Be The Light...01.23.2026

One of the things I really appreciate about South Dakota is the beauty of the night sky. As a child I loved going out into the pasture close to our farmhouse on a dark, cloudless night, and staring up into the beauty of the star-filled sky. As far back as I can remember I’ve always been mesmerized by the night-time stars.

With this as background, you can maybe understand why I was struck by the following quote I recently read from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. “Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that.” A night sky devoid of stars is truly a sky filled with a deep darkness.

Darkness, or heaviness, are two fitting descriptive words that I feel are impacting our nation and our world. The news we read and so many social media posts seem to reflect a theme of negativity, darkness, and even fearfulness in the world. Recently I read in a report released by Chapman University that fear in America is at a higher level now than when they began studying fear levels in America 11 years ago.

This is also why I was drawn to the second half of the quote from Dr. King, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that.” In other words, more negativity and hatred will not make things lighter or brighter. No, only love can do that. Or a second quote from Dr. King also speaks to this. “Fear is at the root of most injustice and hatred. Only love can transform hearts.”

This past Monday was Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Dr. King was a man who sought to push out fear and emphasize the need for greater love in our nation and world. His words are still applicable and needed in our world today. Later in the same quote I’ve mentioned above, Dr. King reminds us that as followers of Jesus we are called to “Love our enemies.” Yes, those are words that are just as challenging in our day as they were in Dr. King’s day, and as they were in Jesus’ day too. But they are still important words to live by. Jesus never said it would be easy to love, yet it is the “new command” that Jesus gave to his disciples and to us.

May we not allow fear to motivate us in our actions and our relationships. Instead, may we allow love to transform our hearts. Doing so will push out the darkness around us and bring back the power, the beauty, and the light of love. Jesus also reminds us that we, as his followers, are to be the light of the world, allowing Jesus’ light to shine through us. Today let’s go forth and bring light to the world.

Pastor Keith

The Journey... 01.16.2026

One of the things I must continually be reminded of is that discipleship, or following Jesus faithfully, is not a checklist of activities that you quickly run through or a destination that you arrive at and then you are done.  No, Discipleship is a journey.  It is a process.  It really is a life-long journey of discovery and learning.  Yet, every so often I find within myself a voice that whispers that I should be doing “discipleship” better.  Someone of my age and experience…well, I should have arrived by now and be better at it or have the answers I need for the questions I still find myself asking.

What has me thinking about this sense of “destination disease” in my life is a new computer.  What??!!  How do I jump from a new computer to the experience of discipleship?  Let me explain.  Recently I purchased a new computer for my home office.  I’ve actually had the computer for about 5-6 weeks, but I simply haven’t had (or taken) the time to get it all set up and connected to the printer, the second monitor, the wireless, getting the software downloaded and running, that I need, etc…  Doing what I needed to do to get my new computer up and running seemed so overwhelming and even a little bit fear producing.  What if I don’t know how to do the installation of the various components?  After all, I should!!!  Because of those kinds of thoughts and feelings I found myself avoiding my office, even though there was a brand-new computer in the box waiting to be used.  I just “made do” with the old one I already had.  

Finally, a couple weeks ago I decided this was silliness, to have a brand-new computer sitting in my office in the box.  So, I made a list of the things I needed to accomplish to get the computer set up and running.  I decided that by the end of the week I was going to have at least one or two of the tasks completed to make the computer usable.  

So, I got the computer out of the box and on my desk, yes one of the tasks was that simple.  I plugged it in, turned it on, and began going through the setup and update screens.  Yes, it was a slow process.  Yes, at times I felt inadequate because I wasn’t sure how to answer a technology question being asked of me.  I went online (with the old computer) to get answers and seek help, I called my personal Gold Level Tech Support (my son 😊), and to be honest, there were a few times I just guessed how to answer a set-up question.  And in the end, the computer seems to be working just fine.  Slowly over the past week or two, I’ve been accomplishing more of the tasks to make my new computer usable.  I’ve gotten the hub connected, the printer is connected and even works. I got the software downloaded and set-up.  And in fact, as I am typing this reflection…I’m doing it from my new computer in my home office.  YAY!

