THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, November 17, 1994 TAG: 9411160168
SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN PAGE: 10 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY TRUDY CUTHRELL, CORRESPONDENT
DATELINE: SUFFOLK LENGTH: Long : 107 lines
IN 1789, George Washington issued the First Thanksgiving Proclamation:
Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly implore His protection, aid and favors . . .
Now, therefore, I do recommend and assign Thursday, the 26th day of November next, to be devoted by the people of these states to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the Beneficent Author of all good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country, and for all the great and various favors which He has been pleased to confer upon us.
In the spirit of Thanksgivings past, many local churches will gather together this year to offer praise and thanksgiving to God for our nation and our individual lives.
For nearly 40 years, the churches of Chuckatack Village have come together for a joint Thanksgiving service of worship and celebration. The congregations of Whitehead's Grove Baptist Church, Oakland Christian Church, Wesley Chapel United Methodist Church and St. John's Episcopal Church will gather this year at the Wesley Chapel at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 23, Thanksgiving eve. The host pastor will be the Rev. John M. Brackin III. The Rev. Mark L. Burns, pastor at Oakland Christian, will be guest minister for the service, and the Rev. Leonard Russell, pastor at Whitehead's Grove, will participate in prayers and the reading of Scripture.
``I celebrate this coming together of churches,'' Burns said. ``I think it's a wonderful tradition that needs to be maintained.''
He will share a message titled ``Partnership in the Gospel'' taken from the text of Philippians 1:2-11.
Special sacred music will be directed by Betty Glasscock, director of music at Wesley Chapel. A combined choir from the participating churches will perform. And congregational singing will include such traditional favorites as ``Now Thank We All Our God,'' ``Come Ye Thankful People Come'' and ``We Gather Together.''
The doors of the church and the Chuckatuck community are open for public participation in this event. Wesley Chapel is at 220 King's Highway in Chuckatuck.
The congregations of Hillcrest Baptist Church and Bethlehem Christian Church will join at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 23, for a Thanksgiving Eve service.
The Rev. Merle Correll, pastor of Bethlehem, will welcome guests and assist in the service. The Rev. Doug Gibson, pastor of Hillcrest, will present the Thanksgiving message.
After this service, a reception will be held in Graham Hall at Bethlehem Christian Church.
Macedonia Baptist Church in Crittenden will serve as host church for a community Thanksgiving gathering at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 23 involving Ebenezer United Methodist Church, St. Andrew Presbyterian Church and Faith Lutheran Church. The Macedonia Choir will perform the evening's anthem and the Rev. Carl Lemon, pastor of Ebenezer, will present the message.
The community is invited to attend this join worship service. Macedonia Baptist is at 8300 Crittenden Road.
Cypress Chapel and Liberty Spring Christian Churches will gather at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 23 for a Thanksgiving Eve celebration of praise and worship. The Rev. John Kimball, pastor of Cypress Chapel, will deliver the evening sermon taken from the text of Psalm 107. ``The idea is to try to foster real thankfulness for what God has given us in Jesus Christ,'' Kimball explained.
A combined choir from the sister churches will perform and lead the congregation in singing traditional Thanksgiving hymns.
Liberty Spring Pastor, the Rev. Kenneth Pepper, also will participate in the program. A reception after the service will be held in the fellowship hall of Liberty Spring, 4213 Whaleyville Blvd.
Local churches of the Suffolk Ministerial Association will sponsor a citywide Thanksgiving worship service at 10 a.m. Nov. 24 at East End Baptist Church, 523 East Washington St. The Rev. Bruce Havens, pastor of the Suffolk Christian Church, will present the morning message. Other local ministers will assist in the service.
A Thanksgiving offering will be taken and donated to several community ministries. Members of participating churches as well as the community are invited to join in this time of worship and thanksgiving.
A community Thanksgiving service will be held at Tucker Swamp Baptist Church in Zuni this Sunday. The evening program will begin with a covered dish supper at 6 p.m. in the Family Life Center of the church, 3727 Seacock Chapel Road. Worship will begin at 7:30 p.m. with testimonies and sacred music by the combined choirs of Tucker Swamp and Bethany Presbyterian Church. The Rev. John Hartman of Bethany will bring the Thanksgiving message. The community is invited to join in this Thanksgiving celebration.
THANKSGIVING DINNERS
Seven local churches along with various community groups will sponsor a free community Thanksgiving dinner from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 24, at the Suffolk Salvation Army, 400 Bank St. Both eat-in and take-out meals will be available.
Drivers are needed to deliver meals to the home-bound. To volunteer, call 539-0316.
A free Thanksgiving dinner will be served at noon Thanksgiving Day at Temple Bethel. Fellowship will begin at 10 a.m. followed by dinner at noon. The host for this event will be Rabbi Levi S. Plummer. The synagogue is at 3927 Bridge Road in north Suffolk. This dinner is free and open to the public for all needy people and families. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
The Revs. Mark L. Burns, Leonard Russell and John M. Brackin III
plan the joint Thanksgiving Eve service their churches will hold at
Wesley Chapel United Methodist Church in Chuckatuck.
by CNB