Welcome to the Franklin
Congregational Church
and our newsletter – The
Crier. Below are a list of
services, classes and events
for the month.
Franklin Congregational
Church
The Meetinghouse Crier
November - December 2015
Sunday Services:
Church: 860-642-7887
Parsonage: 860-924-5321
10:00 am Morning Worship
Small Group Bible study at
the church:
Thursday 7:00 to 8:30 p.m.
Check out our website at
www.franklinchurchct.com
Meetings:
Deacons – First Monday of
the month at 8 pm, after the
prayer and planning small
group.
Our Mission:
“To be a catalyst for ongoing revival, to become
disciples of Christ, and to
make disciples of our
town, our state, and the
nations, by the power of
the Holy Spirit“.
A word from Pastor Ryan
Happy Holy Days!
In the last several years, it seems as if there is a war on Christmas.
This war is not waged against padding the pockets of retailers or excessive
over-buying by consumers. It’s not waged against making merry with
friends and family. No, the war is against the word “Christmas” itself.
Against wishing a person “Merry Christmas.” Against calling the holiday
“Christmas.” The purpose, it seems, is to remove Christ from the holiday!
If you have been following the news, the front line of this battle happens,
1
right now, to be at Starbucks. Starbucks has erased “Christmas” from their holiday cups. This year,
Starbucks’ Christmas Blend coffee comes in a plain red cup.
What are we fighting for? What are we fighting against? Why do we want “Merry Christmas”
proclaimed on our coffee cups, shopping bags, and store decorations? Why do we want everyone to wish a
“Merry Christmas” instead of just “Happy Holidays?”
Where did “Christmas” and “Holiday” come from, anyway? A “holiday” is really just a “holy
day”—a day set apart to worship the Lord. Originally, a Holy Day would be a day off of work, spent in
worship, with friends and family. It was truly a “Holy Day!” Christmas is one such Holy Day, or
“Holiday.” The Catholic and Anglican churches would perform a special mass, the Christ Mass, in honor of
the birth of our Savior, Jesus. Thus, Christmas began as a special church service to celebrate Jesus’ birth.
Eventually, we changed the spelling of “Holy Day” to “holiday” and “Christ Mass” to “Christmas.”
Over the years these two terms have come to have very different meanings. Holiday now means: a
day off work; a day of great sales at the stores; a time to hang out with friends and family; a time to eat great
food; a time to watch sports; a time to travel or to go camping. We rarely, if ever, celebrate holidays as
“Holy Days.”
Christmas now means: a day when the kids are out of school; a day when banks close; a day when a
fat guy in fur travels round the world; a day when retailers do the bulk of their business for the year; a day
when we all forget the command not to be gluttons; and, a day when presents are exchanged for every girl
and boy from aged one to ninety-two. As Protestants, we “remember the reason for the season is Jesus.”
However, we don’t attend a mass for Christ. In fact, unless Christmas falls on Sunday, we do not attend, or
even have, church on Christmas.
Our culture, Christians included, has drifted away from celebrating Jesus’ Birth as a Holy Day with
its own special church service. As Christians, we get quite upset when we see one of our most holy holidays
being hijacked. We like to say “it’s not fair that we can’t wish someone a ‘Merry Christmas,’ just because
someone, somewhere might be offended.” Part of me agrees – let them be offended! I’m celebrating the
birth of the Savior! I’m celebrating the Good News—that I am born again because God so loved the world
that He send His only Son, that whoever believes in Him will have eternal life!
But, whose fault is it that our culture no longer celebrates “Christmas,” but celebrates the “Winter
Holiday” instead? Not the retailers’. Not the media’s. Not Rudolph’s. Or Santa’s. Or Starbucks’.
It’s the Church’s fault. Yes, I said “the Church’s.” The Church has been influenced by society
rather than influencing society. The Church has failed to share the Good News of the Christ Mass with the
world. Because the world no longer knows the reason for Christmas, and no longer accepts its message as
valid, the world no longer sees a need to celebrate (or acknowledge) Christmas as a holiday, as a Holy Day.
When we see Starbucks remove “Christmas” from its coffee cups, major retailers wish their
customers “Happy Holidays,” it should make us realize that they are behaving just as they should without
Christ. We should not expect people who do not recognize Christ as their Lord to behave like they do.