It has been a journey of learning and growing to get the computer in usable condition.  And I still have so much to learn to truly use my new computer to the fullest of its capabilities.  But in the midst of my computer work, I’ve been reminded of my discipleship journey.  I’ve been facing some of my own faith questions and that is where I’ve felt inadequate.  I’m a pastor and a Jesus follower.  I should know the answer to that.  Or I shouldn’t be feeling this way, etc. As they say, we all need to stop “should-ing” all over ourselves.

If I stop and think about it, I realize that questions of faith I had years ago have long since been answered and I have grown in my faith.  I believe I do follow Jesus more closely now than I did.  And that is the discipleship journey.  Day by day.  Moment by moment.  Year by year.  We keep moving forward.  I know I’ve heard it elsewhere too, but I have a wise sister who said, “When the student is ready the teacher will appear.”  I believe that to be true.  That’s why the journey with Jesus isn’t dull.  Maybe that is part of the reason why Jesus traveled so much with his disciples.  He was setting the tone for all of his disciples to understand…life and faith is a journey.  

So, where do you find yourself being stretched in your faith??  Be gentle with yourself.  Don’t “should” all over yourself.  Talk to Jesus, talk to fellow disciples and mentors, and be open to learning something new. And remember…the journey of faith…the journey with Jesus is just that…a journey!!!  There are new things to experience and explore on the journey.  Like my new computer, faith doesn’t come fully installed all at once—it unfolds over time, after all, even computers get regular updates.  Wherever you find yourself today, know this: you’re not behind, you’re not failing, and you’re not done—because the journey with Jesus is still unfolding. Just keep listening, keep trusting, and keep moving forward!

Pastor Keith

Warning...01.09.2026

WARNING…heavy topic ahead!!!
Like many of you, my heart has been heavy these past few days.

A weapon is defined as “any instrument or device for use in attack or defense.” To weaponize something means “to adapt for use as a weapon.” Another, more specific definition is “to exploit for the purpose of attacking a person or group, or for the spreading of discord.” (All of these definitions were found at the online Dictionary.com site.)

“Weaponize” is a word that has been hanging heavy in my heart for the past couple of days because it has surfaced in the midst of recent events. Over the past decade or two, we’ve been hearing this word used more and more. We’ve heard of chemicals being weaponized. We’ve even heard of fertilizer being weaponized. On September 11, 2001, jet airliners were weaponized. I suppose there are many things that could be used—not for their intended purpose—that could be weaponized…in other words, used “to exploit for the purpose of attacking a person or group, or for the spreading of discord.” (See definition above.)

Most recently, I heard the word “weaponize” used in news coverage of what happened in Minneapolis just a couple of days ago during a federal immigration enforcement action. The news reported that an official with the Department of Homeland Security said the woman “weaponized” her vehicle, and that this justified the agents firing their weapons. As a result, the woman who was driving the vehicle was shot and killed.

I’m not here to debate who is right or wrong, or who is to blame. I am here to say that this was a terrible tragedy that should never have happened…but it did. And two lives have been forever changed. Two families have been impacted forever. A woman has died, and a law enforcement agent has taken—or ended—a life. He will have to live with that for the rest of his life.

What makes my heart especially heavy is the way the two polar extremes on social media—and some news channels claiming to have “the facts”—are essentially weaponizing this situation. You could even say they are weaponizing this woman’s death. It is being used to exploit a tragic moment for the purpose of attacking a person or group…and for spreading discord. And indeed, discord is spreading. There is finger-pointing, accusations, and blame. And through all of this noise and chaos, what seems to be lost is the fact that a human being has been tragically killed.

