From Our Pastors                                                                                  Gratitude in a Complicated World 

November is the month when gratitude comes to the front of our minds and hearts. The air grows crisp, the light softens, and we find ourselves surrounded by the beauty of change. The fields are quiet after harvest, the trees nearly bare, and the calendar full of reminders to give thanks. 

But real gratitude is rarely simple. It’s easy to give thanks when all is well—when the table is full, the family is gathered, and the blessings are obvious. Yet for many of us, gratitude comes with mixed emotions. We hold joy and grief at the same time. We celebrate abundance even while we carry concern for our community, our nation, and our world. 

This is the heart of Christian thanksgiving—it’s not denial, but defiance. Gratitude is a form of resistance against despair. When we give thanks, even in the midst of uncertainty, we are affirming that God’s goodness is deeper than any hardship, that love is stronger than fear, and that hope is not naïve but necessary. 

As we look around our church community, we see so many reasons to give thanks. I’m grateful for those who show up early on Sunday mornings to prepare the sanctuary, for musicians who lift our spirits, for children who remind us to laugh, and for people who quietly check in on others without any expectation of recognition. I’m grateful for the honest conversations we’ve shared—about faith, doubt, justice, and what it means to follow Jesus in our own time. 

In a world that too often rewards cynicism, our community keeps choosing compassion. We keep showing up for each other. We keep listening, serving, and singing together. That’s no small thing. It’s evidence of the Spirit moving among us. 

As we move toward Thanksgiving and then into the expectant days of Advent, we encourage you to find a rhythm of gratitude that feels real. Maybe that means keeping a small gratitude journal, lighting a candle at the end of the day, or naming aloud one thing you’re thankful for before each meal. Gratitude doesn’t erase pain—it reframes it. It opens our hearts to see grace where we didn’t expect it. 

This season also invites us to remember those for whom gratitude feels out of reach. The holidays can be difficult for many—the grieving, the lonely, the anxious, and those struggling to make ends meet. Let’s be a community that not only gives thanks but also gives love. As Scripture reminds us, “Bear one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2). 

So let’s practice gratitude not as a moment but as a movement. Let’s keep saying thank you—with our words, our service, and our generosity. Let’s live as people who know that everything we have and are belongs to God. 

As we write this, We are reminded of a line from theologian Howard Thurman, who said, “Gratitude is the inward awareness of grace and the outward expression of that awareness.” That’s what we hope for us this November: that we would recognize grace at work all around us and then embody it in how we live, give, and serve. 

Whether this season finds you in celebration or in struggle, may you know that God meets you where you are—with love that will not let you go, with mercy that renews each morning, and with the quiet assurance that you are not alone. 

May this month of gratitude deepen your faith, renew your hope, and prepare your heart for the Advent promise that even now, God is coming to make all things new. 

With thanksgiving and peace, 

Rev. Phil Richards and Rev. Leigh McCaffrey

Beginning the First Week of November

Ruining Lunch Invitation: “Nonviolent Protest — From Jesus to Gandhi to King to This Moment” 

Thursday, November 13 at 11:45 a.m. Plattsburgh UMC Chapel 

Join Rev. Phil Richards for a 10-minute talk and conversation exploring the spiritual power of nonviolent resistance — 

from Jesus’ radical love in the Gospels, to Gandhi’s soul force, to Dr. King’s dream of the Beloved Community, to today’s ongoing movements for justice and liberation. 

We’ll reflect on how faith and love can confront systems of violence, and how we can live nonviolence in our own communities today. 

🕊️ All are welcome — seekers, activists, and the curious alike. Bring your sandwich, your questions, and your hope. Soup, refreshments, and dessert will be provided!

“Nonviolence is not the absence of power — it is love organized for justice.”