11-21-2021 “Thankful for THIS Church” THANKSGIVING SERMON

Dr. John Tamilio III

Thanksgiving is upon us once again. This is our holiday — and by “our” I mean that this is a holiday with deep roots in the Congregational tradition. We all know the story: how the pilgrims in the Puritans set sail from the new world arriving in 1620. We all know that the first winter was horrific, leading to the death of many of our congregational forbearers. You know how a great feast was held to celebrate the survival of that first year and it included our Native American brothers and sisters who helped us through this tumultuous time.

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. I love gathering with family members and friends around the table to thank God for the blessings that he has showered upon all of us. Every day should be Thanksgiving if you think about it. That said, it is important to mark a day in particular when we are intentional about lifting our praises to God with those we love. A colleague of mine in Kansas City, the late Rabbi Paul Silbersher, used to say that Thanksgiving is our only interfaith holiday, and it is truly an American holiday. It does not matter whether you’re a Christian, a Jew, a Hindu, or whatever — Thanksgiving is everybody’s holy day.

Every once in a while, I use social media to crowdsource. Crowdsourcing is when you pose a question to a general audience and gather their thoughts. I asked people, “As we approach Thanksgiving, what are you thankful for?” Here are some of the responses:

I am thankful for my family, friends, and jobs.
My gracious God and my loving, supportive, and amazing family and friends.
Transformation, grace, watching my grandson grow — to name a few.
Every single second of life in the Florida Keys. Blessed beyond my wildest dreams.
(This respondent went on to say how after 27 years, doctors found and filled a hole in his hip. While doing that they found a labrum tear that they treated.)
One friend said to my wife. (Meaning his wife, not mine.)
Another wrote the list is long, but it starts with “I am still here.”
My favorite is my husband, good friends, my kids, alcohol, coffee, and chocolate…and not necessarily in that order. (I am afraid to ask what the true order is.)
Another friend got quite philosophical and wrote, “I’m still learning about everything I’m grateful for. Perhaps [I am] thankful for gratitude.
A teaching colleague of mine wrote short sermons.

The list goes on. Many of the responses had to do with family, friends, and health. I am grateful for all those things as well. Lately, however, I have been thinking about Scripture and what an incredible gift that is. That was the focus of my sermon last week. I have also been thinking about faith and how (through it) we are blessed with a unique relationship with God through Jesus Christ. That was the focus of my sermon two weeks ago. This sermon could be about either or both of those points, but I am going to go in a different direction today. I am thankful for the church/Church (and I am spelling that with a lowercase and an uppercase “c”).

When we use an uppercase “C” we mean the Church Universal. This is the Church in all times and places — separated by theology, but not spirit. When we use a lowercase “c” we mean a specific local church, such as the Congregational Church of Canton. In terms of the latter (church with a lowercase “c”), we all know that it is not perfect. We all know that churches are comprised of sinful human beings, so of course, it isn’t going to be perfect. That said, there is a lot that we get right.

I have been thinking about this a lot lately. Here’s why: for the past twenty months we have been in the throes of the Coronavirus. For several months, we didn’t even meet in person. Yes, we provided services over YouTube, and then on Zoom, but it wasn’t the same. Ever since we started worshipping in person, which was around a year ago, fewer people have been in worship although it has been on the rise lately. We are not the only ones. This is happening across the board. According to the Pew Research Center, close to three-quarters (or 72%) of those who regularly attend worship in person have not been attending since the outbreak of the virus. This 72% have supplemented their “church” experience by watching services online mostly. Our church was down about two-thirds (66%) at first. Lately, it has been closer to about 50%. Suffice it to say, church does not feel the same with so many of us missing.

Anyway, I have been thinking about this, because I also feel the emptiness that comes with people not being here. I spoke with some old friends the other day (a brother and sister in Christ) and we discussed how there is an aura that fills this church. It is palpable. People at this church are incredibly friendly and helpful. The love that you find here, which is one of the many gifts with which God has blessed us, manifests itself in many ways.

You see it at the Church Fair yesterday. Under the leadership of Nancy Kobs, we were able to raise over $8,000 dollars for our church.
You see it in our Outreach endeavors. As I’ve said before, for a church our size, we truly move mountains. Take a look at the bulletin board just outside the narthex and read some of the thank you letters we have received from charitable organizations we support. And we do so not only with our dollars, but we roll up our sleeves. I’m not going to tell you how many cans Richard Harvey brought in when Tyler Forgeron was here a couple of weeks ago! I’ve also seen tons of knitted hats come into the office for the Seafarer’s Friends ministry.

These are just two examples, but they highlight what is best about this place: we live the faith we profess. We don’t just come here to offer prayers and to hear AMAZING SERMONS. We go here so that we can hear the old, old story of Jesus and his love, as we sang last week, and try to live by it as we share it with others.

Robert Frost once wrote, “Home is the place that, when you go there, they have to take you in.” In that spirit, I would say that “Church is the place that, when you go there, they surround you with unconditional love.” Boy, have I experienced that here — and I know that many of you have as well because you’ve told me! Never before have I been part of a church that loves me so much in spite of my shortcomings (and we all have them). Forgiveness abounds here. Love abounds here. God abounds here. You could travel across the world looking for a church like this, and you would be hard-pressed to find one. This Thanksgiving, I am grateful for THIS church. Being your pastor is a privilege and an honor — and I thank you all. Amen.