Pumpkin. Apple. Maybe Key Lime if we want to run away from the cold and pretend that we live somewhere warm. But my favorite Thanksgiving pie is one I never actually ate. 

My friends and I were throwing our own thanksgiving since we were going to be away from family that year. Each person claimed a dish. Potatoes, salads, cranberry sauce - the works. I picked the turkey but I knew that wasn't going to be enough. I wanted to make sure that there was a delicious pie waiting for us at the end of the meal. A few days before Thanksgiving, I left work early, dodged tourists and locals to head to my favorite pie shop to pick up a large apple pie with a lattice crust. On the subway ride back to my apartment, I dreamed up all the ways this meal was going to be great. I couldn't wait to hang with my friends, make new ones, and celebrate the fall season and eating my body weight in amazing foods. When I got to my apartment, I put my pie in a safe space in my fridge, closed the door, and dreamed sweet dreams filled with pie. 

Thanksgiving came and I headed to the host with my turkey and all I'd need to make an amazing bird. And in the hours of cooking, football, and sharing food with old friends and new, I didn't notice that I forgot something. It wasn't until after I rolled myself home and opened the fridge to pile in the leftovers that I saw my special pie. It was still sitting there, unopened and unused. I thought that pie would be that special note to make an amazing meal even better. But when I was with my friends, cooking and creating, what mattered wasn't the product. What mattered was the connections with the people around me. Community. Friendships. Being known and being loved, that's what November is all about. And that's what our God is about too. As Thanksgiving rolls through, know that Jesus is here too. He might not be bringing a pie but he is giving all that he has to you. So I invite you to take a moment this season to look for Jesus' connection to you. You might find something amazing.

See you in church!
Pastor Marc