Quinter, Kan, RPC Steven Work, pastor

The fall season is giving some good weather days for working on the exterior of the church building. Some youth from the Midwest Presbytery volunteered to help scrape windows on the building in August. They were Will Mann from Shawnee RPC, and Eric, Jacque, Martha, and Lydia Scoby from the Denison RPC. Several local members of the congregation have also labored in repainting the window frames. The target date to replace the siding has been delayed until spring 2009.

Two members of the congregation continue to have an impact on the community. Waldo and Vernice McBurney celebrated birthdays Oct. 4 at the Quinter Museum. The open house was sponsored by the Quinter Historical Society, whose president is Sam Chestnut. Waldo was celebrating 106 years and Vernice 94 years. He had his book My First 100 Years for sale, and he autographed several copies at the event.

­—Fran Mann, correspondent

Too Little, Too Late

While this will be too little, too late for this year, I would like to remind our brothers and sisters in Christ about the historical tradition of conducting a thanksgiving service on Thanksgiving Day. This should seem to be preaching to the choir, but I’ve watched over the years as this tradition has slowly faded out in many churches.

Now here’s the point. Thanksgiving Day is the only national (U.S.) religious holiday. I’m not sure of the facts about Canada’s day. Here in the States it is established by act of Congress and accompanied by an annual president’s proclamation. And it’s good! One would think that Christians would be the first to respond to this call to acknowledge God and His goodness! I will not expound on the idols of turkey and football that have stolen away our hearts. Family time together is wonderful; but that’s not the significance of Thanksgiving Day. Nor is it fundamentally a “church” activity. It’s for “citizens.” And the president encourages citizens to gather in their places of worship to express a national thanksgiving.

It’s time to see churches returning to this tradition and inviting their neighbor-citizens to join them!

—Rev. Ken G. Smith, Beaver Falls, Pa.