December Newsletter

G O O D S H E P H E R D L U T H E R A N C H U R C H & S C H O O L

D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 1

A M E S S A G E F R O M

O U R P A S T O R

Amid all the Amid all the Amid all the Amid all the

pressure & the pressure & the pressure & the pressure & the

gravitational gravitational gravitational gravitational

pull toward pull toward pull toward pull toward

depression, depression, depression, depression,

we Christians we Christians we Christians we Christians

can be confi-can be confi-can be confi-can be confi-

dent that di-dent that di-dent that di-dent that di-

vine help is vine help is vine help is vine help is

on the way. on the way. on the way. on the way.

Happy New Year!

Advent Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior, the risen Christ, and the babe in the manger, Jesus!

Sometimes it is hard to be hopeful amid the real pressures that we face in this life. In North America, Decem-ber is the time of year when our days b e com e co l de r , darker and shorter. Anxiety climbs; the gift buying count-down begins; stores crowd ; t ra f f ic builds; and patience shortens. Many of us find ourselves ask-ing the ques-tion, “Will I be able to survive until January?” Amid all the pressure and the gravita-tional pull toward depression, we Christians can be confident that di-vine help is on the way. A gentle warm light is glowing in the stable, and our December journey will lead us there.

This year in Advent we will gather each Wednesday afternoon and eve-ning to listen to God’s promises and sing God’s praises! Saturday eve-nings and Sunday mornings of Ad-vent we are also joyfully invited to gather as a community to claim the hope which God will present to us on Christmas Day. This hope gives us the courage and strength to make it through the darkest and coldest of days. When we light the candles of the Advent Wreath, we are witness-ing to the hope that is alive in us. In

turn we become living Advent candles in the world, shinning our light before oth-ers, sharing our hope through acts of pa-tience, love and kindness.

Let us bring the light of Christ, the light of promise, into the lives of those who need it most this December. Let us shine brightly on victims of depression, prison-

ers of anxiety, poverty, and fear as well as on those who may act in selfish and self-centered ways. Let us tell and show the world

that “hope in Christ” is real hope and a true solace from the darkness. In doing so our

collective light will burn as brightly as the star of Bethlehem; leading us

and others to our Lord and the risen Christ who rules in our hearts.

Happy New Year!

Yours in Christ,

Pastor Eric Olaf Olsen

Dear Faithful People of Good Shepherd:

Please e-mail all articles for inclusion in the January newsletter

no later than

Thursday, December 15thDecember 15thDecember 15thDecember 15th to [email protected]@[email protected]@ourshepherdlives.org

GOOD SHEPHERD LUTHERAN CHURCH & SCHOOL 99 Central Park Road, Plainview, NY 11803 Phone: 516-349-1966 Fax: 516-349-8438

E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.ourshepherdlives.org

Ministers: The Members of Good Shepherd Reverend Eric O. Olsen, Pastor

Judy R. Hinsch, A.I.M., School Director Teresa Ratkowski, Director of Choir and Organist

Maureen Cooke, Church Secretary/Newsletter Editor Lindsay Kuefner, School Secretary

Ed Indellicati, Accountant/Bookkeeper John E. Menig, Jr., Sexton

Bobby Lang, Sexton

There are a number of things that are going on that you may be not aware of. Some can be seen, but most are behind the scene. I will try and fill you in on what your council and committees have been doing. First, one of the things you see, the Fall Festi-val was a great success which anyone who was there will agree with. Next is something can see if you look and are observant. New windows were installed in the chancel. After church walk up and take a look. New windows were also installed in the choir area. These will save on our heating bills and stop the drafts that were there. Some of them were almost ready to fall out. Another thing you can see, but will see in greater detail in the spring. There is a plan up in the narthex showing the de-sign for redoing the front that we want you to look at it. The property committee will be placing a box in the narthex with forms for you to comment on the design with any suggestion for change so that they have input from the congregation before the plan is executed in the spring. The committee will take your input into account as they do some tweaking. Last but maybe the most important the prop-erty committee is in the process of making a total assessment of our total plant, building by building, space by space to compile a total list of all that needs to be done with a time line of priorities. With this in hand we will be able lay out plan to accomplish the work in a orderly and timely man-ner. Love, Peace and Joy,

Mr. John Schwaninger

Did you make an Advent wreath?

