Message - Galilee Lutheran Church

November begins a three-month period in our country that is generally called the holiday season. For this reason I'm going to use my pastoral letters for these next three months to share with you some thoughts about each of the three holidays that we Americans celebrate during this holiday season.

My November letter will focus on Thanksgiving Day, my December letter on Christmas Day, and my January letter on New Year's Day. We Christians can very easily find elements of the three holidays that are significant for us who bear the name of Christ. Thanksgiving Day calls on us to thank God for all of His blessings, since Thanksgiving Day emphasizes the physical blessings that we receive from God's gracious hands every day. This is especially true as we sit down to what probably is the biggest meal of the whole year. Secularists in our society think that the term "thanksgiving" sounds too "religious," and so they generally give this holiday a different name, "Turkey Day," in honor of the bird that graces most American tables on the fourth Thursday of every November. However, the holiday's true and appropriate name is Thanksgiving Day, since the turkey, mashed and sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, stuffing, pumpkin pie, and all the other food on the table are gifts from our gracious God, all of which deserve much in the way of giving of thanks - Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving Day is also a major family day in our nation, which brings me to a second reason to give thanks - this year on November 24. Many, if not most Americans consider Thanksgiving Day their favorite holiday of the year. Why? Because the holiday does not require spending millions of dollars on giving gifts that people really don't need. Nor does it require people to drive themselves crazy on shopping, parties, programs and other maddening programs (more on that next month). Instead, Thanksgiving Day allows families to gather together to enjoy a pleasant and relaxing day together (with some exceptions). Once more, a chance to give thanks (thanksgiving) for God's wonderful gift of family (again, with some exceptions) Once again, secularists don't like the "religious" idea of taking a special day to give thanks to a deity in whom they don't believe; and so they use the day to give thanks to people who have done nice things for them during the previous year. Businesses even use the opportunity to "thank" their customers with a special "Thanksgiving Sale," giving them another chance to spend more money on something they probably don't need.

We will not be having any special Thanksgiving service at Galilee, either on Thanksgiving Eve or Thanksgiving Day. Ellen and will be having a special Thanksgiving Day with our granddaughter and her boy friend's family, at which we will remember God's blessings on us over the past year. I hope you'll be doing the same with your family and/or friends.

OCTOBER 2011

Greetings from Pastor Thress

Dear Friends of Galilee

A quick question: What is celebrated on October 31? If your answer is "Halloween," you are giving the answer that would probably be given by most Americans.

Lutherans have a different reason to celebrate on October 31. In our Church Year October 31 is Reformation Day. You probably already know that Reformation Day remembers the day almost 500 years ago, when Martin Luther, a parish priest in Wittenberg, Germany, posted a set of 95 statements on the door of his church. These statements are known as the Ninety-Five Theses.

What prompted Luther to write and post his Theses was a corruption of the Gospel message that was taking place in the Church of his day. Pope Leo X was raising money to build the magnificent St. Peter's Cathedral in Rome. To help raise the money Pope Leo authorized the sale of "indulgences," pieces of paper that guaranteed the recipient freedom from time spent in Purgatory. The Church of that time taught that our sins keep us from immediate access to Heaven when we die. Instead, the Church taught that the soul of a dead Christian must spend time in a place called Purgatory until released from Purgatory by the decree of the Church. Simply put, the Church was making access to Heaven dependent more on what we do, rather than on what Jesus has already done for us by His death and resurrection.

What Luther did on October 31, 1517 was just the beginning of a huge movement in Europe that resulted in the birth of the Lutheran Church, as well as the beginning of the entire Protestant movement throughout Europe. The movement became known as the Reformation, since Luther's objective was to reform the Church and bring its teachings more in confomity with what God Himself has taught us in His holy Word.

This is why I prefer to celebrate Reformation Day, a day that celebrates God's love for us, His gift of eternal life, and the wonderful place we have with Him as His dear children. Join me on October 30 for our Reformation Sunday celebration of the return of the Church to that glorious Gospel, the Good News of all that God has done for us through His Son, Jesus Christ.

In His Name and Service,
Pastor Ed Thress