Imagine God decided to break the covenant with humankind and flood the earth again. But this time, Noah’s ark is big enough to hold all humanity. Everybody in the world would have another chance. Our fate would depend on everybody in the ark getting along!

This is a scary idea for several reasons, not the least of which is we would all be in the same boat. Because if we were all in the same boat, it would be hard to distinguish people jumping overboard on their own from people being thrown overboard by somebody else.

No time would pass on the new ark before people would segregate by race, religion, culture and language. Territories on the ark would be fought for and claimed. Competition for resources would be intense. Walls would be built to keep undesirables out. A scant few pockets of genuine joy would be threatened by jealousies that annoy. These things and more would occur before flood waters recede; that is, if flood waters recede …

Ferguson, MO and what happened there is not new.

It is a sad sequel provided by the “Show Me State” that gives us a fresh peak under the rug … Another young man’s life is tragically lost; another policeman’s life is dreadfully wrecked. Families mourn, communities are torn, friends defend friends, looters loot and shooters shoot, politicians and, even clergy, scramble to grab a picket sign or a microphone when God only knows and understands.

Paul writes to the church in Rome, “God does not show favoritism.”

What Paul is telling Christians in Rome is, “We all are already in the same boat …” Our boat is called planet earth and we all occupy this space under the same expectations of the same God. How ‘bout we begin with that, hmm?

What are God’s expectations of people of faith?

The answer to this question is key because if we satisfy God’s expectations then tragedy like the one in Ferguson, Mo. will be averted. God’s expectations are found, in part, in God’s law: the Commandments, the Torah and the Holiness Code, and some would argue the entirety of the Holy Bible.

We need law, but when we see people use and abuse even God’s law to establish or sustain their own ideas, their territory, their walls, their pockets, their expectations, then we begin to realize all of us have the capacity to miss the forest for the tree.

Christ Jesus comes, in part, so we may more clearly see God’s expectations for the planet. It was a lawyer, an expert in the law, who asked Jesus, “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?”

He said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the words of all the prophets.” (Matthew 22: 36 – 40)

Our role as followers of Christ Jesus could not be clearer.

Yes, the president has a job to do. The Attorney General has a job to do. A governor, mayor, sheriff, prosecutor, defense attorney, journalist, a minister preaching the social gospel, a grand jury has a job to do. We all have a role to play, but the sooner we understand we are all in the same boat subject to the same expectations of the same God, the sooner these tragedies end.

If you want to make things better, then, sure, run for office, grow the economy, create living wage jobs, elevate access to quality education, register voters, establish more crime prevention programs; improve police community relations. Really, there are many good things you can do …

But if you want to fix Ferguson, if you want to fix the planet, then “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul, and all your mind, and love your neighbor as yourself.”

Dr. Dennis Andrews is a reverend at Community Presbyterian Church, at 1920 SE 4 St. in Deerfield Beach, 33441.

My wife and I were thrilled this week to touch, feel and see one of life’s most exciting new possibilities. The occasion was to spend quality time with Lucy Anne, our first granddaughter.

Born the first day of July, Lucy Anne weighs all of 9 lbs. She is fragile and completely dependent on the loving care of those entrusted with her well-being. But Lucy’s delicate frame will strengthen and grow. Before we realize it, she will demonstrate signs of mobility. She will be turning over and sitting up. She will be crawling then walking. She will be running even before she is potty trained. I imagine her in pre-school tomorrow and driving a car next week, but, hopefully, not on I-95!

However quickly life passes, like cars in the far left lane of the interstate; however messed up the world appears to be, whenever God presents new life in the form of a newborn child, then we pray the sun keeps rising and setting perfectly. We have this hope because we desire yet another generation touch, feel and see the thrill of new possibilities too.

But how is it so engrained in our psyche that we look to the future with such optimism for a tiny infant so small and weak and vulnerable in a world so large and troubled?

Like deep roots of a tree tall and strong, the explanation is in our faith. Jesus speaks to his followers about this in a parable saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field, which indeed is the least of all the seeds; but when it is grown it is greater

than the herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches.” (Matthew 13)

You see, we all may have small beginnings, but we are children of a big promise.

Paul writes in his letter to the Romans, “It is the Spirit that bears witness with our spirit that we are all children of God. We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to His purpose. What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, then who is against us? For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8)

And so, my prayer is not only that the small will physically grow strong, but that we will all spiritually grow strong in our faith.

