like with the fields, sometimes we miss seeing the good gifts of God that are right in front of our eyes.

Maybe a goal this fall should be to think about all that God has done for you. And then reflect on what your response should be. How can you share more of your time doing God’s work? How can you share more of your abundance to help support the ministries of this congregation and other ministries in the area?

In the end, this is what we call stewardship, a response to all that God has given us. What can or should we give in return for all that God has given us? Do we give to God our leftovers after we get not what we need but also what we want? Or do we make giving to God one of the top priorities of our budget? Stewardship is closely linked with faith and with trust. When we trust God will provide both our time and our financial resources, we are free to be more generous with both.

As our thoughts turn to fall and the harvest and even Thanksgiving, may our hearts also turn to what we can give back to the Lord for all that God has done for us. Come, ye thankful people come!