Have you attended any of our Adult Education Fora?

Were you at the Thanksgiving Interfaith Service?

Will you be at the Lighting of the Tree?

There is always so much going on here at Good Shepherd! We need YOU to write a paragraph or two about any program or event you may have at-tended. It’s always nice to share your experi-ences with others and encourage all to partake in our programs! Please consider “reporting” to us whenever you’re par-ticipating in an event. A brief e-mail to [email protected] is always appreciated!

Thank you!

We warmly welcome Elaine Cassimatis to our church council. Our prayers and thanks go out to her as she undertakes this new commitment. We also extend our gratitude to Betty Ann Jacovino for her service to our council.

On Sunday, November 27th, as we lit the first candle of the Advent wreath to launch the new Church year, we received 17 members into the Body of Christ at Good Shepherd. It was, indeed, something to re-joice about!

Stacey and Barry Broggy, along with their boys Liam and Quinn decided to join their youngest son, Declan, who was the first to become a member of

Good Shepherd at his baptism on October 23rd. All three boys attend our Sunday school program, and Declan is also a GSL pre-K student in Mrs. Ocker’s class. Stacey was born and raised in West Palm Beach, Florida, while Barry emigrated from Dublin, Ire-

land, in 1983. Although they both graduated from Florida Atlantic University on the very same day, Stacey and Barry did not know each other in college. They met in Florida and moved to New York in 1999, settling in Syosset four years later. The Broggys found Good Shepherd after researching nursery schools for Declan since they had not been happy with the school Liam and Quinn had attended, and had heard lots of positive feedback from neighbors and friends about our school. They visited and en-rolled. Stacey says, “Why we started going to church was all due to your youngest son. Declan LOVES his Chapel time and had been asking to go to church with his family. We real-ized that many of the school staff are also members of the church. We had never really belonged all these years living in Syosset. Seeing how nice everyone was and how much Declan loved it, we decided to give Good Shepherd Church a try. We started going regularly to church services around the end of May and have not stopped. We are thrilled with how it has gone. It was what we needed for our family and what we al-ways thought we were looking for.” Stacey enjoys reading and photography while Liam, Quinn, and Declan are nascent equestrians at Sweet Hills Riding Center. The Broggy family was instrumental in connecting us with Sweet Hills Riding Center for the ponies at our Fall Harvest Festival.

Robert & Claudia DeMauro have been happily married for 10 years. Bob and Claudia have known Pastor Eric and Lisa for some time through Bob and his father’s involvement with the New Hyde Park Fire Department. Although her fa-ther-in-law has since passed (2006), Claudia is confi-dent that he is smiling down upon them, knowing that he had a hand in guiding her and Bob back to Pas-tor Eric and now as new members here at Good Shep-herd Lutheran. Pastor Eric was there throughout every stage of Bob’s father's illness, and the DeMauros are so grateful for all the constant strength, love and support he provided throughout that very difficult time. They know Bob’s father is so proud to have them here at Good Shepherd Lutheran and are truly grateful for his guidance and love from heaven as they miss him deeply each and every day. Bob and Claudia live in Commack with their three beautiful dogs: a 2 year old German Shepherd named

Pax, a 4 year old Pug, Min-gooch, and Freedom, a 13 year old

Black Lab shelter dog who has been with them for about 10 years. Claudia’s service dog, Pax, is a par-ticular blessing in her life that she wants to share with us: “As many of you may know, Pax is my certified service dog; however, what I have not shared up until now is that although he assists me with my physical condition (Spina Bifida) when needed, Pax is actually what is known as a psychiatric service dog. I have struggled with what is called PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) for most of my life. It wasn't until after gradu-ate school in 1999 that it became debilitating. I must first say that I consider myself truly blessed by God and am thankful everyday for my many blessings in this life. With that being said, as a result of 43 surgeries, all related to Spina Bifida, over the years, and over the years in coping with PTSD, I went from an individual who received a Masters in Spe-cial Education in 1999 with hopes and dreams of having my own family one day, involved in theater and frequent public speaking on disability awareness, entertaining in my home often, etc., to somebody who now barely ever leaves the house, struggles daily