For, as we see a seed grow from small beginnings to become a tree strong and tall providing space for nesting and shade for resting, the roots of faith run deep to withstand the world’s testing. This is the ground of our confidence in Christ in whom we are heirs to a promise greater than the world. Through Christ our well-being is guaranteed.

Turns out we are not so fragile after all because nothing can separate us from the love of God in whose loving care we have been entrusted since before we were born….

Reverend Andrews is a minister at Community Presbyterian Church of Deerfield Beach (Steeple on the Beach), located five blocks south of Hillsboro on A1A. This Sunday’s chapel worship is at 10 a.m. and the message is “From Small Beginnings.”

“They will hunger no more, and thirst no more; the sun will not strike them, nor any scorching heat; for the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of the water of life, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

[Revelation 7:16-17]

I am one of those weird people who loves hot weather.

I love it when the sand on the beach is so hot it burns the bottom of my bare feet. The easy fix is with an inexpensive pair of flip flops in order to trade a scorched Earth run for a leisurely stroll to refreshing ocean water. But who hasn’t seen and heard the inexperienced tourist’s barefoot run “Ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch” with every rapid step? Remember, don’t laugh at the tourists!

Despite a thousand things to do in South Florida year-round, the pace slows in the summer. And it is easy for me to marginalize the heat. I don’t work outside. Those who do work outside understand that the famously inviting Florida sunshine can be oppressive, even dangerous, if not respected.

Several decades ago, God planted Community Presbyterian Church a few blocks south of Hillsboro Boulevard between the Intracoastal Waterway and the beach. It is a perfect gathering spot to “Meet to Beat the Heat” in more ways than one.

Several years ago, the church and Montessori school decided to open church grounds Saturdays at Six p.m. in the heat of summer. This summer’s gatherings will be held the fourth Saturday of each month, the first being Saturday, June 28.

What to expect when you come? First of all, Meet to Beat the Heat is free, just like God’s grace and love. Even more important, Meet to Beat the Heat is wholesome fun. Face painting for children, great food, sodas and snow cones, music inside and out, even a short funny but meaningful video program with prizes for seniors all ensure an enjoyable outing. And to be certain we Meet to Beat the Heat, especially for the seniors, the video program is inside, where the air is cool.

Another feature of every Meet to Beat the Heat is to highlight community nonprofits and public health and safety services. Police officers, firefighters and the Bloodmobile are regulars. We’re thrilled this year to have Milo’s Dog Rescue committed to bring pets for adoption at each of our Meet to Beat the Heat gatherings. We are also looking forward to demonstrations this year by Grupo Capoeira Revelacao.

So come a bit early or stay late for a walk on the beach. There is no danger of burning your feet. And if, by chance, you need a prayer or a new friend to care, then this is the place for you. You may even become one of those weird people who love hot weather.

Reverend Dennis Andrews

Reverend Andrews is a minister at Community Presbyterian Church of Deerfield Beach (Steeple on the Beach) located five blocks south of Hillsboro on A1A.

Paul was in Athens the first century after the resurrection. Athens was a center of Greek philosophy at the time. Men like Socrates, Plato and Aristotle, philosophers from days gone by, had an enduring legacy. There were massive buildings and a population of several hundred thousand people. The culture valued human reason and intellectual reflection. I imagine intellects milling around like C-Span junkies in the courtyards in search of debates. I also imagine Starbucks on every corner …

Enter this little unsophisticated man named Paul with his ragged clothes. He walked alone unnoticed in the midst of stoics, philosophers and poets. He must have felt out-of-place, but he had world changing news to share.

The Book of Acts tells us how:

22Paul stood in front of the Areopagus and said, “Athenians, I see how extremely religious you are in every way. 23 For as I went through the city and looked carefully at the objects of your worship, I found among them an altar with the inscription, ‘To an unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. 24 The God who made the world and everything in it, he who is Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in shrines made by human hands, 25 nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mortals life and breath and all things. 26 From one ancestor, he made all nations to inhabit the whole earth, and he allotted the times of their existence and the boundaries of the places where they would live, 27 so that they would search for God and perhaps grope for him and find him – though, indeed, he is not far from each one of us. 28 For ‘In him we live and move and have our being;’ as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we too are his offspring.”