In the States, the preaching and activity of the Church used to influence our laws, our ethics, and
even our holidays. The Christian message so permeated our culture that all of society, whether or not they
had personal relationships with the Lord, approached life from a Christian perspective. We were a
“Christian” culture.
2
Today, however, the Church has stopped preaching the Gospel and has stopped standing up for
Truth. The Church has lost her influence in society, and we are quickly becoming a nation that is not a
“Christian” culture. In fact, the U.S. has become so anti-Christian that society is reacting against all things
Christian. Rather than giving respect and honor to God and to the Church, society is rejecting God’s ethics,
His holiness, and His people. And, our culture is starting to look like a culture without God. A culture
without “Merry Christmas” is a culture without Christ’s birth.
If we are offended that people want to make merry without Christ, we need to realize that, until we
demonstrate the holiness of God all year ‘round, the holiness of the Holy Day will never be celebrated by a
society that has squarely rejected God. We will lose the “War on Christmas” if we fight over whether nonChristians say “Merry Christmas” instead of “Happy Holidays.” We must spend time repenting and crying
over the mess His Church has become. Rather than warring against a godless society, we should share the
Good News of why we celebrate Christmas. Instead of boycotting Starbucks, we should pray that God
gives us the boldness to influence society once again.
The only way for our society to change is for the Church to change. Until we worship Christ for the
King He is, the world will not see Him as such. Until we proclaim the Gospel of His Kingdom, the world
will not respond. Until we see realize our citizenship is in a higher and more powerful kingdom, then our
influence in society will be negligible, at best. When we combine right worship with kingdom proclamation
and righteous actions, society will respond!
Let us, as a church, strive to influence our society rather than being influenced by it. Let us become
more aware of the holiness of our God—every day—that we might demonstrate His holiness to a world that
desperately needs Him. Let us celebrate the Holy Days of Thanksgiving and Christmas this year by being a
light to the world and piercing the darkness with our light. By exemplifying God’s holiness to a lost world,
let’s make these Holy Days slightly brighter than they were last year, and let us begin influencing our world
for the better. Together we can make a difference, and maybe soon, “Merry Christmas” will once again be
about the Holiness of God rather than simply another holiday.
From the Duck family to yours,
Happy Holy Days, and a very Merry Christ Mass!
Soli Deo Gloria,
Pastor Ryan
A Word from your Deacons:
Deacon Corner
We have a lot of upcoming events for everyone:



Ecumenical Thanksgiving Service, Nov. 22 @ 7pm. Please bring goodies for a reception following
the service.
Happy Thanksgiving, Nov. 26 
We will decorate the church for Christmas following service Nov. 29th. There will be a potluck
lunch. We’ll decorate together and eat together, and probably decorate some more following lunch.
3

Christmas Candlelight Service is Dec. 20 @ 7pm, with a reception following. Please plan on bringing goodies.
Also, the deacons have begun work on the by-laws. Please be in prayer for us as we “structure for success”
both in the short-term and for generations to come. It is our hope that we can have the by-laws ready for the
annual meeting; or, if not, at least we can have a portion that we can present at that time.
For your deacon board,
Pastor Ryan
Revelation Bible Study – Thursday at 7 pm at the church
Why study the book of Revelation? More than any other time in American history,
the American Church is facing a hostile society similar to what the church was when the
book was written. What was Jesus’ encouragement to the Church in Revelation? How
did He correct them? What was the message they were supposed to preach? What result
did they achieve? Come and find out, and let us see the Revelation of Jesus change the
world!
4
the Lord, for he has heard my cry for mercy. The
Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts
in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy
and I will give thanks to him in song” (Psalm
28:6-7). In the midst of hardship, David
remembers who God is and, as a result of
knowing and trusting God, gives thanks. Job had a
similar attitude of praise, even in the face of
death: “The LORD gave and the LORD has taken
away; may the name of the LORD be praised”
(Job 1:21).
"What does the Bible say about
thankfulness and gratitude?"
Thankfulness is a prominent Bible theme. First
Thessalonians 5:16-18 says, “Be joyful always;
pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances,
for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” Did
you catch that? Give thanks in all circumstances.
Thankfulness should be a way of life for us,
naturally flowing from our hearts and mouths.
There are examples of believers’ thankfulness in
the New Testament as well. Paul was heavily
persecuted, yet he wrote, “Thanks be to God, who
always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ
and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance
of the knowledge of him” (2 Corinthians 2:14).
