“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.” I Peter 4:10

Dear Friends in Christ:

Just the other day my daughter sent me some lovely pictures of my grandchildren at an apple orchard. They had gone together as a family to pick from the fall crop. One of the pictures stands out in my mind: it is of our youngest granddaughter. It was her first time apple picking. She is sitting in the shade of a tree next to a basket of shiny apples holding a big apple in her little hands. There is a look of pure joy on her face. As I look at that picture, I am grateful to God for the many gifts of grace and love which I have been given.

Fall and harvest time have always been occasions for Christian people to meditate on the gracious bounty of our Creator. All that we are and all that we have comes to us from our God. This awareness of what we have been given leads to gratitude. People in may places have expressed their gratitude with harvest time Thanksgiving celebrations. Contrary to popular belief, Thanksgiving is not an American invention; our friends to the north will celebrate Thanksgiving on October 11. Yet gratitude and thanksgiving are just the beginning for Christian people.

As we give thanks for the gifts that God has given us, we are invited by the Spirit to think about how we use those gifts. We are called to be stewards, to use our gifts for God’s purposes. In the coming months, we will have our annual Stewardship program. It is an opportunity for us each to set aside a portion of what God has given to us for the work of our parish family and the wider church. I hope that you will consider this carefully and prayerfully and respond with a grateful heart.

Pax

Fr. John Scott +