[Acts 17: 22 – 28]

Paul offers us a clinic on how not to be intimidated.

Some people are naturally more easily intimidated than others. We don’t exactly have equal doses of confidence. Some folks camouflage their feelings better than others too. My wife recently met with her doctoral committee to discuss her dissertation research. The purpose of the meeting was to establish the parameters of her research. Her research had to be approved in advance by people who have done this before who, by the way, are the same people who will approve it or disapprove it when the research is finished. Her situation was intimidating!

We’ve all been intimidated at one time or another, but should followers of Christ be intimidated? The short answer is “No.”

Paul offers a great character portrait of “If God be for us, then who can stand against us?”

Paul looks at his surroundings and gathers the confidence that comes with knowing who he is and whose he is; and he receives the assurance that comes with finding his purpose in Christ.

We can read the story about Paul in Athens and marvel at what Paul did and think, “Wow. I could never do that.” But Paul’s message is not really about preaching in Athens. Paul’s message is about Christ’s followers overcoming intimidating situations living out our faith wherever we are because we have world-changing news to share.

Join us for worship this Sunday at 10 a.m. at Community Presbyterian Church of Deerfield Beach (Steeple on the Beach), located five blocks south of Hillsboro on AIA.

Our worship focus is “Do Not Be Intimidated” based on Acts 17.

It is hard to imagine what that first Easter morning was really like, how remarkable, how stunning but we do know fear was pervasive. There is certainly no desire to revisit the brutality that led up to the resurrection. And, we cannot produce a great earthquake or angelic bolts of lightning.

Fear of God refers to reverence for God which is a good thing. Fear can prevent us from doing things that are harmful. We know God can use fear for good purpose. It’s no accident the men guarding the tomb were incapacitated by fear.

In the early hours of Easter morning, fear persists not only among those who love Jesus but also among those who do not.

Remember, even after being told by the angel of the Lord, “Don’t be afraid,” the women, each named Mary, left with fear and joy. They were still quivering, which is mild compared to the men guarding the tomb. They were so frightened they fainted …

Fear is a natural response to a great earthquake and bolts of lightning, but fear among those who loved Jesus was widespread not only because of what happened that day. It was all the things they cumulatively experienced. It was everything they brought to the moment.

The same can be true for me and you …

Fear is not something we can touch to feel. In most cases, at least in moderation, fear is subtle and stealthy. You cannot taste it or smell it, you cannot see it or hear it, but fear is real.

Does fear have a prevalent place in your life today? I hope not, but we all live with a little fear don’t we? What do you fear today? What is it that gets in the way, prevents you from loving and worshipping, and serving the Lord and living life to the fullest?

Whatever it is, whatever you fear — poor physical health, a financial challenge, a relationship that’s on the rocks, what the future holds for a child or a grandchild, a parent or grandparent, a friend — put your fear in the context of the resurrection, put it in the context of what Jesus accomplishes through the resurrection and your fear will assuredly disappear …

The 28th chapter of Matthew’s gospel tells us the first message Jesus speaks after the resurrection is “Do not be afraid.” This is a message that transcends time and place and resonates through centuries of human existence.

“Have no fear!”

Immediately after the resurrection, Jesus is speaking to his followers. They are reeling from what’s happened and he knows it. Have we ever been reeling? They are overwhelmed and confused. Have we ever been overwhelmed and confused? They are frightened. Have we ever been frightened? Of course we have …

Jesus says, have “No Fear! I am alive. I am here and through your faith in me you are free for eternity.”

Yes, Jesus speaks to the fear that saturates the first Easter like a heavy mist in the air, but he also speaks to the fear that saturates the landscape of our lives today. Recognize fear is part of the landscape of life. God recognizes it. God sees it. God knows it and Jesus is the answer to it …

Christ’s first message on Easter morning is everlasting. Accept him into your heart. Celebrate Easter every day of the year and live with no fear!

Dennis Andrews is a minister at Community Presbyterian Church of Deerfield Beach (Steeple on the Beach), located five blocks south of Hillsboro on A1A. See more at www.communitych.org or on Facebook. Worship gatherings are Sunday morning at 8:30 and 11 a.m.

Malaysian Airlines Flight 370 carried 12 crew members and 227 passengers from 14 nations. It is no wonder world news has been dominated since March 8 by its disappearance.