The writer of Hebrews says, “Therefore, since we
are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let
us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably
with reverence and awe” (Hebrews 12:28). Peter
gives a reason to be thankful for “grief and all
kinds of trials,” saying that, through the hardships,
our faith “may be proved genuine and may result
in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is
revealed” (1 Peter 1:6-7).
Digging into the Scriptures a little more deeply,
we understand why we should be thankful and
also how to have gratitude in different
circumstances.
Psalm 136:1 says, “Give thanks to the Lord, for he
is good. His love endures forever.” Here we have
two reasons to be thankful: God’s constant
goodness and His steadfast love. When we
recognize the nature of our depravity and
understand that, apart from God, there is only
death (John 10:10; Romans 7:5), our natural
response is to be grateful for the life He gives.
Psalm 30 gives praise to God for His deliverance.
David writes, “I will exalt you, O Lord, for you
lifted me out of the depths and did not let my
enemies gloat over me. O Lord my God, I called
to you for help and you healed me. O Lord, you
brought me up from the grave; you spared me
from going down into the pit. . . . You turned my
wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth
and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing
to you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will
give you thanks forever” (Psalm 30:1-12). Here
David gives thanks to God following an obviously
difficult circumstance. This psalm of thanksgiving
not only praises God in the moment but
remembers God’s past faithfulness. It is a
statement of God’s character, which is so
wonderful that praise is the only appropriate
response.
The people of God are thankful people, for they
realize how much they have been given. One of
the characteristics of the last days is a lack of
thanksgiving, according to 2 Timothy 3:2. Wicked
people will be “ungrateful.”
We should be thankful because God is worthy of
our thanksgiving. It is only right to credit Him for
“every good and perfect gift” He gives (James
1:17). When we are thankful, our focus moves off
selfish desires and off the pain of current
circumstances. Expressing thankfulness helps us
remember that God is in control. Thankfulness,
then, is not only appropriate; it is actually healthy
and beneficial to us. It reminds us of the bigger
picture, that we belong to God, and that we have
been blessed with every spiritual blessing
(Ephesians 1:3). Truly, we have an abundant life
(John 10:10), and gratefulness is fitting.
We also have examples of being thankful in the
midst of hard circumstances. Psalm 28, for
example, depicts David’s distress. It is a cry to
God for mercy, protection, and justice. After
David cries out to God, he writes, “Praise be to
From GotQuestions.org
5
A Cry for Help
David Willis hadn’t been in the bookshop long when he walked downstairs and found the lights were turned
off and the doors were locked. He was trapped inside the store. Being in the age of social media, he cried
out for help on Twitter: “Hi. I’ve been locked inside your Trafalgar Square bookstore for 2 hours now.
Please let me out.” He was rescued not too long after his tweet!
As helpful as Twitter can be, we have Someone more powerful than the social media giant. If you feel
trapped and are crying for help, Isaiah has some advice for you—and it may not be what you expect.
The prophet communicated that God had charged His people with practicing their religious devotion
irresponsibly (Isaiah 58:1-2). They were going through the motions of religious practices and masking their
oppression of the poor with empty and self-serving rituals (vv.3-5). This didn’t win them any divine favor.
In fact, God said, “I will not look” and “I will not listen” (1:15).
The Lord told the people through Isaiah that if they had an inner righteousness, evidenced by repentance and
outward acts of social righteousness and mercy (58:6-7), His blessings would fall upon them. Among other
things, they could call on the Lord as a genuine act of worship, and He would answer their prayers and
provide them with His immediate presence (vv.8-9).
Do we desire to hear God say “Here I am” when we cry for help? Then perhaps we should seek to be God’s
answer to the prayers of the poor and marginalized in our community. Let’s get close to those who need us
and extend the love and compassion of our faithful God. He hears each cry for help and can use us to bring
the hope and encouragement they need. —Marvin Williams
read›
Isaiah 58:1-12 When you call, the LORD will answer. “Yes, I am here,” he will quickly reply. Remove the
heavy yoke of oppression. Stop pointing your finger and spreading vicious rumors! (v.9).
more›
Read Isaiah 58:6-9 again and list what God is looking for in terms of social righteousness within the
community.
next›
What behaviors or attitudes toward others could be preventing you from experiencing answered prayer? Of
what do you need to repent? Who do you know who is crying for God’s help?
