Celebrations: Messages of faith
As we start the holidays with turkey and thanksgiving, Sonoma County faith leaders have their eyes on loftier goals — fasting and reflection, peace and joy, paying it forward and discovering the happiness that comes from reaching out to others in need. They recommend expressing gratitude for what's working in our lives rather than coveting what others have, remembering that we are all brothers and sisters, and postponing until Friday the requisite shopping.
We asked 11 hand-picked religious leaders to share their thoughts. Here's what they had to say.
Lawrence Margitich, St. Seraphim of Sarov, Santa Rosa
For Eastern Orthodox Christians, Thanksgiving also coincides with the holiest time of year known as Advent or Winter Lent, a 40-day period from Nov. 15 until Christmas reserved for fasting and reflection.
'The time of Advent is a time of gratitude to God for all the blessings we know and all the blessings we don't know and for the existence of everything,' said the Rev. Father Lawrence Margitich of St. Seraphim of Sarov in Santa Rosa. 'Humans are at our best when we are giving thanks to God.'
During this time of year, many Orthodox Christians celebrate Thanksgiving with family but then continue to fast through Christmas, he said.
'Thanksgiving isn't about food, although we celebrate with food,' he said. 'Orthodox spend a lot of time fasting, but we also know how to feast.'
Margitich said people should not lose track of the spirit of the season, which includes coming together with family and friends and helping those less fortunate. It is especially important to remain pious this time of year when holiday shopping and consumerism are rampant.
'If we want to be humans who live with Thanksgiving, we have to learn to not put ourselves first, to not be consumers first,' he said. 'On our journey, we have to travel lightly or else we will get weighed down, and we won't make any progress.'
— Matt Brown
Gene Nelson, Sebastopol Community Church
Sebastopol Community Church Pastor Gene Nelson knows all too well that life can be hard, whether one is experiencing loss and grief, confronting the world's challenges or just juggling the burdens of daily obligation.
But Thanksgiving, he said, creates an opportunity to take a momentary break from the daily grind, step back and contemplate the gift that is life.
'It helps us — at least it helps me — realize life can be good without being perfect,' Nelson said. 'There are pains and disappointments, but amid that there's always an undercurrent of blessing and thanks.'
Nelson said he sometimes finds himself considering the future of the planet and feeling the tug of despair. Or he worries about church finances, or just looks at his schedule and feels like 'my life looks like my calendars,' crammed and chaotic.
Thanksgiving is an antidote to the discouragement humans can feel, and Christmas an affirmation of the future's promise, he said.
'I often say, 'I really need a Thanksgiving' to remember life is still good, life is still a gift,' Nelson said. 'What a blessing to have been invited to this banquet. It's a free ticket.'
— Mary Callahan
Chris Breuninger, Redwood Covenant Church, Santa Rosa
Thanksgiving marks the beginning of the giving season at Santa Rosa's Redwood Covenant Church, and the Rev. Chris Breuninger is urging his congregation to deepen their gratitude for what they have been given and reach out to others in need.
'Thanksgiving is about recognizing what we have already been given,' Breuninger said. 'We can appreciate those gifts through the traditional Thanksgiving meal around the table, but another way I would say it is to avoid Black Friday sales.'
His church, with about 1,800 members, gears up for a massive food drive that begins on Thanksgiving, hoping to fill grocery bags for about 800 families during the holiday season. It also gives away Christmas trees and gifts for kids on Dec. 13.
This year, Redwood Covenant has partnered with Redwood Gospel Mission's one-night 'nomadic shelter' program and, on Dec. 8, will provide a warm place for the homeless to sleep.
'We want to be a positive presence in the neighborhood,' Breuninger said.
— Angela Hart
Ray Henderson, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Santa Rosa
'Thanksgiving is a wonderful time for us to reflect on the blessings that God has given to us. A grateful heart is a happy heart,' says Ray Henderson, president of the Santa Rosa Stake of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
Gratitude, he said, comes when we realize the great blessing of having a Savior and 'the implications of that truth for own lives and lives of families and our friends.'
UPDATED: Please read and follow our commenting policy: