Thanksgiving is More than a Holiday

For the believer, Thanksgiving is not merely a holiday, it is a way of life. Not just for blessings that we don’t deserve, but for difficulties we would never choose. Paul says as much to a suffering group of believers in Thessalonica (c.f. 1 Thess. 2:14) when he calls them to “give thanks in all circum-stances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thess. 5:18). We know this in theory, but do we really take it to heart?



Over the last few days, I have been catching up on the lives of some dear friends that Kellie and I made while living in Ukraine: former colleagues, students, and others who in one way or other contributed to establishing of healthy Gospel-focused churches. They shared firsthand accounts of the impact of war that has stretched out for more than 2. 5 years with no end in sight. Some have lost loved ones. Others have had their homes severely damaged or local infrastructures destabilized so that electricity and heat are frequently interrupted. All have to live with air attack sirens (sometimes followed by the sounds of explosions) on a daily basis. It is difficult to overstate the alarming impact of this war. Suffice it to say that it has created the largest population displacement crisis since WW II. If such a scenario were playing out in the USA, how might it affect your “Thanksgiving?”

Nevertheless, when I spoke to these dear friends, though they acknowledged the enormous challenges and complications caused by the war (eg. pastors who were forcibly conscripted into the military and congregations that were reduced to a fraction of their size before the war), without exception, they spoke of seeing God at work in the midst of it all! Pastors like Dmitri (SW Ukraine) not only labor to shepherd their flocks, but also invest their lives in encouraging and equipping other pastors and lay leaders for the benefit of their respective local churches. My closest friend, Andrei, who serves at Kyiv Seminary, shared his excitement of what God is doing in raising up a new and increasingly faithful generation of leaders. (He then mentioned in passing that his house had been nearly destroyed from a nearby explosion of an intercepted Russian missile!) Our missionary, Rick Perhai shared how numbers of young pastors have responded to the needs of the local churches by receiving additional training at Kyiv seminary. In a time in which most graduate programs have shut down, he has 25 young men that have prioritized their continuing growth along with the equipping of future leaders in their churches.

Nearly all with whom I spoke have organized their churches to provide food, clothing, temporary housing, and fellowship to internally displaced people – leading to Gospel conversations and sometimes conversion and membership into their local churches. In spite of the war, perhaps by means of the war, they can see that “Aslan is on the move.”

This Thursday, the circumstances of Ukrainian believers will bear little resemblance to an American Thanksgiving with all the trimmings and traditions which we fondly celebrate. But their example of “Thanksgiving in all circumstances” serves us well by reminding us that our ultimate “Thanksgiving” is grounded in God’s Sovereign purposes and his unfailing Promises through Jesus Christ. As you give thanks for blessings undeserved, remember to pray for our brothers and sisters in Ukraine. 

Here are specific requests for the churches in Ukraine (from Pastor Volodia in Western Ukraine)

1.     Pray for churches whose pastors and ministers were called to the army.

2.      Pray also for those who continue in ministry and are often overloaded with demands and challenges, without rest and much help.

3.     Pray for those who get new people in their fellowships but who are desperate.

4.     Remember small churches that are suffering the loss of their members because of the war migrations to the West.