From Godtube.com
I hope you are all receiving Pastor Ryan’s
“Prayer of the Day” and are praying that
prayer every day.
When God’s people pray to him in unity,
wonderful things can happen. Please make
it a point to pray this prayer every day.
You will be blessed by it and God will be
glorified and will answer our prayers.
Here is a recent prayer.
Pastor Ryan’s “Prayer of the Day”
6
Father, we come in the Name of Jesus!
Lord, we repent for the sin of apathy in
our lives. Forgive us for not caring, not
having passion, and forgive us for not
participating in Your kingdom building, in
our town, and in the lives of our families.
Lord, we pray, as a church, that You will
break the hold of apathy that has held our
region back from participating in Your
Kingdom! Break every spiritual
stronghold that has, for generations, kept
our region from becoming passionately
involved in Your Kingdom. Let Your
anointing break the yolk, and let Your
Spirit be sent forth to bring people to
church, to awaken physically and
spiritually, and to passionately pursue
You.
KEEPING OUR CHURCH CLEAN
Please take a turn at cleaning the church; if
we all work together the task will not fall
on just a few people.
Many Hands Make Light Work and more
fellowship with friends.
For Your Kingdom and Glory,
Amen
Bible Reading Challenge
This year I am giving two challenges:
first, a challenge to read the New
Testament through by the last day of May.
We will celebrate all those who finish
their NT reading around the first of
summer!
Second, I am challenging everyone to
read the Bible all the way through this
year. For those who complete the entire
reading, we will have a slightly larger
celebration around the third or fourth
week of January next year!
The cartoon this month reminds us that in
an ideal world there would be peace and we
would all be sharing our Thanksgiving with
the lion and even the turkey. Instead, we
live in a sinful world and the turkey joins
us as the main course (and I do love turkey
and stuffing!).
God will be pleased; your life will be
changed; and, your understanding of God
will be so much greater.
God’s richest blessings,
Pastor Ryan
7
“A Story of Faith”.
"enough" to be willing to take the risk and get into
the wheelbarrow themselves.
- Is that reflective of our relationship with
God? Do we believe God will provide, that God
will take care of us... but just don't believe
"enough" to give more freely and generously of
ourselves and our possessions? How then do we
move to believing "enough."
- Would you say there is a difference between
belief and faith? Belief and trust?
Getting In the Wheelbarrow
This unique story illustrates a real life picture of
what faith actually is. The crowd watched these
daring feats. They said they believed. But... their
actions proved they truly did not believe.
Similarly, it is one thing for us to say we believe
in God. However, it's true faith when we believe
God and put our faith and trust in His Son, Jesus
Christ.
Many years ago a French man named Charles
Blondin strung a tightrope across Niagara Falls,
and proceeded to traverse the raging waters. A
crowd gathered as he successfully made his way
back to his starting place. He walked across, 160
feet above the falls, several times... each time with
a different daring feat - once in a sack, on stilts,
on a bicycle, in the dark, and blindfolded. One
time he even carried a stove and cooked an omelet
in the middle of the rope!
Note: In August of 1859, Blondin's manager, Harry Colcord, did ride on Blondin's back across the
Falls.
Prayer
Father, we come in the name of Jesus.
Lord, let us put on the full armor of God
today. Let us put on the helmet of salvation, the
breastplate of righteousness, the shield of faith,
the belt of truth, the sword of the Spirit, and let us
shod our feet with the Gospel of Peace. Let us be
protected for every device of the enemy, and let
us engage in battle. Cover each of us with the
blood of Jesus, and protect us.
"Who here believes I can cross over Niagara Falls
again, but this time pushing a wheelbarrow?" he
asked. The crowd began shouting, "We believe,
we believe!" Sure enough, Blondin steered that
wheelbarrow successfully across the Falls and
back, to the applause of the onlookers. "Who here
believes Ï can cross over Niagara Falls a 3rd time,
this time with a man in the wheelbarrow?" The
crowd could barely control their enthusiasm. "We
believe! We believe!' they shouted. Blondin
replied,"Ok. Then who will be my first volunteer
in the wheelbarrow?"
Lord, let us put on You, and let us engage the
enemy. Let us take the territory back that has
been stolen from us.
