CHAVURAH BENTONVILLE

November 21, 2016 | JOHN RAY

 

Friends,

 

Thanksgiving is my wife Jane’s favorite holiday. I always appreciated it growing up; most of my Thanksgivings were framed by three of my very favorite things — food, football and hunting. But it wasn’t until I watched Jane, really paid attention to her, that I began to understand Thanksgiving at a deeper level.

 

Jane “rejoices” in every aspect of the holiday. She delights in the ritual. Creatively, she is free to give her all in the cooking, decorating and serving. There is no pressure of reciprocal gift-giving as at Christmas. Everyone comes to the same table. Everyone has a place. There is something that Jane has learned through this practice that I want to learn. I think we all need to learn it.

 

Really missed meeting with everyone on Sunday night. I don’t want to lose momentum on where we are headed. fThis week our practice will be a little different from previous weeks.  We will walk through a specific prayer practice associated with rejoicing and giving thanks. The practices are outlined in our reading from The Guidebook to Prayer. Please do the practice for individuals as well as a form of the practice for groups with your family.

 

It will take effort and intention to practice this in light of the demands of the week, but it is possible and well worth the effort. Make sure to watch the clip as well as read the chapter. I made copies for everyone and left them with Corrie Rusch as well as attaching the pdf.

 

Set your intention now, and come ready to share your experiences next Sunday.

 

Grace and peace, y’all.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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