The Forest City Community Church
Pastor: Tom Guengerich
PO Box 31
Forest City, IL 61532
Office: 309-597-2111
Home: 309-968-7942
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The Pastor's Pen
We live in a very commercial age. One only needs to walk into a discount or department store to see that point proved. One sees displays of Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas decorations all clustered together in the same area. A person might be easily confused to which season we are in, but the real confusion is about what the season means in the first place.
It seems that many of us have been infected by the secular commercialism promoted by the producers and sellers in our society. Not too many years ago, one knew when we had entered into a new season because the store displays had changed. Perhaps I show my age, but during my youth, the seasonal displays indicated to us the advent of a new church season with a particular religious focus. We knew that Halloween stood for All Hallows Eve, which was the night before All Saints Day (honoring the Christians who had lived & died before us.) We learned that Thanksgiving, first observed by the Pilgrims in gratitude for God’s grace in allowing them to survive the hardships of their new life, was a day of celebration on which we expressed our thanks for God’s goodness to us. Christmas was the celebration of our Lord’s coming as an infant – as the promised Messiah.
Since it’s close to Thanksgiving, let’s discuss it. Thanksgiving actually goes back much further than the Pilgrims. Our ancestors, the Hebrew people, were given several feast days on which they were to give thanks to God, and return a portion of the yield to the temple for sacrifice. When the people of Israel forgot to give thanks, they also began to forget God & God’s commandments. Eventually they strayed so far that God allowed the nation to become divided, and eventually, to be taken captive. Although the nation was restored, the people eventually again started to forget to give thanks, and began to forget God. We are told these histories not so that we can feel superior to our ancestors, but we may see the folly of repeating their mistakes.
As you gather around the table with friends & family, take time to remember how God has blessed you over the years. Think of how God has shown you grace by granting you the unmerited favor of living in this country of freedom and bounty. Think of how God has given you the gifts that enable you to earn a living and care for your family. Most of all think of the example of those who took credit for themselves and forgot to give God the credit--
Pastor Tom
Questions or submission can be sent: fcccwebmaster@grics.net