We pray that You will give us this area. Give us
south eastern CT. Let the kingdom of darkness
fall in this area, and let Your Kingdom flourish.
Silence.
To Ponder:
- After all they had seen, the people were
most likely sincere in professing their belief that
Blondin could again walk across the Falls on a
tightrope - this time with a person in
a wheelbarrow. And yet, they didn't believe
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen
8
November:
November 26 – Thanksgiving Day
November 1 – All Saints Day
Thanksgiving is a U.S. Holiday to give
thanks to God for the harvest season and
to remember the first Thanksgiving . It is
a time for family and friends to gather
together for a dinner or feast.
All Saints Day is a feast honoring all of the
saints both known and unknown. Also called
All Hallows Day, it is celebrated November
1st following Halloween and preceding All
Souls' Day.
November 27, Presidents’ Day
November 2 - All Souls' Day
All Souls' Day is celebrated on November
2nd following All Saints Day. The
celebration, also called Defuncts' Day or
Day of the Dead, is a time to commemorate
the faithful departed.
November 29 - Start of Advent.
December:
December 7 – National Pearl Harbor
Remebrance Day
November 1 – Daylight Savings
Time Ends.
National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day is
a day to remember and honor all those who
died as a result of their service at Pearl
Harbor. December 7, 1941 is the date
America was attacked marking the day
America entered into WWII. It is a
tradition to fly the U.S. Flag at half-staff
until sunset.
November 3 – Election Day
Please exercise your right to vote!
November 11 – Veterans Day and
Armistice Day
Veterans Day is the U.S. holiday
celebrating the official end of World War
I on November 11, 1918. It
commemorates the anniversary of the
signing of the armistice that ended World
War I and was originally celebrated, and
still in some countries, as Armistice Day.
December 7 – Hanukkah begins
Jewish holiday that lasts through Dec. 14.
December 17 – Wright Brothers
Day
Remembrance Day
Remembrance Day also known as Poppy Day
and Armistice Day is celebrated to
commemorate the end of World War I,
World War II and other wars and the
sacrifice of veterans and civilians.
Wright Brothers Day commemorates the
first flight by Orville and Wilbur Wright
on December 17, 1903.
9
December 18 – National Regifting
Day
December 26 - Boxing Day
National Regifting Day is a day to
celebrate regifting. We all do it, so let's
bring regifting out of the closet! "Reduce,
Reuse, Recycle.... Regift!"
Boxing Day is celebrated December 26 the
day after Christmas Day in the United
Kingdom and other Commonwealth
countries. It was traditionally a day to give
a box to those who have worked hard for
you throughout the year. Many churches or
businesses placed boxes for coins to be
placed for year end gifts. Many countries
now have Boxing Week to sell excess
Christmas inventory at reduced prices.
December 21 – Forefathers' Day
Forefathers' Day celebrates the day the
pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock in 1620.
December 21 - First Day of
Winter The December solstice is called
December 31 – New Year's Eve and
New Year's Day
Winter Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere, where it is the shortest day of the
year. In the Southern Hemisphere, it is
the Summer Solstice and the longest day
of the year.
New Year's Eve is celebrated December
31st, the last day of the Gregorian
calendar year. New Year's Eve is
celebrated around the world with
fireworks, parties, and the traditional
midnight countdown to bring in the New
Year.
December 25 - Christmas
Christmas is celebrated by millions of
people all over the world. For Christians,
Christmas is a celebration of the birth of
Jesus Christ and is observed on December
25th or among Eastern Orthodox, January
6th.
New Year's Day is the first day of the
Gregorian calendar year. It is a day of
parades, sporting events and new years
resolutions.
In 1870, the U.S. Congress made it a
federal holiday making it a secular
celebration that many non-practicing
Christians celebrate as a family holiday. It
is a holiday that is based on traditions, for
Christians many traditions are faith based
while others have their own traditions.
Though many people celebrate Christmas in
different ways, Christmas is a universal
holiday with many universal traditions that
brings people and families together in the
spirit of giving and spending time with the
ones they love.
10
down to five kernels of corn apiece, but then an
unexpected trading vessel arrived, swapping
them beaver pelts for corn, providing for their
severe need. The next summer’s crop brought
hope, and Governor William Bradford decreed
that December 13, 1621, be set aside as a day of
feasting and prayer to show the gratitude of the
colonists that they were still alive.