with isolation, and can no longer drive more than a few min-utes away from my own home. I leave only on occasion, which most times is to attend church with my wonderful husband Bob. As a result of these challenges, I had to make the difficult decision to leave the field of teaching many years ago and em-brace my challenges, trying my best each and every day to be thankful for all of my blessings. I’m truly blessed to have Pax and my family and friends to assist me daily with the ongoing debilitating effects of PTSD. Some of my daily challenges include frequent social anxiety and extreme social avoidance. Pax is also trained to assist me with tasks related directly to the Spina Bifida (i.e. picking up my cane if it falls, bring-ing me the phone if I don't feel well and need assis-tance, etc.). I am proud to say that with the love and support of those around me daily, including weekly meetings with Pastor Eric for many months now, I can manage the frus-tration behind the most debilitating symptom of the PTSD--the inability to stay alone in rainy, cloudy or stormy weather of any kind. This requires daily assistance from family and those around me to maintain quality of life. I am blessed to have the support God has brought into my life to see me through this, including the strength God has provided me with each and every day despite some very difficult days. With the help of a family that stays with me almost daily and a personal assistant who helps me two days a week, I am able to experience some daily peace from the PTSD. Recently, I made the decision to move forward to become an interpreter for the deaf through a home study opportunity with a tutor I have known for many years. My goal is to accomplish my studies in two years and become a freelance certified interpreter. Working with the deaf has been one of my interests since child-hood. I am excited about what the future holds for me on this path! In the meantime, one of my hobbies and passions is coupon-ing and donating certain items to the church as often as possible. It also gives me a strong sense of purpose to purchase as many items for the needy using coupons as well as working towards cutting our grocery bills in more than half each week. I love the challenge! I am very proud to have become a member here at GSL and am looking forward to growing in my faith day by day through the years. Despite my extreme social challenges, I look forward to taking it one day at a time in getting to know you and want to thank you all for making me, Pax, and Bob feel so truly wel-comed.”

The DeVerna Family, also a GSL school and Sunday school family, decided to become part of our church after worshipping among our congregation for a while and being impressed by our “true sense of community & family.” Like Declan Broggy, Austen “fell in love with our school and Chapel,” so the family decided to attend Sunday service with him and quickly made our church their home. Both Ryan and Susan grew up on Long Island, and both are phar-macists. Three year old Austen loves being in Miss Cindy (Canizzaro)’s class at GSL and enjoys playing anything re-lated to sports. His sister, 16 month old Gianna was the

youngest of our new members. The family is very happy to be part of Good Shepherd’s family and looks forward to Gianna being part of our school! Vanessa Lisco teaches physical education at the Mid Island YJCC. She enjoys playing sports and being with her family, especially, her pride and joy, her four year old daughter Sophia.

Our next door neighbors in Shepherd Hill, Mary Oliveto, Chandra Joree, andAngela Santos have been worshiping among us for over a year and decided to formalize that bond. Mary was born and raised in Queens and grew up in Wil-liamsburg, Brooklyn. She has one daughter, Vicki, who lives in Farmingdale, and a granddaughter, Daniela. Living in the shadow of our church for nearly three years, Mary had wanted to attend worship for a while but felt uncomfortable to come by herself. In conversation with her neighbor, Chandra, one day, they discovered that they both felt the same way and decided to attend worship together. Chandra hails from Guyana while Angela is from Guatemala. Angela enjoys gardening, arts and crafts, and volunteer work. Christa Ulich feels good to “come home” after years with Ascension Lutheran Church in Franklin Square. Many of us remember when Christa, Ellie’s daughter, taught Sunday school here at Good Shepherd and when her children An-drew, now 17, and Caroline, 15, were baptized here. An ele-mentary school reading teacher Christa also brings her son, Christopher Nickels. An eighth grader at Herricks Middle School, Christopher currently serves Good Shepherd as an acolyte and attends our confirmation class. We were blessed to have him light the first Advent Candle at the ser-vice. Lance Parisey is the brother in law of GSL school teacher, Cindy Canizzaro, and has also been among our con-gregation for some time. A former US Marine and a regular attendee at our Sunday morning adult forum, Lance lives in Old Bethpage with his wife Joy and daughter Trinity. Trin-ity is active in our Sunday School program, and we are currently in the process of planning her baptism some-time in the new year.