The massive air–sea rescue effort involved 26 nations and has been described as the largest air – sea rescue effort in history. This comes on the heels of 2013, which has been labeled the safest air travel year in history.

When days turn to weeks and the whereabouts of the plane, crew and passengers remain unknown, when what happened and why continue to be a mystery, the world is dumbfounded.

Transponders, black boxes, pings and other things are of little comfort to families and other people of compassion who grieve this tragedy. And nothing reawakens the world to the frailty of the human condition like a catastrophe. A catastrophe has to be severe in order to capture the world’s attention, but what is it about a calamity that commands our attention? It has to be more than loss of life because an estimated 15,000 children die of malnutrition every day. In terms of humans perishing, that would be equivalent to more than 60 large airplane crashes every day.

Perhaps one requirement of a catastrophe, if it is to command the world’s attention, is that it be an identifiable event, something we can imaginatively get our arms around. Another intriguing ingredient is mystery. It is stirring when we do not know what happened. The possibility of negligent or criminal wrongdoing is also gripping. The pursuit of blame is a close cousin to the pursuit of justice and these are the kinds of pursuits that elevate our collective adrenaline.

We also invariably want to determine how even accidents could have been avoided after they have not been avoided. We believe natural disasters can be guarded against and losses can be minimized through good preparations, and they can be and they are.

But the truth is, life is fragile and too often life seems shortlived because, in this lifetime, it is short-lived.

There are times when horrible things happen and our vulnerability is exposed. We are not invincible. The same tragedies that make some people question the existence of God draw others of us to our knees in prayer.

“Dear God, we pray for the soul of every person on Flight 370, for their families and friends, for the thousands of people involved in search and rescue operations and for countless others around the world drawn to compassion for people they will never know or meet. We pray your spirit bless them and give them comfort only you can provide.”

Catastrophes and our response to them, especially the horrible things that command the world’s attention, can draw people from different parts of the world, different cultures and different languages closer to the Creator and thus closer to one another. May this be part of the legacy of Flight 370.

The Psalmist writes, “Where can I go from your spirit? Or where can I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there. If I take the wings of the morning and settle at the farthest limits of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me fast.” [139:7–10]

Should Flight 370 be discovered at the farthest limits of the sea, then have faith this is where the God of mercy will also be.

Dennis Andrews is a minister at Community Presbyterian Church of Deerfield Beach (Steeple on the Beach) located five blocks south of Hillsboro on A1A. See more at www.communitych.org or on Facebook. Worship gatherings are Saturday at Six, Sunday morning at 8:30 and 11 a.m.

Many years ago, a friend and his wife learned they would not be able to have their own natural born children. They decided to adopt. It took the patience of a judge for them to move through the process, but they finally succeeded.

They imagined an infant from the beginning. An infant, they thought, would be perfect and know them as parents from the outset. What they received were not one, but two, young boys. These boys were anything but infants and anything but perfect. They had been abused by their drug-addicted parents. The boys arrived with mental, psychological and emotional baggage.

But, my friend and his wife were steadfast in their parental duties, long-suffering in their love for these two boys through formative years of school expulsions, arrests, juvenile detention and one heart-wrenching problem after another.

My friend once told me, “As hard as it has been, our faith has grown alongside these boys. The experience may have given us insight as to how God feels watching us grow!”

Adoption meant these boys received far more than a new last name and safe place to stay. They were adopted into a family. They were forgiven even when they didn’t deserve it. They were loved. They survived.

Did you ever wonder what would have become of baby Moses had he not been adopted by Pharaoh’s daughter or what would have happened to Hadassah, the beautiful young woman who became Queen Esther, had she not been adopted by good ole Uncle Mordecai?

Moses likely would have been drowned with the other male babies. Hadassah probably would have been killed with the rest of her people. The course of human history and the development of Judeo Christian faith traditions would at the very least be different were it not for God’s plans for adoption.

What are God’s plans for adoption today?

There are thousands of children in South Florida in need of physical adoption. If you are able, then I encourage you to consider adoption, But, the truth is, we all have need of adoption, just an adoption of a different, more permanent, kind.

The Apostle Paul says it this way: “Even before God made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ….” [Ephesians 1:4- 5, NLT]

Our most important adoption is made possible by the cross, not by the courts. There is no lengthy legal process. We consent to our adoption when we accept Christ as Lord.

