Last night at Recovery Worship we experienced the true sense of Thanksgiving. In all honesty, it was kind of an afterthought on my part. We normally have a small group meet for soup and a Bible study on Wednesday night, so we thought that we could cook up a turkey, mash some potatoes and enjoy a quiet evening. As word got out I heard from several people who said they would attend, so I invited Father Lew from Recovery Mass and started working on the service.
Yesterday morning I received an email from a member of First United Methodist Church of Fargo. She had a friend who "needed a meeting" and she wanted me to know if I knew of any in town. She told me her friend would be at the worship service and would like to attend a meeting either before or after the service. I forwarded her the schedule of two meetings in town and then emailed the folks on the Recovery Worship to see if it would be possible to put together an impromptu meeting following worship to help this person, within 10 minutes I received three emails telling me it could be done!
We had around fifty people show up for worship. The topic for the sermon was "Just another Thursday" and we talked about the struggles people who are in recovery have during the holiday season, the testimonies were very moving. Following the service the food was laid out and as the folks went through the line those who wanted a meeting went into the room while the rest of us fellowshipped around tables. The response to the evening was fantastic. People shared their food, their stories and their love. Several of those in attendance either did not have family in the Fargo area, or they did not attend family holiday functions because of the drinking. One man, with tears in his eyes told me that "this is the first Thanksgiving I have had with a family in a long time." We started a new tradition last night, worship services the night before holidays along with a meeting to help our friends cope with the stress of these days.
While some churches argue about sexuality and other "earthly" issues, it is nice to be part of a ministry whose concern is for their neighbors, and concern with "heavenly" issues. "Love the Lord with all your heart and all your mind, and love your neighbor as yourself."
Happy Thanksgiving, see you Sunday.
Pastor Ray
Ray, I love your thanksgiving reflection! It would be nice if we could all be a part of a ministry that worried more about their neighbor than about sex. I read one blog today about a young teen ager who said he is not going to sing any Christmas carols this year because how could he talk about peace when everyone in the church cannot even get along. I am reflecting on that young person and might write a blog on it later this week. Makes one think. Thanks for the great thanksgiving! God bless!
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