The snow-robed arms of evergreens conceal the folds of angel wings as all the trees stand poised to sing

their Glorias. In peace the silent forest waits, the choir-master in her place, all ears anticipate the praise

of Glorias. When will the joyful music start? How soon can evergreens sing out? When will the patient forest chant

these Glorias? Not yet, the heavy sky intones, not ’til the toil of childbirth ends, not ‘til the baby’s born can trees

sing Glorias. In peace the snow-flocked forest waits,

the choir-master in her place, each one to celebrate God’s grace

with Glorias. © Georgia Ressmeyer 2008 Reprinted with permission

DATE SERVICE ASSISTING MINISTER LECTOR ACOLYTE(S)

December 3 & 4

Second Sunday

of Advent

5:30 p.m. 8:00 a.m. 10:00 a.m.

Volunteer Needed Volunteer Needed Marilyn Benner

Volunteer Needed Volunteer Needed Cathy Vollono

December 10 & 11

Third Sunday

of Advent

5:30 p.m. 8:00 a.m. 10:00 a.m.

Volunteer Needed Volunteer Needed Anne Rickmeyer

Volunteer Needed Volunteer Needed George Milhim

Volunteer Needed Volunteer Needed Michaela Pietrofere

December 17 & 18

Fourth Sunday

of Advent

5:30 p.m. 8:00 a.m. 10:00 a.m.

Volunteer Needed Volunteer Needed Tom Benson

Volunteer Needed Volunteer Needed Dell-Ann Benson

Volunteer Needed Volunteer Needed Miranda Benson

December 24

Christmas Eve

5:30 p.m. 11:00 p.m.

Volunteer Needed Judy Hinsch

Richard Benson John Hinsch

Volunteer Needed Volunteer Needed Volunteer Needed

December 25

Nativity of Our Lord 10:00 a.m. Ellen Sangesland Gretel Saul Volunteer Needed

Volunteer Needed Volunteer Needed Danielle Vollono

Midweek Advent Services

1:00 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.

12/7, 12/14 & 12/21

Christmas Eve Celebrations

Saturday, December 24th

5:30 p.m & 11:00 p.m.

Christmas Day Celebration

Sunday, December 25th

10:00 a.m.

Epiphany Celebration

Friday, January 6th

10:30 a.m. & 7:30 p.m.

Page 7

T H O S E P R E P A R I N GT H O S E P R E P A R I N GT H O S E P R E P A R I N GT H O S E P R E P A R I N G

F O R O R D A I N E D M I N I S T RF O R O R D A I N E D M I N I S T RF O R O R D A I N E D M I N I S T RF O R O R D A I N E D M I N I S T R YYYY

T H O S E I N N E E DT H O S E I N N E E DT H O S E I N N E E DT H O S E I N N E E D

O F H E A L I N GO F H E A L I N GO F H E A L I N GO F H E A L I N G

WE PRAY FOR...

Odd Sangesland, Richard Mendelsohn (Nancy Stingelin’s in law), Kristin Muli (Nancy Stingelin’s daughter in law), Jason Damiano (Anna’s grandson), Ross Dux (Irma Carlson’s great-nephew), Sara Hill (Jim Ma-son’s sister), Chris Cucci and his family, Warren Wiegert, Bea McCabe, Ethel Batchelder, Mike Adams (Maureen Cooke’s brother-in-law), Walter & Marion Tucker (Nancy’s parents), Robert Picciano, Diane Helmers; Bob Rickmeyer, Joseph Portela (Lois Kazarian’s friend), Garrett Hall (Ronn Hall’s nephew), Carol Gross (Fred & Loretta Ruff’s friend) Julia Kellermueller (mother of GSL teacher assistant Sue Curran), William Jakubowski, Susan Dowd (Maisch family friend), Dorothy Cronin, Martin Boltizar (Louise Lamont’s cousin), Michael Hoops, Ed Tappen, Joe Berardino, Meghan Ortega (Pastor Eric’s niece), Gary Lang (Peggy’s relative), Ed Simmons (Pastor Eric’s friends), Sonny Carfora (Ruth Strakele’s sister), Ruth Odwazny, Ryan Faret & his family, Tyler LaGois, Genevieve Sounia, Dr. Stanley Bart-kow, Joy Parisey & Jerry Cannizzaro (GSL teacher Cindy Cannizzaro’s sister and fa-ther-in-law); Susan Boettcher (John McGowan’s sister), Paul Hinsch, John Bins-feld (Benner family friend), Maureen Araujo, Henry Kirschbaum (Lori Tollefsen’s uncle), Jay Boryea (Paul Hinsch’s friend), Ken Dixon (Pastor Eric’s friend), Deb Gebhart (Ruff Family Friend), Sven Faret (Gunhild Scha-bel’s son), Reverend Patricia Large (Lori Ma-son’s cousin), Diane Lisa (Cathy Vollono’s friend), Janice Ridings (Rickmeyer family friend), Francis Lee (Helen Kopf’s son), Lynne Carlson (Irma’s daughter-in-law), Mary Ellen Moyse (George’s wife), Don and Francine Unger (Katalina Paterakis’s grand-parents), Joyce Tare, Jake (Maisch family friend) and his family, Ian Spadaro (Dottie’s grandson), James Fields (Vincent and Doro-thy Cronin’s nephew), Mary Gessing (Dorothy and Vincent Cronin’s cousin), and Rita Cunningham (Cronin family friend).