These Pilgrims, seeking religious freedom and
opportunity in America, gave thanks to God for
His provision for them in helping them find 20
acres of cleared land, for the fact that there were
no hostile Indians in that area, for their
newfound religious freedom, and for God’s
provision of an interpreter to the Indians in
Squanto. Along with the feasting and games
involving the colonists and more than 80 friendly
Indians (who added to the feast by bringing wild
turkeys and venison), prayers, sermons, and
songs of praise were important in the
celebration. Three days were spent in feasting
and prayer.
This house is a house of Prayer
The Deacons have a daily “Prayer Ministry.” Each day of the week, one deacon is
scheduled to be in the sanctuary for one
hour of prayer.
From that time forward, Thanksgiving has been
celebrated as a day to give thanks to God for His
gracious and sufficient provision. President
Abraham Lincoln officially set aside the last
Thursday of November, in 1863, “as a day of
thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent
Father.” In 1941, Congress ruled that after 1941,
the fourth Thursday of November be observed as
Thanksgiving Day and be a legal holiday.
If you would like to join us please call one
of us and we will arrange for a time to
meet at the church and pray together.
Irene Morgan 642-7036 Ray Morin 642-6404
Margaret Ayer 642-4318 David Ayer 642-4351
Marilyn Briggs 884-8340 Bob Wheeler 642-7668
"Prayer strikes the winning
blow; service is simply picking
up the pieces." S.D. Gordon
Scripturally, we find things related to the issue of
thanksgiving nearly from cover to cover.
Individuals offered up sacrifices out of gratitude
in the book of Genesis. The Israelites sang a song
of thanksgiving as they were delivered from
Pharaoh's army after the crossing of the Red Sea
(Exodus 15). Later, the Mosaic Law set aside
three times each year when the Israelites were to
gather together. All three of these times
[Unleavened Bread (also called the Feast of the
Passover) (Exodus 12:15-20), Harvest or
Pentecost (Leviticus 23:15-21), and the Feast of
Ingathering or Tabernacles (Leviticus 23:33-36)]
involved remembering God’s provision and grace.
What should be the focus of
Christians on Thanksgiving?
The original thanksgiving celebration was held by
the Pilgrim settlers in Massachusetts during their
second winter in America in December, 1621. The
first winter had killed 44 of the original 102
colonists. At one point their daily food ration was
11
Harvest and Tabernacles took place specifically in
relation to God’s provision in the harvest of
various fruit trees and crops. The book of Psalms
is packed full of songs of thanksgiving, both for
God’s grace to the Israelite people as a whole
through His mighty deeds, as well as for His
individual graces to each of us.
may find us grateful every day for all of His gifts,
spiritual and material. God is good, and every
good gift comes from Him (James 1:17). For those
who know Christ, God also works everything
together for good, even events we would not
necessarily consider good (Romans 8:28-30). May
He find us to be His grateful children.
In the New Testament, there are repeated
admonitions to give thanks to God. Thanksgiving
is to always be a part of our prayers. Some of the
most remembered passages on the giving of
thanks are the following:
May God Bless you, your
family, our church, and our
country during this season of
Thanksgiving and Christmas!
"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in
everything give thanks; for this is the will of God
in Christ Jesus for you" (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).
"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by
prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let
your requests be made known to God"
(Philippians 4:6).
"Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications,
prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be
made for all men" (1 Timothy 2:1).
Of all of God’s gifts, the greatest one He has
given is the gift of His Son, Jesus Christ. On the
cross of Calvary, Jesus paid our sin debt, so a holy
and just Judge could forgive us our sins and give
us eternal life as a free gift. This gift is available to
those who will call on Christ to save them from
their sin in simple but sincere faith (John 3:16;
Romans 3:19-26; Romans 6:23; Romans 10:13;
Ephesians 2:8-10). For this gift of His Son, the gift
which meets our greatest need, the Apostle Paul
says, "Thanks be to God for His indescribable
gift!" (2 Corinthians 9:15).
We, like the Pilgrims, have a choice. In life there
will always be those things that we can complain
about (the Pilgrims had lost many loved ones),
but there will also be much to be thankful for. As
our society becomes increasingly secular, the
actual “giving of thanks to God” during our
annual Thanksgiving holiday is being overlooked,
leaving only the feasting. May God grant that He
12