It’s Thanksgiving in the United States.
I knew, conceptually, that Americans take this holiday very seriously.
I did not realize quite how Serious that meant.
But, in the spirit of thanksgiving, and thinking ahead to what I feel about the season of Advent*, I sent the following email yesterday**:
Hi —-,
We met once or twice when I attended your church several weeks ago; I enjoyed the service and fellowship so much, but unfortunately I’m stuck working on Sunday mornings now and I haven’t been able to make it back.
I’ve been attending a home fellowship group still, though – they’re the ones who introduced me to your church, and I’ve been benefiting from the wisdom and warm community of your church even though I can’t make it on Sunday mornings.
I wanted to say “thank you”: the members of your church have been such a blessing to me as I settle into NYC, and I’m grateful to have found your church even though I continue to be mostly invisible in the community. I know it’s easy to forget that our churches have a broader reach than we see…realizing that I’m currently part of that, I thought that I would make some of the invisible visible.
I’m thankful for church, although I’m not certain I’ve got it figured out yet.
—
*This sounds hazy. It is also hazy in my mind.
**Edited for anonymity.
goingbacktochurch 