A Thanksgiving Day Message
Beloved in Christ,
On this Thanksgiving Day, I offer my heartfelt gratitude to the clergy, chaplains, and faithful people of the Anglican Diocese of Saint George. You are the hands and feet of Christ in a world that hungers for hope, and I give thanks daily for the privilege of serving alongside you.
I am especially grateful for our diocesan staff, whose quiet and faithful labor undergirds every good work we undertake. Their dedication strengthens our common life and allows our ministry to reach those who need it most. I also give thanks for the bishops, clergy, and people of the Anglican Free Communion International, whose fellowship and partnership in the Gospel remind us that we are part of a larger family bound together by prayer, mission, and love.
On this day of gratitude, we lift in prayer those who cannot be home with their families because they serve our communities. We remember the nurses, physicians, and hospital staff who keep vigil at the bedside; the police officers, firefighters, and EMS crews who stand ready to answer the call; the men and women of our Armed Forces who stand watch at home and abroad; and all who work quietly behind the scenes to keep our communities safe, healthy, and cared for. Their service is a blessing, and we thank God for them.
We must also remember those for whom this holiday is not easy. Across our country—and especially in rural communities—many of our neighbors face food insecurity, loneliness, or uncertainty. Thanksgiving invites us to open our hearts to them. As Christians, we carry a sacred duty to love our neighbors not in word alone, but in action.
So I encourage you, as you go about your errands and shopping this weekend, to give a little extra when you pass the Salvation Army red kettle. Buy a gift for a child who might otherwise go without. Prepare a meal and deliver it to a family in need. And do it all with a thankful and generous heart, remembering that every small act of kindness becomes a testimony to the love of Christ.
Our faith is more than church attendance or well-polished liturgy. It is the work we do on the front lines—at the bedside, in our communities, in the mission fields of everyday life—that reveals the heart of the Gospel. When we show up for one another, when we serve without fanfare, and when we lift the burdens of those around us, we bear witness to the Kingdom of God breaking into the world.
May the Lord bless you and your families with peace, joy, and gratitude this Thanksgiving Day. And may He strengthen us for the holy work ahead, that we may continue to reflect His light in all places, through the Anglican Way.
With every blessing,
✠ Brent E. Whetstone