Dear Family and Friends of First United Methodist Church of Torrance,
As we enter the month of October, I find myself thinking about one simple but powerful word: gratitude.
There is always something for which we can give thanks to God. Sometimes gratitude comes easily, especially when life is going well. At other times, when we are tired, worried, grieving, or facing uncertainty, gratitude can be more difficult. Yet our faith reminds us that gratitude is not simply about everything going the way we want. Gratitude is recognizing that God is still with us in every season of life.
This month, gratitude is especially personal for me.
I am very grateful for the opportunity to travel to Korea with my two daughters, Julianna and Kristen. It has been more than twenty years since we traveled togather to Korea together as a family. They were very young the last time they were there, so this trip is a very special opportunity for us to reconnect with family, revisit our roots, make new memories together, and simply enjoy time with one another. I am grateful for this gift of family and for the opportunity to share this journey with my daughters.
But as I think about gratitude, my heart also turns toward our church family at Torrance First.
I am grateful for you!
I am grateful that we are a church family who prays for one another. When someone is sick, we pray. When someone is grieving, we pray. When someone is going through a difficult season, we reach out. We make phone calls. We send cards. We prepare meals. We offer rides. We sit with one another. Sometimes we may not know exactly what to say, but simply being present can be one of the greatest gifts we can offer.
I am also grateful for the many people who quietly give their time and energy to the ministries of our church. Every Sunday, people arrive early and stay late. People prepare the sanctuary, make music, greet visitors, teach our children and youth, prepare refreshments, serve on committees, care for our facilities, help with outreach, and do many other things that most people may never see.
Much of the ministry of the church happens quietly. There may be no applause. There may be no public recognition. But God sees it.
And I am grateful.
Over the summer, we spent many weeks reflecting together on grace. Now perhaps God is inviting us to take the next step: What do we do with the grace we have received?
One answer is gratitude.
Grace reminds us that everything begins with God’s gift. Gratitude is our response to that gift. And when gratitude becomes more than simply saying “thank you,” it begins to shape the way we live.
Grateful people become generous people.
Grateful people notice others.
Grateful people serve.
Grateful people encourage.
Grateful people remember that even in difficult seasons, they do not walk alone.
As we move through October and begin looking toward Thanksgiving, I invite all of us to practice gratitude intentionally. Look around. Notice the people God has placed in your life. Notice the blessings we sometimes take for granted. And perhaps most importantly, look for an opportunity to become a blessing to someone else.
Our church is not perfect. We still have challenges before us. We still have questions about our future and about what God is calling Torrance First to become. But I believe we can face those questions with hope when we remember what God has already done and when we continue walking together.
So this October, may we become a church that does more than talk about gratitude; may we live it.
May gratitude shape our prayers.
May gratitude shape our relationships.
May gratitude shape our giving and serving.
And may gratitude help us see once again that God has been faithful, God is faithful today, and God will continue to lead us into the future.
Thank you for being part of this church family.
Thank you for praying.
Thank you for caring.
Thank you for serving.
Thank you for continuing to walk together in faith.
And above all, thanks be to God, from whom all blessings flow.
With gratitude and blessings,
Pastor Jacob