As Bishop Lanette stated in her pastoral letter to the Conference regarding this situation, “the work of the church begins here.” In the pain. In the grief. As followers of Jesus, we step into this tragic moment to grieve and lament together. Pastor Amber and I say together, “How long, O Lord…how long?”

A person’s life and tragic death are not something to be weaponized or used to make political points. This is a moment for us to grieve as a nation—to sit in proverbial sackcloth and ashes—and to reflect on where and how we have gotten so far off track as a people and as a nation.

And yes, it is likely we will see or hear people quoting Scripture or using “faith sound bites” to support their political positions. That makes me hang my head, because I see this as the weaponizing of faith—and sometimes of God’s Word. For me, the weaponizing of faith is the greatest misuse of faith possible, and it becomes yet another reason for lament. I can only imagine how it breaks God’s heart to see faith and God’s Word misrepresented and misused.

In Bishop Lanette’s pastoral letter—which I’ll post on the bulletin board at church and share on our Facebook page—she quotes Micah 6:8:
“He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”

So, what do we do? How do we respond to this moment in time? Spending time lamenting and sitting in sackcloth and ashes is not a bad place to start. Join us for worship this coming Sunday, as I conclude the “Do Not Be Afraid” sermon series. The message will touch on these kinds of unexpected and disruptive moments in life.

But how do we respond today, and tomorrow, and the next day in how we live? I’ll simply say this: don’t weaponize tragic moments or your faith. Instead, lean into the message from Bishop Lanette—and really, the message from Micah—to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with our God.

May God’s peace, presence, truth, and justice be at work in our midst.

Pastor Keith

Happy New Year 01.02.2026

Happy New Year Everyone!!  We are off and running into 2026.  In fact, for some of you, I’m guessing that the Christmas decorations are probably either down or will be taken down this weekend (the first weekend in January).  One of my friends from a previous community I lived and served in, posted a video of herself undecorating their Christmas Tree.  Of course, the video played at high speed, so the decorations and then the Christmas Tree disappeared in a matter of a minute or so. I’ve never seen my friend move so fast!

I understand the desire and even the need to move on and to get one’s house back into order.  Mentally we tend to look forward rather than backward.  I would guess many stores have already moved on to Valentines Day.  I’m sure that Easter Peeps and such, won’t be far behind. That’s just the way the merchandising side of things works.  Even in the Church Year, this Sunday is Epiphany Sunday, so we are already moving beyond Christmas, and the next season beyond the Sundays of Epiphany is Lent and then Easter….and so it goes.

But here’s a question I am asking myself…and maybe it is something we all should consider.  My question is this… “What do I/we need to leave up this year?”  You know…what decoration, what piece of Christmas would be good to hang on to or have hanging up for the coming year.  But I don’t mean this just in the sense of adornment of one’s home.  Not just something to look at for the coming months of 2026.  But what is there of Christmas that would be beneficial to our lives or beneficial to our souls that needs to be with us or within us for 2026?  

Of course, there was the joy of having my kids (plus significant others) and grandkids with us for a couple days.  That always does my heart good! But there are two things I was given this Christmas I’ve decided not to pack away.  One was a humorous gift.  It’s the image of Jesus peaking out from behind a wall and looking at me, with the caption, “I see that!”  That one makes me laugh when I see it.  

The other Christmas Item I’m leaving up is a simple hand painted Christmas ornament. The message on that ornament is one word…Peace.  Peace is what I always feel when I’m driving home after the final Christmas Eve service.  Usually, the streets are mostly empty and there is simply a sense of peacefulness.  This word is important to me this year because I have felt our world is anything but peace-filled or peaceful.  Besides “Do not be afraid!” I believe the unspoken message the angels shared was “peace” because God is at work in the world and the Prince of Peace is coming to us.  

I realize this simple ornament doesn’t have magical powers that will fill my office or my life with peace.  But it is a reminder that even though our nation and our world may not radiate peace, I can…because as a follower of Jesus, I follow in the way of the Prince of Peace.  That is a regular reminder I need!  

