Canadian Thanksgiving

It's Thanksgiving weekend here in Canada. Thanksgiving Day is actually on Monday, but many folks celebrate it on Sunday. That's what we'll be doing.

We always have a special church service on Thanksgiving Sunday - it will be a full "high church" service with special attendants and special music. A candle bearer (carries the Christ candle), a crucifer (ie. cross-bearer who carries the processional crucifix), a Scripture-bearer (carries the church's big old Bible - it's HUGE), the acolytes, the choir and the Pastor and the Vicar will process and recess through the church at the beginning and end of the service. There's a particular order that they come in and out, but I don't know much about that. I assume that there's some symbolic significance but I don't know what it is. (Andie, does your husband know?) Anyways, it's very "pomp and circumstance" and it always gives me goosebumps. As they process and recess, the rest of the congregation sings a hymn, usually something familiar and beloved so that everybody just belts it out. It's very stirring.

The choir will be singing the introit and they will accompanied by the bells. I am playing two bells for that! I've never done it before, but they needed extra people and I got asked. I have a very simple part, but I'm really looking forward to it! Neat, huh?

After church I am having a bunch of people over for turkey dinner. It looks like I am going to have to barbeque my turkey though! It's supposed to be close to 80 degrees tomorrow and there is no way I'm going to run the oven in that heat, especially with so many people in the house. I'm making the mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce and red cabbage today (yes Beth, RED CABBAGE, mmmmm) and hopefully that'll keep the heat down to a manageable level on Sunday.

There's 18 people coming over - some relatives, some friends from church - I just kept on inviting people. I LOVE to welcome people into my home. I just love to fuss over them and make them feel comfortable and welcome and special. I will pull out all the stops - use my best china and linen, prepare a special meal, make an extra effort to clean my home ahead of time - when I have guests in my home. I want to convey to my guests that I am honoured and humbled to have them in my home. To me that's what hospitality is. Not the "look at all the nice stuff I have" Martha Stewart brand of hospitality that puts the focus on the hostess, but a humble "I am honoured to have you as a guest" kind of hospitality that puts the focus on the guest. In the New Testament, the Greek word for hospitality, "philoxenia", means "loving strangers". That's the kind of hospitality I strive for.

Oh gee. I just reread this and that sounded really braggy of me. That's not what I meant at all! I was just trying to explain how I try to live by a Biblical principle in my life. Which of course I probably fail more than I know...but I try...and I rest in His forgiveness when I fail.

On Thanksgiving Day, when we try to enumerate all that we are thankful for, His forgiveness is, as always, at the top of the list.

Happy Thanksgiving everybody!