My Oklahoma grandfather was one of ten siblings who grew up on a small cotton farm outside of the tiny town of Temple, Oklahoma. As they grew up, they went their separate ways, but every year, the family would gather in their hometown for Thanksgiving. It was a huge gathering of siblings, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, giving thanks for the blessings of love and sharing a gigantic feast of every kind of meat, vegetable (extra points for casseroles!), pie, and cake imaginable.
Since my father was in the Army, living far away, my parents, sister, and I missed most of the family’s Thanksgiving celebrations. But once in a while during my childhood, we would gather with this large group of people who were mostly strangers to me. Astonishingly, these folks who were strangers to me seemed to know me, my family, and each other very well. They accepted without question dozens of distantly related people, with all their varied backgrounds – city, country, suburban, even international upbringings like mine – as family, to be loved and cherished. Together, we gave thanks, and together we feasted at a table of unimaginable abundance.
Those days were long ago, and the original group of siblings are no longer living. But I remember those Thanksgiving celebrations well. Most of all, I remember the feeling of belonging and welcome in a group of people I didn’t know, who nevertheless accepted me without question.
“Eucharist,” our primary form of worship in the Episcopal Church, is a word that means “Thanksgiving.” In Eucharist, we welcome without question, we belong without deserving, and we share God’s feast with a group of people who are related by baptism rather than genetics. In Eucharist, we offer the gifts God has given us, bread and wine formed from God’s creation, back to God, who blesses and transforms them into spiritual food to nourish our souls. At this table, God’s people are nourished and celebrated, all are welcomed and loved, and there is abundance, more than enough for everyone. At this table, no one is a stranger, and all are loved and cherished.
Thanksgiving Day, our national feast to remember our blessings, brings us together across divides of politics, religion, race, upbringing, and education, to celebrate a feast of abundance, grateful for the abundance that is God’s gift to us. In a time when so many seem like strangers to one another, when the views of the person living next door can seem as alien as if they lived on Mars, when our civic discourse is full of discord and conflict, Thanksgiving reminds us of the blessings of our lives. Thanksgiving asks us to expand those blessings to all people, sharing what we have with those who have little. Thanksgiving offers us an opportunity to pause, reflect on God’s gifts, and recognize how God’s love is present in our lives and communities.
This year, I am especially grateful for the ways in which you have embodied God’s compassion in our region. Whether through service, prayer, or simple gestures of kindness, you have answered Jesus’s call to be his hands and feet, bringing people together across divides. Your commitment to creating communities of grace, hope, and love has richly blessed our diocese. Together, you have helped make our churches places of welcome and healing, where all may experience Christ’s love.
Thanksgiving reminds us of the blessings we receive and our calling to share those blessings. As we gather with family and friends, may we remember those who may feel alone, those without shelter, and those who are hungry or in need. I encourage each of us to reach out to our neighbors in need and to share Christ’s love in tangible ways.
In this spirit of thankfulness and generosity, let us continue to pray for one another and for the world around us, that God’s peace and justice may reign.
May you and your loved ones experience a joyous and blessed Thanksgiving. Know that you are in my prayers and that I am thankful beyond measure for your faithfulness. May everyone share in God’s love and abundance this Thanksgiving season. May this be a day when all are welcomed and loved.
With love and gratitude in Christ,
The Rt. Rev. Dr. Susan Brown Snook
Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego
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As usual Bishop, right on target. Our blood related, church, community, and nation are all our family under God.
Happy Thanksgiving Bishop!
Excellent!
Loving memories. Enjoy your family & the warmth of being together. Thank you for all you do.
Shivaun
Thank you for this wonderful memory!! My father, a loving and inclusive Presbyterian minister for 60 years, was also one of ten children, and each Thanksgiving (sometimes Christmas) we would load the car for a trip to Birmingham, AL, to see ALL the aunts, uncles, and numerous cousins. Very special memories, for sure!!
All best wishes to you and your family for a wonderful Thanksgiving gathering.
Most sincerely,
Hal Laster
Dearest Susan,
Don’t know how to thank you for evoking distant memories of past joyful family times that were dimly forgotten. Your memories bring light to us as we celebrate and remember our most precious gifts from God, our family. Jeanne and I will host 15 dear ones, family and loving friends, tomorrow afternoon to share a meal. I will say the table prayer, and remind all there that we are one in God’s family, now and forever.
Susan, Have a Happy Turkey, your Forever Friend,
Larry
Thank You, Bishop Susan, for all you do in pulling people together and reminding us of a welcoming, inclusive faith we need to be, and are so thankful for.