So, how about it?  What do you need to hang on to and take with you from Christmas into 2026.  Certainly the idea of Immanuel needs to go with us all, because Christmas is all about “God with us.”  Just don’t fully pack away Christmas this year.  Find the treasure you received and that our world needs, and take it with you throughout the coming year.  Merry Christmas…Happy New Year!  And may we reflect the light of the world throughout the year to come!

Pastor Keith

The Gift of Jesus 12.26.2025

Christmas is a special time of year that many of us look forward to.  We have so many good memories and experiences of Christmas in our past.  There’s the Sunday School Christmas Pageant, the Christmas Eve Candlelight service, Christmas cookies and goodies, time with family and friends, Christmas cards and letters that help us stay connected with family and friends, the Christmas feast, and there are so many other things that could be listed here.  But of course, one of the things that children, and sometimes adults, really look forward to is that of the presents.  Ah yes, the Christmas presents.  

It's always great tearing into the wrapping paper, opening boxes and giftbags, and seeing what treasures are contained inside.  But then comes the moment when the wrapping paper has been disposed of, the boxes and gift bags have been recycled or folded up to be used again later.  Then the gifts have to find a new home in one’s room or the life of the recipient.  

Some gifts are really just gag gifts; funny or humorous. They might be kept for a day or two and then either set aside or thrown right in the trash.  Then there are the disappointment gifts.  You know, these are the ones that you were hoping for something different but yet it is OK, or it is a different brand than you had wanted.  So, it will likely be used sporadically.  There’s the “Nope, not for me,” gift.  The ones you smile at when you receive, but you know that gift will likely end up in the regifting box.  There’s the limited-life gift. These are the candy or food item gifts. You really do appreciate them and enjoy them, but once they are eaten or are used up, they are gone.  There are the WOW gifts.  These are the gifts that you hadn’t expected and when you unwrap them you say or think “WOW” and they then become a valued life possession.  

There are the “clothing” gifts.  You know, the gifts of clothing of some sort, gloves, hat, coat, shirt, pants, underwear, tie, etc.  It is likely something you need and you will wear or use but they are usually seen as not the most exciting gift.  And of course there are the “YES” gifts.  These are the ones that are exactly what you had hoped for and will become a treasured and used possession, at least for a while. Then there are the unexpected gifts.  These are the ones that you received that you hadn’t expected.  It was nowhere on your list or even in your thoughts, and yet it becomes one of the most useful and valued gifts of your life.  I could go on, but you get the idea.  We each categorize gifts in our minds and in our lives and they are used accordingly.

So, as we all sort through our gifts and think about the place they are going to have in our lives, there’s one gift that we receive each year that we also must deal with and decide where it goes. That’s the gift of Jesus. Each year we receive this very first Christmas gift – the gift that was given just over 2,000 years ago.  It’s the gift that started it all…it’s the gift that is given and received every year.  It is the gift of Jesus.

Each year…and really, each day, we receive the gift of Jesus.  Like other gifts we have to decide how we are going to value and use this gift in our life.  Sometimes Jesus is the Limited-Life gift, sometimes the Nope Not For Me gift. Sometimes the WOW gift. But there’s one other type of gift I failed to mention.  It’s the gift that you receive and the more you have it in your life the more ways you find to use it and that it impacts your life…for the better.  That’s always the hope of how the gift of Jesus will be received.  It is my prayer for all of us that we’ll each say YES to Jesus and then the more we make Jesus a part of our lives the more ways we’ll find that Jesus makes our life better.  

So, Merry Christmas Everyone.  May the joy and the spirit of Christmas continue to touch our lives and may we make room for the gift of Jesus in our hearts and lives each and every day!  