T H O S E S E R V I N GT H O S E S E R V I N GT H O S E S E R V I N GT H O S E S E R V I N G

I N T H E M I L I T A R YI N T H E M I L I T A R YI N T H E M I L I T A R YI N T H E M I L I T A R Y

USMC Lance Corporal Nicholas Ventrelli-O’Connell (Patty Larson’s family friend), David Jacobs (Joyce Tare’s nephew, Alec & Madison’s cousin), CPT. Paul Rickmeyer, LTC Phillip Sounia, MSgt. Richard Miranda, Christopher Zito (Mary Knotek’s friend), Sgt. Vincent Mezick, Spe-cialist Sean Hassett (Lori Mason’s cousin).

Roger Griffith

The friends & family of Reverend Richard Koenig .

T H O S E W H O A R E G R I E V IT H O S E W H O A R E G R I E V IT H O S E W H O A R E G R I E V IT H O S E W H O A R E G R I E V I N GN GN GN G

Are there really no anniversaries being celebrated this month?

or do we just not know about them?

Please share with us all those special dates in your life!

Thank you!

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You couldn’t tell the Jews from the Christians Tuesday night. We were all wearing yarmulkes, so there was no telling who was whom. Rabbi David Senter ex-plained to his hushed visitors the Jewish tradition. Jews honor God by keeping their heads covered, a constant reminder that He is al-ways above us, watching out for his children. And, because Manetto Hill Jewish Center is an “egalitarian conservative” congre-gation, even some of the women observe the tradition, pinning lace coverings to their hair. The Lutherans from Plainview’s Good Shepherd had walked nearly a mile in the dark with Pastor Eric Olsen to take part in the service at Senter’s synagogue. All placed yarmulkes on their heads. Imagine that: At this solemn gathering, a remem-brance of the horrors of Kristallnacht 73 years ago and the countless victims of the Holocaust, we all looked pretty much the same. No Christians. No Jews. Just people. Imagine? And what would have happened if a mob of brown-shirted bullies, empowered by a fascist regime and the hateful swastika emblazoned on their arms, suddenly barged into our service? What if they shattered the stained glass and defiled the sacred scrolls and set fire to our spiritual home? They’d point guns around the room and brandish bats and spew hatred and threats at all of us. Because they couldn’t tell us apart: We were wearing yarmulkes. They would have seen some of us praying in He-brew and others trying to follow the English transla-tion that spoke of love and brotherhood. We were sitting side-by-side, reading from the same sacred book. In part, it said this:

“The Lord our God is truth; His people Israel.

He redeems us from the power of kings. He delivers us from the hand of the tyrants. He

brings judgment upon our oppressors.”