No perfection required. None of us remain innocent as a newborn child. We all have baggage. None of us are always loveable, and we may not deserve forgiveness, but we all can have it through Christ.

Pray God continues to be steadfast and longsuffering with the open loving arms of adoption, patiently watching us grow and accepting us into the family.

Ever think about adoption? I hope so because the most consequential adoption you will ever think about is your own …

Dennis Andrews is a minister at Community Presbyterian Church of Deerfield Beach (Steeple on the Beach) located five blocks south of Hillsboro on A1A. See more at www.comm unitych.org or on Facebook. Worship gatherings are: Saturdays @ Six, Sunday morning at 8:30 and 11 a.m.

Did you know you can be lost and found and not even know who you are?

This is exactly what happened to 200 French soldiers at the end of World War II. The soldiers were suffering from amnesia when they were released from POW camps.

Doctors thought determining their identity and reuniting them with families and friends would be vital to their recovery, so a massive effort to identify the unknown men was carried out.

The Red Cross was able to identity most of the men. To determine the identity of the remaining veterans, photographs of the few dozen remaining unknown men were published in newspapers throughout France. Then the public was invited to a gathering at the Paris Opera House.

On the evening of the gathering, each man whose identity remained unknown walked on stage, one at a time, and asked a simple question, “Does anyone know who I am?” Each man was then seated in hopes someone would know them.

Most people believe it was a miracle each man was eventually identified and reconnected with family and friends.

The prophet Ezekiel speaking for the Lord says, “I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out. … I will seek the lost, bring back the strayed, bind up the injured and strengthen the weak…” (Ezekiel 34)

When God commits to seek after us then we can be found even if we think we don’t want to be, even if we don’t know we’re lost!

One example happened just a few weeks ago when record-setting cold temperatures inspired news coverage of the cold weather’s impact on the homeless. In the middle of the cold spell Jacqueline Martin, an Associated Press photographer, was dispatched into the heart of our nation’s capital to find and photograph the homeless.

She photographed a young homeless man on a park bench named Nick. Nick’s photo ran prominently nationwide and ironically this photo led to his reunion with his family near Rochester, New York.

The reunion is ironic because Nick declined to give the photographer his last name when asked to do so. He knew who he was. He just didn’t consider himself lost and he didn’t want to be found, but he was lost and he was found.

For many people, the despair in being lost is thinking no one cares, thinking no one is looking for them, but Christ seeking after the lost is a central part and promise of the Gospel.

Whether you’re lost mentally, physically, emotionally or spiritually, maybe you’ve forgotten who you really are even if you don’t know you’re lost or you don’t want to be found, you still have the assurance of knowing Jesus is always seeking after you …

Jesus says, “Which one of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that is lost until he finds it? When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders and rejoices. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost.’” (Luke 15: 4 – 6)

Join us this Sunday morning for informal chapel worship at 8:30 or sanctuary worship at 11. The message “Lost and Found” is based on the Gospel of Luke, Chapter 15.

Dennis Andrews is a minister at Community Presbyterian Church of Deerfield Beach (Steeple on the Beach) located five blocks south of Hillsboro on A1A. See more at www.communitych.org or on Facebook.

“Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,” which means, “God is with us.”

(Matthew 1:23)

One of the least recognized lessons from Joseph in the Christmas story highlights the importance of change; the willingness to change when we should, stay the course when we should and the wisdom to know the difference.

We all have “God surprises” from time to time and it goes without saying that Mary’s surprise is unmatched in the history of humankind. The divine delivery speaks for itself, but Joseph took a good jolt himself and he eventually did exactly what he needed to do.

Change is hard once we are invested where we are, once we are invested in where we think we’re headed. How does the saying go? “The more we care, the longer we’re there, the less likely we’ll dare to change!”

You don’t have to live very long to learn the greatest blessings in the world involve God surprises. We had one of these God surprises and big changes in our family over Thanksgiving when our middle child announced she was going to have a baby.

How cool is that?

Talk about a big change that leads to a little blessing and a little blessing that that leads to a big change. Some of the more emotional people in my family get all teary in the eyes when they hear about this sort of God surprise. I only required a small towel…

Christmas is a great big God surprise, although it shouldn’t have been a surprise at all given the predictions… You know the story. Joseph and Mary are betrothed. They have wedding plans and they’re excited as any young couple would be. The families long-since approved. Nazareth is a small town. Word gets around.