Pastor Keith

God's Peace 12.19.2025

This past Sunday, 12.14.25, the children of our church presented our Sunday School Christmas Pageant.  It was a wonderful celebration of the Christmas Story featuring a “grandma” reading the Christmas Story to her “grandkids” and talking about what it means.  Interspersed in the storytelling was a number of songs the various children’s groups sang.  Of course, there were shepherds and wisemen, angels, sheep and cows, etc. As you would expect, it was all very cute and delightful! 

Now in case you weren’t able to be present in worship last Sunday or watch it on our Mitchell Telecom Chanel (110), or online through our website (www.downtownfirstumc.com) I’ll put the link here in this article.  You should be able to click on it if you receive this article through our Friday Update email.  Or if you are seeing this article in paper format, you can type the web address into your browser and it should take you to the video of the Christmas Pageant.  Following is the link  https://vimeo.com/showcase/10994668

A comment that I have heard from a number of different individuals who were present last Sunday participating in the service and watching the pageant, is that people felt moved to tears – there was great emotion that people felt, especially as the children were singing a specific song about peace, God’s peace.  I felt it too!  It was such a beautiful song.  In part it was the beauty of the words, it was the beauty of the children’s voices, it was the beauty of our children singing about something we are all yearning for…God’s peace to fill our land and fill our lives.  

At least for me, and I’m guessing for others too, part of the reason for the emotional reaction was that there was a heaviness within us last Sunday morning.  I was feeling the anguish and the deep sadness within me because of the shooting at Brown University and then the shooting in Australia during a religious celebration by the Jewish community.  And then there was a violent murder that hit the news from Los Angeles.  Most people here in the Midwest probably wouldn’t be too connected or concerned about the murder of a Hollywood director, other than he was well known for a number of movies he directed.  What made this particular death more real for me is that one of my sisters knew this man.  She used to work in the film/TV industry, so this death really impacted her.  

Through all these examples that I’ve mentioned in the previous paragraph, and I could list so many more situations of other things happening in our country and world, we are seeing the ugly head of evil rise up and being demonstrated right before our very eyes.  Yes, it is alarming – It is disturbing – it is saddening!  And it is making me feel, and I’m guessing so many others too, it is making us realize peace is so very far away at this point and time.  We are seeing with great regularity just how broken we as people, as a nation, and as a world, really are.  

But thank goodness for Christmas, the season in which we celebrate God coming among us.  Just recently I read a story about the origin of the Christmas Hymn, “O Little Town of Bethlehem.”  This beautiful and gentle  hymn was not born out of peace and tranquility, no, the seeds for this hymn were born out of the brokenness of the civil war and the strife it brought to our nation.  At the end of the article it said, “This hymn has lasted because it reminds us that God often comes not in noise, but in stillness.  Not after everything is fixed, but right in the middle of what’s broken.  Not with force – but with love, slipping gently into the night.”

As much as we long for the peace and presence of God in the world, there is still much brokenness and despair.  Yes, this is a perfect moment for the God of peace and hope to once again slip into our midst in the form of a baby.  

May we all continue to yearn, and even weep for, the beauty and peace the children of our church sang about and demonstrated through their pageant.  May we also strive for and live out in our lives, our broken lives, the fact that God continues to come to us pointing toward a better way, a better Kingdom to live for.  God comes to us, not because things are perfect, we aren’t perfect nor are we worthy…no, God comes to us all in the midst of our brokenness proclaiming a message of Good News… “for unto you is born this day…a savior…”  Thank you, Sunday School children and youth.  Your message was, and is, greatly felt and needed!

Pastor Keith

The Christmas Story 12.12.2025

Something I’ve really noticed this year is all the ads on social media and such platforms.  The more you scroll the more ads appear.  Of course, all the ads are using the marketing tricks to try to get your attention; Now Even Better, Best Price Ever, Redesigned, All New, Get Yours Before They Are Gone, etc…etc…  But something else I’ve noticed is that there are more “reels” or short videos of people describing their product and how it came to be.  They are giving the backstory of the item and how it will benefit others.  