They would have seen us lighting six memorial can-dles. Plainview children lit the first one, a candle for the children massacred in Hitler’s “Final Solution.” Two candles were lit for the murdered mothers and fathers; another for the rabbis and teachers who were taken first. The fifth recalled the resistance fighters:

“So few against so many.” And the hate-filled intruders would have seen me light the sixth candle. Rabbi Senter humbled me by asking me to light it. He knew my Roman Catholic father was a WWII veteran and a deco-rated New York City fire officer. That last candle represented the valiant men and women who rose up to crush Nazi tyr-anny, people willing to lay down their lives for others. I was wearing a yarmulke when I lit it. Judy Nitkin rose to speak. She is the child of Holocaust survivors. Her father, Joseph, was taken away to a work camp at Mauthausen. For two and half years he climbed the notorious 180 steps from the bowels of a German quarry with a stone strapped to his back. He’d deposit his burden into a waiting wagon and then descend for another load. Over and over, year af-ter year it went on this way. When he got too sick to work, the Nazis tried to gas him to death. The poison pellet malfunctioned. If nothing, the Nazis were persistent. The guards forced 100 naked people into a yard that night and hosed them down in frigid cold. By morning, scores were dead and dying. So the Nazis opened up their hoses again. Somehow, Joseph and a handful survived. He would live to reunite with his wife, Mary, and their son, Leslie. They lived to see Judy born, and now their names live on. Judy Nit-kin tells the story to young people. That way, they’ll “Never Forget.” We should do this again next year, so no one ever forgets. Others will be welcomed. And if we work together, no one and no regime will dare try to stop us. Never Again. Imagine: All we’ll need is a few more yarmulkes.

Solemn Vow and Common Ground Under One God

Originally published 11/10/11 by Joe Dowd, editor www.plainviewpatch.com Reprinted with permission from the Plainview Patch

the Interfaith Council of Plainview Old-

Bethpage held its annual Thanksgiving at Temple Beth Elohim on Round Swamp Road. This wonderful gather-ing celebrates the diversity of God’s Children in our community. Pastor Olsen preached at this service. Be-low are his remarks, preceded by a bit of levity: ✛ Why did the Pilgrim eat a candle?....

He wanted a light snack! ✛ Why can't you take a turkey to church?....

Because they use such FOWL language.

✛ What did the mother turkey say to her disobedient children?....

If your father could see you now, he'd turn over in his gravy!

In the name of the Almighty God… While the idea of Thanksgiving and giving thanks is foundational for nearly every religious movement and practice, today we gather as Americans and as religious individuals and religious communities, as God’s children of Plainview/ Old Bethpage on the eve of the eve of Thanksgiving a national holiday…. Actually the first Thanksgiving was held in the fall of 1621, sometime between September 21 and November 11, and was a three-day feast. The Pilgrims were joined by approximately 90 of the local indigenous Wam-panoag tribe. They ate fowl and deer, berries, fish, clams, plums, and boiled pumpkin. The feast was celebrated sporadically and was usually recognized in local communities to give thanks to God for a specific event such as the end of a drought, a bonus crop, or the end of an epidemic of illness. It wasn't until October 1777 that all 13 colonies cele-brated a day of Thanksgiving. The very first national day of Thanksgiving was held in 1789, when President George Washington proclaimed Thursday, November 26, to be "a day of public thanksgiving and prayer," to especially give thanks for the opportunity to form a new nation and the establishment of a new constitution.

“Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His

will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor; and Whereas both Houses of

Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me to "recommend to the people

of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be ob-

served by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by afford-

ing them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of gov-ernment for their safety and happiness:" “Now, therefore, I do recommend and assign Thursday, the 26th day of November next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protec-tion of the people of this country… Given under my hand, at the city of New York, the 3d day of October, A.D. 1789

Yet even after a national day of Thanksgiving was de-clared in 1789, Thanksgiving was not an annual celebration. For that we owe a debt of gratitude to Abraham and Sarah, no not the Patriarch and one of the Matriarchs of Biblical fame, although they will always serve as an inspiration to us- no I am talking about Sarah Hale, Mother of the famous nursery rhyme, Mary Had a Little Lamb. She was also a maga-zine editor and peace activist who petitioned then President Abraham Lincoln to establish an annual Thanksgiving Day to heal the divisions of the Civil War. Lincoln established the last Thursday of November as Thanksgiving, and it has re-mained that day ever since with the exception of a few years that FDR moved the date a week early in an attempt to stimulate the economy. Imagine that! There was an outcry against this new Franksgiving date, until Congress passed a law in sup-port of Lincoln’s date… and the rest is recent history. But what does this all mean to us who live in Plainview/ Old Bethpage. Are we physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually able to give thanks to God? Are our minds distracted and scattered? Is our fear over economic forecasts and physical diagnoses casting a dark veil over our upcoming gatherings? Are we still finding it difficult to give thanks to God as we continue to painfully grieve the death of a beloved friend or family member? If any of this resonates with you, know that you are not alone. The first celebrants of Thanksgivings did so under very difficult circumstances, and their communal feast was heal-ing for them. Both the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag’s had experienced sickness, misfortune and death in the year prior to the feast. In fact Squanto, as he is commonly known, the indigenous American who taught the early settlers to grow their crops successfully was captured by a European Cap-tain, enslaved, and upon his return discovered his entire clan had succumb to small pox and died. And to make matters even more painful, the land his people occupied was the place of the first Pilgrim settlement! During the first winter in the New World, the Mayflower colonists suffered greatly from diseases like scurvy, lack of shelter, and general condi-tions onboard ship. Forty-five of the 102 emigrants died the

