What will your Thanksgiving dinner be like? Will you stay home? Will you be traveling to visit family? Will it be 10, 12, 15 of you crowded around the table? More? My guess is that many of us will enjoy a delicious meal, eating way too much. There will be wonderful conversation with much love and laughter heard throughout the house. After pumpkin pie, you may slip into a comfortable chair, or couch, to enjoy a football game, a movie or just a tryptophan induced nap.
Unfortunately, that won't be everyone's experience. There are those all around us who cannot afford all that goes into a nice Thanksgiving dinner. Or there will be those who simply don't have the health, or strength, to prepare such a big meal. And there will be some who are simply alone on Thanksgiving because they have no family nearby with whom to celebrate. Wouldn't it be great if there was some place where people who might not otherwise enjoy a nice Thanksgiving dinner could come and share a delicious meal and great community with others?
Praise God, there is such a place. This year Rock Church will provide a free, delicious turkey dinner with all the fixings for all who would like to come and join us. The dinner will be held on Thanksgiving Day from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at our Rock Church Plaistow campus. This dinner is open to everyone who would like to attend for any reason. Some of you who are reading this may want to come. Please do! We would love for you to be our guest. And for that matter, bring a friend or two.
Some of you may want to help or donate food. If you would be interested in helping, there is a sign up form at this link. But even more than helping us with the meal, we need help extending the invitation. We want to get the word out to everyone we possibly can. Think about your friends and neighbors. Is there anyone that you could extend an invitation to? Perhaps a widow or widower, or even an older couple that doesn't want to do a big dinner just for two. Maybe it's a single mom who doesn't have the resources or a young person who is away from home without a family. Maybe it's a homeless man or woman who would be blessed to share a meal in a loving community setting. I would ask every one of us to help get out the word, to extend the invitation, so no one is left out. Anyone can sign up to attend at this page or by calling 603-887-4922. Let's make this a great Thanksgiving for everyone.
I love you all.
Pastor Steve