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Dear San Marco Church Family: Because next week is Thanksgiving, I will not have a blog for next week. As we quickly enter the holiday season, I encourage everyone to take time to pause on a daily basis and remember that Christ is present with us through every challenge. I know that the expectations of this season cause many people to feel overwhelmed and even depressed. We are not meant to live our lives in isolation. So if you are struggling, reach out to a trusted family member or friend and share your struggle. Feel free to reach out to me as your pastor, and you can contact me via email anytime at stevehart100@gmail.com. Immediately after church this Sunday, we will be decorating the church for Advent. Please consider staying after church long enough to help decorate. I will order pizza for those helping, so you won’t need to worry about lunch. Many hands make for light work, and I am hopeful that the decorating project will be completed in a short timeframe. Recently, I learned about an interesting monument that was erected in Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1998. The monument is a reminder of the reason that many Native Americans do not celebrate Thanksgiving. The monument states, “Many Native Americans do not celebrate the arrival of the Pilgrims and other European settlers. To them, Thanksgiving Day is a reminder of the genocide of millions of their people, the theft of their lands, and the relentless assault on their cultures.” I share this not to discourage the genuine gratitude that is appropriate to Thanksgiving. Rather, it is a reminder that there are usually reasons that some groups may not embrace celebrations just as we do. The monument in Plymouth is an invitation to become more empathetic to our Native American neighbors. As we celebrate Thanksgiving, let us express gratitude with humility, reverence and respect, especially for those who, for whatever reasons, cannot join our celebration. I will be sharing a message Sunday based upon Luke 23: 33-43. I would appreciate your prayers as I prepare the message. Please plan to attend worship. As always, I welcome your ideas and feedback. See you Sunday!
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