Joseph and Mary are mentally, emotionally and personally invested when Mary turns up with child. Joseph may have been teary in the eyes, too, given the story told that Mary is still a virgin. How could that be true?

I personally think it would have been great if the angel appeared to Joseph back when the angel appeared to Mary. Gabriel could have just held a little premarital counseling session with the two of them and let them wrestle with the news about the baby together.

But God surprises have a way of happening the way God wants and not the way we want! And we’re left to wonder and believe, or not .

There is disbelief in Joseph’s first change of plans, which is to quietly send Mary away. This remains his plan until Joseph is shown an angel of his own. With the help of the angel, Joseph eventually has the right frame of mind. He changes when he needs to change and stays the course when he needs to stay the course. Ultimately, Joseph does what all of us are supposed to do. He uncrosses and opens his arms to the will of God.

Pray for God surprises in 2014, little blessings, big blessings and maybe even an angel or two to give us the wisdom and willingness to change when we need to change and stay the course when we need to stay the course. But be prepared to be a little teary in the eyes because God knows sometimes it takes a good jolt to change…

Reverend Dennis Andrews

Reverend Andrews is a minister at Community Presbyterian Church of Deerfield Beach (Steeple on the Beach) located five blocks south of Hillsboro on AIA. See more at www.comm unitych.org or on Facebook.

Thanksgiving has been a favorite holiday of mine since I was young.

I remember waking up as a young child on Thanksgiving Day morning to the aroma of turkey cooking in the oven. Ah, the day’s high hopes and expectations preceded my feet hitting the floor.

An early morning tradition at our home included scrumptious warm cinnamon rolls with lemon icing melted over the top. “Um- mm good!” I usually ate a handful of these because they were small and so was I, at the time.

First things in the morning included finding out who was coming and when they were expected to arrive, watching a little of the Thanksgiving Day parade on television and finding out when the football games were to begin.

Thanksgiving Day meal happened in the middle of the day, but a little later than normal to give the family extra time to arrive. Thanksgiving Day travel back then was more a matter of traveling across town than dealing with airports and homeland security.

An early afternoon meal meant I would have time to recover from all those cinnamon rolls. It also gave us time to adjust and turn the old antenna on the roof. HD television back then stood for “Hard-to-Determine” rather than “High-Definition,” so a clear picture of the game required the antenna to be pointed in just the right direction.

I never understood how the Bears and Cowboys were always among the teams duped into playing on Thanksgiving Day, but it explains how I became a Bears and Cowboys fan.

Once everyone arrived, we had a great meal topped off with pumpkin pie. After filling our stomachs, the sports enthusiasts of a certain gender and age would then fall asleep in a comfortable chair before the end of the game they had been so excited to watch.

There were afternoon board games and discussions about family, sports, church and state and maybe a look ahead to Christmas. Early evening was time for the best tasting leftovers in the history of the world and, before the sun went down, everyone was gone.

Traditions can change with time when children become parents and parents become grandparents. Skype, Face- Time and Facebook are not same as being there; but, even when families find themselves scattered across the globe, Thanksgiving has not lost its luster.

This is so because Thanksgiving is more than turkey and cinnamon, or parades and football. Somewhere in the love of family, one for the other, in familiar scents and sounds, in memories, in emotions is found the Spirit greater than our own.

We discover the Source of the food in the oven is the One who creates and sustains our high hopes and expectations. This is the Spirit of Thanksgiving and this is the Spirit of the Lord.

The Psalmist says “Know that the LORD is God. It is he that made us and we are his. We are his people and the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise. Give thanks to him, bless his name. For the LORD is good. His steadfast love endures forever and his faithfulness to all generations.” (Psalm 100:3-5 NRSV)

Thank God, it’s Thanksgiving again in this great land blessed with abundance, hard fought freedom and opportunity. I just hope it is my turn to sleep in the comfortable chair.

Join us for Thanksgiving worship this Saturday @ Six or Sunday morning at 8:30 or 11 a.m.

Reverend Andrews is a minister at the Community Presbyterian Church of Deerfield Beach (Steeple on the Beach), located five blocks south of Hillsboro on A1A. See more at www.comm unitych.org or on Facebook.