ON TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 22ON TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 22ON TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 22ON TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 22

first winter and were buried on Cole’s Hill. Additional deaths during the first year meant that only 53 people were alive on November 1621 to celebrate the First Thanksgiving. Even if we are thankful and ready to celebrate Thanksgiving- sometimes we are sidetracked by our efforts to make our celebrations perfect. Sometimes the guest list or the food selection or a problem with the desserts causes us to be far less thankful than we wish to admit. Roughly 22 years ago I was a student in Osaka, Japan. Some of the international exchange students and I decided to travel to Tokyo over a short break, during the last week of November. On the night before what was Thanksgiving Day in the U.S., we committed ourselves to finding a place where a traditional Thanksgiving dinner was to be served. That Thursday morning we awoke to a cold rain and started calling all of the fancy international hotels in search of our dinner. By mid afternoon however, we were convinced that we would have to miss the turkey, stuffing and yams. In-stead, we went reluctantly to an American theme res-taurant and ordered chicken dishes from a prefixed menu. Once at the table however, our somber mood began to melt away once we realized that we had what we were looking for all along. We were together, we were warm and dry and we were sharing a meal. It wasn’t until we were still that we truly began to thank God for the blessings we were realizing in that day.

Psalm 46:11 “Be still then,

and know that I am God.” Often we overlook God’s blessings in our life be-cause we have our hearts set on a dream or ideal that seems unattainable. “If I only had this or that- or if only things would go this way or that way.” Perhaps it is time to listen to God’s call to be still. In the still of this eve of the eve of Thanksgiving my prayer is that you can and will be able to see clearly to the blessings that are very real and present in your life despite the distractions and hardships and chal-lenges which we seem to be stuffed with like… well… a thanksgiving turkey. ✛ Asked to write a composition

entitled, "What I'm thankful for on Thanksgiving," a stu-dent wrote, "I am thankful that I'm not a turkey."

As you and I work on our attitude of gratitude, let me conclude with this historical illustration that I al-ways found moving… One day in 1883 It is said that in New England the Sun didn't rise! The people awoke to an eerie darkness.

They went outside to do their chores in stony silence. No rooster crowed, no birds chirping, none of the usual sounds of a new day. At the very start, people began to gather in small groups to question what was happening, to wonder and dis-cuss what was taking place. Slowly, people began to make their way to their houses of worship. They say that by twelve noon every religious gathering place in New England was filled to overflowing with people on their knees crying out to God. There were cries for mercy, people begging for forgive-ness and others confessing their sins. They say that there were few people who didn't pray the day the sun didn't rise. The houses of worship were full late into the night. As the next morning neared, great crowds began to gather on the hilltops and the high places near their homes and churches. People were staring toward the eastern horizon. Every eye was fixed on that point where the sky touched the land. Every eye watching, hoping to catch a glimmer of the first rays of the Sun. As the sun began to come up over the ho-rizon, people began to shout and yell praise to God, they clapped, danced and rejoiced because the Sun shined on the land again. As if in one voice, they began to praise the Lord for the sunlight, the warmth and the joy of God's new day. They had no idea that on the Island nation of Indonesia, the sleeping giant of a volcano, Krakatoa, had come to life. They had no idea that this great mountain exploded sending a huge cloud of dust and ash into the upper atmosphere. This black cloud would be carried around the world by the jet stream. It was said to cover whole regions, covering the sky from horizon to horizon. Few people had any idea that a vol-cano, half way around the world, could create such a cloud that could block out the Sun. Yet for most of those people that was the very first time they ever thanked God for the warmth and wonder of the Sun. As I pause to Give thanks to God on this Eve of the Eve of Thanksgiving, I give thanks to God for you, dear brothers and sisters of this community we share. I thank God for our rich diversity and our willingness to listen to each other and to care for each other. As the community of this temple did when the Sikh community had a need for worship space. Did you know the native American word for Spirit is Manitou from which the word Manetto, as in Manetto Hill is derived, the highest elevation in our community? On this day I thank God that God’s Great Spirit, Manitou, is central to our community and is alive and well in our hearts and homes. Happy Thanksgiving! ✛ What do you get after eating way too much turkey and dressing?