Seeing all these ads and the techniques being used to market their product made me think about some of my own fears of ministry connected with the Advent/Christmas season.  You see, Christmas Eve is the biggest, most well-attended service of the year.  Someone said it is like the Super Bowl for pastors.  You want to have your A-game on, so to speak.  My greatest struggle with Christmas Eve, and the Sunday’s building up to it, each year is, how do I tell this great story in a new and fresh way to help people hear it and receive it in a way that touches their lives?

I really can’t say, “Christmas…new and improved!”…because it is the same story as last year, and the year before.  I can’t say, “God’s Love…best price ever!”…because the reality is it is still the same price for you and me that it always has been…FREE!  I can’t even say, “Christmas…Going Fast…will soon be out of stock!”…because the truth is, God’s presence and love made real in the coming of Jesus, never runs out.  

The truth is, the story of Christmas truly is the greatest story ever today…and always will be, because it is a story that never changes, it can’t be improved on, the cost factor never changes, and there is an endless supply of what the story communicates…God’s love for all of us.  The problem is we’ve just heard or read the story so many times we tend to overlook or even ignore its message.  

This really is the beauty of God’s love story with us.  It never does change, it never wavers, and it is never in short supply.  So, all the marketing gimmicks that are used to try to pressure us, or maybe the better marketing word is to motivate us to “buy”, aren’t necessarily effective here.  However, it is still my goal each year in this season to find a way to capture people’s interest and attention in the midst of all the “noise” of the season to help us all re-engage with the truth of God’s story and the power of God’s love that brought God/Jesus into our world.  

Friends, as we come to the final days before Christmas, may we each be open to hearing the message of God told through Matthew and Luke.  Yes, it is an old story, but it still speaks into our world and our lives, now more than ever.  Something I invite people to do to hear the Christmas Story in a new way is to read it from a different translation than what one usually reads from.  Try reading it from The Message version, or the Common English Bible (CEB), or the Voice (I hadn’t seen this version before.)  

If you can access the internet, go to www.biblegateway.com.  You can type in the passage you want to read and choose the Bible translation/version you want.  I invite you to read Matthew 1:18-2:12, Luke 1:5-2:20 and choose one of the different translations.  Then read the story and let the different wording bring this wonderful message to life for you…or at least hear the story in a different voice and see what God might say to you to make this Christmas fresh in your heart and mind.  Oh, and while you are at it, read John 3:16-17 in several different translations too.  God’s story is beautiful, powerful, and still relevant for us yet today!

Pastor Keith

What Are You Waiting For? 12.05.2025

What are you waiting for??  Have you ever heard those words being spoken to you??  As a child, a youth, or an adult…have those words ever been directed toward you?  I can say I’ve heard those words in the past, and the truth is I still hear those same words coming my way from time to time. You see, I don’t make decisions quickly or take them lightly.  I tend to “ponder” a decision and think about various options. All you need to do is ask Tonya, or Short, or Nancy, my dear wife.  They maybe don’t use those exact words, but in their mind, they are thinking them… “What are you waiting for?”  

Today I’m asking myself that same question, and no, there is no big decision I am considering.  I’m truly asking myself this question… “What am I waiting for?”  … because we are in the season of Advent.  You see, Advent is often viewed as a season of waiting or preparation.  The Latin word Adventus is what we get our word Advent from, which means “coming, arrival, or appearance.  So, the “waiting” comes in because of our response to the coming or arrival of some significant person, which is how the word Adventus was mostly used, that of waiting and making preparations for some distinguished guest to arrive.

So, it is fitting that often the Advent season of the Church, the four weeks before Christmas, is often a time of decorating, baking, writing, organizing, and doing all sorts of things to get ready for Christmas, which celebrates the arrival of the King of Kings, Jesus.  But most of our preparing or waiting in this season isn’t of a spiritual nature in which we consider what we need to do to prepare our lives today for Jesus to be welcomed more fully into our lives now.  Thus, the question…What am I waiting for?  

