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CREATED:20201125T022000Z
DESCRIPTION:Our guest preacher last Sunday, Mr. Benjamin Mertz, lifted up some powerful 
 challenges to us, on the eve of this 400th anniversary of the first 
 “Thanksgiving”, shared between the Pilgrims and the Wampanaugs.\n\nHe 
 asked,\nWhat do we do with this fantasy story of this Thanksgiving of the 
 big meal, shared among people who are different getting together? How do we 
 square it with the rest of the story?\n\nWhat do we do instead? All of 
 these gifts, given to us justly, or taken through the spoils of conquest & 
 slavery? What do the prophets say? They are calling us, to agape love, to 
 loving our neighbors, to loving those as the parable of the Good Samaritan 
 taught us, those we view as enemy, as other. To love them, not as an 
 intellectual exercise –but as active, alive, agape love, in service to 
 others.\n  \nLet us remember, on this 400th anniversary of that feast 
 shared between Pilgrims and the Wampanaugs that this is not our land. Let 
 us remember, that for many of us, too much of our money is in the bank, not 
 much has gone to our neighbors right here, from the Ohlone tribe.\n \nHere 
 is another great piece for us to reflect upon this Thanksgiving:\n"400 
 years later, honesty about colonialism, genocide is part of marking 
 Pilgrims’ legacy"  
 \nhttps://www.ucc.org/news_400_years_later_honesty_about_colonialism_genocide_are_part_of_marking_pilgrims_legacy_11242020\n\nYes 
 we are in the middle of a pandemic, yes, Corona has taken so much away from 
 us., and many of us are mourning. But, despite it all, we are so blessed, 
 there is so much abundance, food, housing, clothing, bank accounts, 
 internet.\n \nLet us transform Thanksgiving into a day of justice.\nLet us 
 transform Thanksgiving into a day of agape love.\nThat doesn’t mean just 
 sitting around the table with our families & friends, it means being active 
 in the community, lifting up the oppressed & the poor.\n\nLet us transform 
 the fantasy of Pilgrims and Indians from the past ..  into the dream & 
 strategy for the future of racial and economic of justice for all.\n \nLet 
 us transform the fantasy of giving thanks into giving help.\nLet us 
 transform the gratitude of what we’ve been given into service of 
 others.\n \nHere are some opportunities to do so, safely, even now, in this 
 pandemic:\n\n1.    Donating to land reparations to the Ohlone people in the 
 Bay Area:\n 
 \nhttps://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/dec/31/native-american-land-taxes-reparations\nhttps://sogoreate-landtrust.org/shuumi-land-tax/\n 
 \n2.    Offering support for the children and families of East Oakland 
 Community Project, the largest transitional homeless shelter in Alameda 
 County. Our chair of justice and Witness,  Nancy Taylor, encourages you to 
 reach out and contact her, if you are interested and able to help provide a 
 meal (boxed food or gift card) for families who have found permanent 
 shelter from East Oakland Community Project (homeless shelter). 
 ngtaylor94619@yahoo.com  \n\nTogether, may we transform the gratitude of 
 what we’ve been given into service of others.\n\nLove,\nPastor Laurie 
 \n\nZoom: https://zoom.us/j/716026467   Meeting ID: 716 026 467\n 
 https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2020/11/24/18838644.php
SUMMARY:Transforming Gratitude to Service of Others - Sunday Worship Online
LOCATION:Online via Zoom
URL:https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2020/11/24/18838644.php
DTSTART:20201129T180000Z
DTEND:20201129T190000Z
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