This week.

One of the important beliefs for Episcopalians is that what we pray shapes what we believe.  The idea is that by coming together to say the prayers, listen to the stories, sharing in the exchange of the peace, engage in consuming the bread and wine, we become just a little more closely the people we could be.  Transformation isn’t just about doing the ‘right’ things and amending our way of life to please a God we’re afraid of making mad; transformation is about celebration and forgiveness, for ourselves and for others, allowing us to grow as individuals and as a community into a deeper and richer life.  We do what we do in church because we want to be better people, and sometimes we forget what’s important, get distracted, and get self-absorbed.

That’s why participating in church is important, because together in prayer, story, and meal we learn who we are and what we’re capable of being and doing…and doing together.  As you gather this week with friends and family to enjoy a thanksgiving meal, remember that no family is perfect and without its need for healing and forgiveness.  As you gather at Trinity Commons, or your home parish, for worship remember that no place and community is perfect. We’re all in need of transformation which happens when we’re together to celebrate and forgive, and to remember.

May this Thanksgiving week be a time for you to celebrate life with those you love and those who love you, even if it’s imperfectly; and may you find in word and gesture the ability to forgive the wounds all of us possess and sometimes have trouble managing, so that you no longer feel isolated but can be shaped by remembering and participating in life together.

–Thomas