In days past, the question would be asked, what can we (as individuals and as a community) do to make the coming dignitary feel welcomed and honored as they arrive in our community.  So, bringing that question to today, what can I / we do to make Jesus feel welcomed and honored as he/she arrives in our community?  

So, I guess the response to my question of “What am I waiting for?” is that I am waiting for some sense of direction of what I need to do in this season to open my life up more to make Jesus a greater part of my life.  This question requires some intentional thinking and reflection.  This isn’t just a quick… “Oh, I’ll read the Bible a little more.” Or “I’ll ring the bell a day or two for the Salvation Army at a local store.  And there is nothing wrong with either of those activities.  If after prayerful conversation with God, that is what you feel led to do, go for it!  Just don’t make them an easy out.  

Our world and culture are not very supportive of quiet reflection.  We are bombarded with noise and activity more and more each day.  We all talk about how busy this season is and how we are always on the run.  But Advent does call us to pause and give some intentional thought to what we can do to be better prepared now to welcome and honor the greatest guest into our homes and lives on Christmas Day – that of Jesus.  

During the days building up to Christmas…starting today…if you haven’t done so already, I encourage us all to ask the question I started this reflection with, “What am I waiting for?”  Please don’t rush by it.  Don’t answer it too quickly.  Make some space for silence and quiet during the next couple weeks, and truly ponder this question – What am I waiting for?  Remember, the King of Kings has come…but is also in the process of coming more fully in our lives daily.  And we await the true King’s final arrival in days yet to come.  What am I waiting for??  Yes, let me ponder that for a bit!                

Pastor Keith

Gratitude and Gratefulness 11.28.2025

How did the counting of your blessings go?  Did you come up with a list?  Did you name them one by one, as the traditional hymn implores us to do?  There is growing evidence of what having a spirit of gratitude can do for a person.  A short list of the impact that gratitude can have on a person is; improving sleep, reduced stress, improved mental health, greater happiness, can improve social relationships, some research even suggest gratitude can lower blood pressure and strengthen one’s immune system.  And the list can go one.  Practicing an attitude of gratitude can have a lasting positive impact on one’s body, mind, and spirit.  So, with this in mind I want to share a few of my points of gratitude

I am grateful for a house with a working furnace (as we are preparing for a coming winter storm).  I am grateful for a church family that has chosen to stay together in spite of the challenges of the past five years.  Yes, we have lost some church members.  This fact saddens me – pastors never want to lose members.  But I also celebrate when people find a new church home that fits better with their belief system.  On the other hand, we have also gained some members through all the turmoil of the last several years.  That I celebrate!

I am grateful for three grandsons who are all healthy and doing well as they begin their journey of life.  In years to come, I look forward to exploring the role of being grandpa and a fun-loving supportive presence in each of their lives.  (I guarantee you this…it will most likely include Dairy Queen!) 

I am grateful for the leadership of our church.  People who give of their time and abilities in many different ways to make sure our church, as an organization, keeps moving forward and in a direction that is focused on the purpose and ministry that we believe God has placed us here for.  Along this same line, I am also grateful for the staff that I work with on a regular basis.  They help me so much to accomplish the goals and work of this church body here in our community and the world.  I am grateful for Bishop Lanette, Rev. Brandon Vetter our Conference Superintendent, and all the Conference Staff.  They provide support, direction, encouragement, and so many other things that I don’t have to worry about because they are doing their work of ministry.  

I am grateful for my spouse, Nancy, who has stuck with me for over 40 years.  Even as I have taken her on the “See the Dakotas” plan through the various appointments I’ve served in.  She has truly been that silent partner who does so much in the background that is rarely acknowledged.  I am grateful for my two adult children who continue to include me in their lives and families.  

