Dear Evergreen family,
Thanksgiving is two days away. I’m thankful to be reminded to give thanks! After all, a thankful heart is a happy heart. Have you ever heard Holy Communion referred to as “The Eucharist?” The Eucharist sounds like a fancy name for fancy Communion in a fancy church. Nothing could be further from the truth. The Greek word eucharisteo simply means “thank you.” When Christians adopt this word for Communion, they are simply calling Communion “thanks.” When we at Evergreen celebrate Communion, we lift the bread and the cup and remember what Jesus did before we eat the bread and drink the juice. This part of the service, down through the centuries, has traditionally been called “The Great Thanksgiving.” The center of the life of the Church has always been a great big “thank you!”
Thank you, Jesus, for choosing to live as a human, so that you’d know what we go through. Thank you, Jesus, for sharing words that, although counterintuitive, perfectly answer our deepest questions. Thank you, Jesus, for healing bodies and giving the hopeless hope. Thank you, Jesus, for staying the course when we turn aside. Thank you, Jesus, for putting up with our disdain. Thank you, Jesus, for giving your life so that we can live. Thank you, Jesus, for smashing evil. Thank you, Jesus, for defeating the grave and giving us a preview of our victory. Thank you, Jesus, for drenching us with your Spirit. Thank you, Jesus, for being the one in charge of life itself. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
Happy Thanksgiving. Happy Eucharist!
May God bless us all.
Your Fellow Minister in Christ,
Mark
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