Calvary Episcopal Church
Memphis, Tennessee
THE CHRONICLE
November 24, 2002
Volume 47, No. 40

GIVINGTHANKSGIVINGTHANKSGIVINGTHANKS
A whole book about giving thanks. I remember it from so many years ago because it
seemed to me to be a great feat, writing an entire book about prayers of
thanksgiving. What stuck in my mind is the part that said, "…if your heart is filled
with prayers of thanksgiving, there is no room for anything else (like hatred, gossip,
jealousy, perfectionism)!"

As we head now into the great Thanksgiving holiday with all its tradition and all its
history, we come to that special day set aside for giving thanks. Yes, I know, it is a day for eating a lot of delicious food; it is a day for lots of (hopefully) exciting
football games. But the original purpose of the holiday is to give thanks to God for
the success of the "food chain," which enables us to live our lives. That is not all we give thanks for on this day. We thank God for our life, the greatest gift we can receive. We give thanks for our freedom and for the privilege of living in the U.S.A. In this world increasingly filled with governments and leaders who impose their will and their interpretation of God's commandments on those they rule, we give thanks for the freedom of pluralism, the freedom that comes from a Constitution drawn up by inspired founders. If we are on the eve of a shooting war (more widespread and more costly than our present action in Afghanistan), we need to give thanks for God's guidance during this perilous time.

Finally, on this Thanksgiving we give thanks for family and friends - those with
whom we gather around the "turkey table," and for those with us only in our hearts. May our memories of "Thanksgivings Past" be rich and nurturing, and may
"Thanksgiving Present" be the best one ever.

With thanks for lots of things,

Bill Kolb+

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