Now, I could go on and on sharing my gratitude list.  But I won’t do that.  Hopefully it has inspired each of you to think about your own list.  The other thing I know to be true is this…to gain the greatest positive impact of gratitude in one’s life, it has to become a regular part of one’s life.  It’s not a once-and-done thing.  Gratitude needs to become a regular part of one’s life.  In fact, gratitude really needs to become a part of the rhythm of one’s life.  That is when the greatest impact is felt.  

So, as we move into the season of Advent, a season of waiting and preparation, may we also take with us not only the season of thanksgiving, but may we include in the regular rhythm of life the spirit, the attitude, the habit of gratitude.  Let’s give it a try for the next year and see what happens within us and around us.  Who’s willing to give this a try with me??  Let’s do it and hold each other accountable!

Pastor Keith

Gratitude & Generosity 11.21.2025

How do you spell “Thanksgiving?”  Well, this month we are spelling it “M-a-c & C-h-e-e-s-e.” Last month we spelled it “G-r-e-e-n B-e-a-n-s.” Or each week we spell it “O-f-f-e-r-i-n-g.” Or we spell it “W-o-r-s-h-i-p.” Or we spell it “S-e-r-v-i-c-e.”  The truth is there are many ways we can spell thanksgiving.

Obviously, I really do know how to spell “Thanksgiving.” But what I’m really talking about is living thanksgiving—how we express it in our daily rhythms, choices, and interactions. Because thanksgiving is far more than a holiday on a calendar or a meal put on the table. Thanksgiving is an attitude, a posture of the heart, a way of seeing and responding to God’s goodness that we experience in the world around us. And from my perspective, this attitude becomes real—tangible and visible—because of two characteristics that live within each of us: gratitude and generosity.

Gratitude is the way thanksgiving opens our eyes. It helps us notice the blessings we might otherwise overlook—a kind word, a warm meal, a healing conversation, an unexpected moment of joy. Gratitude slows us down long enough to say, “Yes…that was a God Moment!” It is “thanksgiving” turned into awareness; an awareness of God’s presence in big and small ways in our lives and in our world.  

Generosity is gratitude turned outward.  When we recognize how much we’ve been given, something beautiful happens inside us—we begin to share. Generosity is how thanksgiving becomes action. It’s how the blessings we’ve received become blessings that flow through us into the lives of others. It’s mac & cheese for our “One Thing” that will help provide a holiday meal for a neighbor, an offering that supports ministry that touches lives here in this community and beyond, a hand extended in service, a prayer whispered for someone who needs hope.

So, how do you spell “Thanksgiving?” Here at Downtown Mitchell First UMC, we spell thanksgiving with lives shaped by gratitude and generosity—lives that continually reflect the goodness of God.  In the next few days there will be several opportunities to express gratitude and generosity.  The first is with Commitment Sunday.  

Every year, when we fill out our commitment cards, it might look like a financial moment on the surface, but it is actually a profoundly spiritual one. It’s not about numbers. It’s not about budgets or bills getting paid, it’s about gratitude and generosity coming together in a single act of worship.

When we consider our commitment for the coming year, we are not simply supporting the church’s ministry, we are practicing thanksgiving. We are acknowledging God’s blessings (gratitude) and choosing to let our lives be part of God’s ongoing work (generosity). Commitment Sunday is our chance to say:

• “Thank you, God, for all you’ve done.”

• “Use me to make a difference in the year ahead.”

The other opportunity for expressing gratitude and generosity involves the upcoming holiday time with family and friends.  You see, generosity isn’t just about finances, it is also about attention, time, listening to others, building bridges to connect rather than divide.  These are just a few non-financial ways to be generous during the upcoming holidays. 

So, as we approach our Commitment Sunday and the holidays, I invite you to reflect prayerfully—not on what the church needs, but on what God is doing in you. Let gratitude open your eyes and let generosity open your hands. That’s when thanksgiving becomes more than a holiday. That’s when thanksgiving becomes a way of life…a way of honoring God with your whole life.  And that is the goal for us all as followers of Jesus!!

Pastor Keith