Ponder what gifts God has given you, and how you use them for God
NOTE: Judy Russell's column will not be running next Sunday but will return Nov. 26.
Pastor Bryan Schmidt, in his November letter to his flock at St. Andrew’s Ev. Lutheran Church in Oshkosh, reminds all of us in this month of Thanksgiving that each and every day we have an opportunity “to give thanks to God for the gifts given to us, to reflect upon the ways you are using your gifts now to better the community, to reflect carefully upon the ways that God is calling you to use your gifts in the near future, to take that step from pondering to engaging.”
As we enter November, he writes, “consider how God is already at work in your life. What gifts have you been blessed with? How will God use your gifts – in whatever shape, form, or amount – to spread God’s message of love and grace this week, this month, this coming year? …“
With Thanksgiving less than two weeks away, consider all the things for which you need to give thanks, and the many blessings that have come to you since last Thanksgiving. Maybe there was sorrow, too, in your life in the past year, but sorrow is a part of life, and the sun will rise again.
We recently became aware of the Thanksgiving Prayer of the Onondaga Nation. They give thanks for Mother Earth, for the waters of the world, for all the food plants we harvest, for the beauty taken for granted, for the changing seasons, for the sun’s light to announce a new day and for the moon and stars to announce that day is leaving, for the night stars in such abundance.
“We give thanks for our Creator, Great Spirit, for so many gifts of Creation, of beloved creatures, of so many taken for granted joys of everyday. We give thanks for love that always surrounds us, for everything that invites us to live a good life and for so many gifts we have not named. We give thanks for silence that now ends our words and long for the day when we hear our earth giving thanks for us!”
“In this Thanks-Giving, May We Be One. Amen.”
Here are some upcoming church and religious events in the Oshkosh area:
On This Rock Christian Books & Gifts store in Oshkosh celebrates its 20th anniversary this week, from Tuesday through Saturday, as part of its annual Holiday Open House. Daily hours will be 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the store, 216 W. South Park Ave., and there will be 20% discounts on Christmas items and 10% discounts off the rest of the store items (some exclusions apply). A Celebration Party on Friday, from 4 to 7 p.m., will feature hors d’oeuvres, wine, live harp music, and giveaways. Father Joel Sember, of the Catholic Diocese of Green Bay, will sign copies of his latest book from noon to 2 p.m. Friday. For more information, call 920-966-0007, or visit the store on Facebook at On This Rock-Catholic Bookstore.
Grief support groups are being offered two different times by St. Jude Parish in Oshkosh, Nov. 16 through March 28. Sessions will be on the second and fourth Thursdays of the month, beginning this Thursday. Afternoon sessions will be from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. in the Heritage Room at the St. Vincent site, 1226 Oregon St. Evening sessions will be from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Parish Center office building, 1025 W. Fifth Ave. The same materials will be shared at each session. Participants do not have to be present at each of the 10 sessions. To register, contact Bertie Albright, 920-235-7412.
Gift cards for teenagers are a special need during the holiday season for the Oshkosh Salvation Army because teens can be difficult to buy for. So, Wesley United Methodist Church in Oshkosh, as its monthly mission focus, is collecting money to be used to buy gift cards for teenagers through its SCRIP program. After the Nov. 26 worship service, the cards will be taken to the Salvation Army facility.
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Oshkosh will hold its annual Craft Fair and Bake Sale 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at 2450 W. Ninth Ave. Baked goods available will include cookies, candies, snack mixes, and breads. The crafts being offered are handcrafted by members of Good Shepherd. Cash, checks and credit cards will be accepted.
Several Lutheran churches in Oshkosh will offer a Joint Thanksgiving Eve worship service at 6 p.m. Nov. 22 at Peace Lutheran Church, 240 W. Ninth Ave. Church members and pastors will take part in leading the service. A massed choir will rehearse at 5 p.m. and sing during the service. There will be a pie fellowship after worship.
The Catholic parishes of Oshkosh have announced times for their Thanksgiving Day Masses, as follows: 7:30 a.m. at St. Jude Parish (St. Vincent site), and, at 9 a.m., Most Blessed Sacrament (St. Peter site) and St. Raphael Church.
For the first time in years there will be no Christmas tree sales this year at St. Raphael Parish in Oshkosh. The church announced that its longtime supplier recently retired. After contacting many other Christmas tree suppliers, all of which said they aren’t taking new customers, the decision was made not to sell trees this year. For more information, contact Mark Lindekugel at 920-233-8044.
More than 100 vendors are scheduled to participate in the 18th annual Lourdes Academy Craft Show from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. There also will be concessions and a bake sale. Admission is $3. For more information, contact Kim Stelzer, 920-252-3458, or stelzerks@yahoo.com.
The Christ Child Society will have a Bake Sale next weekend, Nov. 18-19, after all Masses at St. Raphael Parish in Oshkosh.
St. Andrew’s Ev. Lutheran Church in Oshkosh is collecting items through Dec. 3 to be used at Christmas for patients at Winnebago Mental Health Institute. Needed items include body wash, shampoo/hair conditioner, toothpaste/toothbrushes, deodorant, lotion, journals, winter hats/gloves, socks (ankle socks preferred), stuffed animals, puzzles and playing cards. Donations can be placed in a box near the Fellowship Hall doors. The church is at 1100 E. Murdock Ave.
Best wishes in retirement to Doug Hirte, director of maintenance for Most Blessed Sacrament Parish in Oshkosh, who has worked many years for the faith communities now known as Most Blessed Sacrament. Doug will be honored at a Farewell Party today from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in the St. Mary worship site lower church hall.
Volunteers still are needed to ring bells during the Oshkosh Salvation Army Red Kettle campaign, or to help with the Toy Shop or to become a Teen Angel Christmas gift sponsor for young people ages 13 to 18. To schedule a time to be a bell ringer, go to registertoring.com. Schedule volunteer time also for any of the Salvation Army holiday projects by calling 920-232-7660.
Celebrate a Celtic Christmas on Dec. 1 with the MPK Christian Celtic Band in concert at Faith Global Methodist Church, 1025 Tullar Road, Neenah. The 6:30 p.m. performance, intended for families, will feature authentic Celtic dress, sound, and lyrics “to celebrate the birth of our Lord.” The doors open at 6 p.m. Admission is free. A donation will be taken to offset the band’s expenses. The show is offered through Christian Event Ministry of Oshkosh.
Thought for the Day: Don’t be afraid of what you don’t know. Take it as a sign from God that God is still the one Mystery we are required to trust.
Judy Russell of Oshkosh writes about happenings at area centers of worship. To submit news for her consideration, email oshkoshsubmit@thenorthwestern.com with the subject “Church news.” Deadline is 5 p.m. Mondays.
Miss Judy last week? Food donations, volunteers make Thanksgiving work at Father Carr’s Place 2B
This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: Thanksgiving is a time to use gifts, Oshkosh pastor advises