Dessert, of course !

UPDATE FOR DECEMBER 2011

WITH COUNSELING SITES LOCATED IN: NASSAU SUFFOLK MANHATTAN QUEENS WESTCHESTER

Prepared especially for LCC Association Congregations & Schools

Gratitude is a thankful apprecia-tion for the gifts one receives, and the acknowledgment that these gifts, whether tangible or intangi-ble, are not earned. Gratitude to God as the sole provider of all gifts is “the heart of the gospel” of our Christian faith. The possession of a grateful heart has shown, not only through the example of one’s life of faith but also through ex-tensive research, to be important to one’s overall happiness and ad-justment in life.

Mental health therapies have traditionally been more focused on understanding one’s distress rather than un-derstanding one’s positive emotions. However, in 1999 Martin Seligman as the (then) President of the American Psychological Association (APA) introduced the positive psychology field founded on research that showed a posi-tive, strong correlation between the depth of one’s per-sonal sense of gratitude and one’s positive mental health state. Ever since, mental health professionals have accred-ited the direct correlation of one’s genuine thankfulness to one’s positive emotional, spiritual and physical well-being. According to research by Kendler et al, 2003, as well as other researchers, grateful people are less likely to be de-pressed or anxious and more likely to have satisfying rela-tionships with others. In addition, they have been found to be more self accepting and to feel more in control of their lives. Gratitude has also been seen as an asset in ef-fectively coping with difficulties and in being more willing to seek help from other people. Being grateful is seldom an automatic and lasting re-sponse to being a Christian. It takes a lot of work. Here are some ways to cultivate this habit and thereby to in-crease your chances of personal wellness: ✛ Learn to identify key blessings you are given each day.

You can decide to think of five blessings a day or to write a list in your journal and add to the list daily. These can include all areas of life.

✛ Think of someone for whom you are very grateful in your life—from the past or present. Then, write a let-ter explaining how you have changed as a result of his/her influence in your life. You can mail the letter or plan to meet with that person and read it aloud to him/her and express your thanks. It will “make” that per-son’s day!

✛ Focus on the progress you have made in your life. In

order to become aware of changes, keep a journal in which you record daily perceptions and struggles. Each month or each quarter, go through the journal and pay attention to experiences of personal growth that have occurred over time and to past struggles you have overcome.

✛ Pray with gratitude: Start each prayer with heartfelt

gratitude to God for specific blessings or mercies He has given you. Work on gradually increasing this part of your prayer until you are in touch with small as well as large gifts for which you are truly grateful.

✛ Learn to stop your negative thoughts about gifts, bless-

ings, or answers “you don’t have” and replace them with positive thoughts about yourself, your talents, gifts, or ability to work through difficult situations.

After practicing the above methods, gratitude will start to become a habit and will only grow the more it is exer-cised. Some people get very uncom-fortable when being thanked and tend to dismiss the person with an “it was nothing” response. If this sounds like you, give some thought to why you are embarrassed at being thanked. Often, embarrassment oc-curs when one’s self-worth is not as high as it should be. Learn to accept gratitude as graciously as you give it to others.

If you or someone you know is in need of counseling support for this or any other mental health issue, please call the Lutheran Counseling Center at 516-741-0994 or 1-800-317-1173 or e-mail us at [email protected]. LCC has seven counseling sites over the New York metropolitan and surrounding area.

DEVELOPING THE ART OF GRATITUDE by Molly W. Blancke, MPA, Executive Director

“B e joyful

always,

pray

continually; give

thanks in all circum-

stances; for this is

God’s will for you in

Christ Jesus”.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18