Greater Chattanooga area churches remember to give thanks

photo Nic Powell, Kathy Taber, Kevin Irion, Daryl McCurry, Vicki McCurry and other volunteers, from right, dish out a warm Thanksgiving meal for the less fortunate while inside of the Community Kitchen in downtown Chattanooga.

DAYTON, Tenn. - Before the turkey and the yams and the pie, a small group gathered at the First Christian Community Church to pause for a moment and give thanks to their God.

While many people center their Thanksgiving holiday on food, football and shopping, about 30 First Christian Community Church members wanted to make sure their day began with gratitude.

"Just think in the last year, how many have gone on to eternity?" said Pastor Edward Charles Johnson. "But God has saw fit to allow our days to roll over a little longer. We're still here."

The pastor read from the 22nd chapter of Luke, the story of the Last Supper. Even as he was preparing for his death, Jesus stopped to give thanks.

photo Tristine Givens, left, serves Lisa Johnson a warm Thanksgiving meal while inside of the Community Kitchen in downtown Chattanooga. This is Givens' first year volunteering.

At the special church service, people took turns testifying in thanksgiving. One woman thanked God for her new job, her new car. A man gave thanks for his health, his longevity. One woman who couldn't stand thanked God for allowing her to just be there.

Mount Zion Baptist Church Pastor Robert Henderson urged congregants to take time to say thank you for all those things people often take for granted. For food on the table. For shelter overhead.

"You have spared us another year from one Thanksgiving to the other, in spite of us," Henderson said. "Right now, father, I just want to again say thank you. ... You have given us this day, which we've never seen before. Everybody here ought to be able to say thank you for something."

While some might want to attribute their material riches to their own skill or hard work, Henderson said none of it is possible without God. He said we could all learn from the apostle Paul who wrote about being content in all circumstances.

"In everything give thanks," Henderson said.

And as they prepared to feast, he called on them to think about those around the world going without food, those lining up in shelters and soup kitchens.

"Help us to give thanks as we sit around that table," Henderson said. "Help us to praise you instead of gossiping about others."

Earlier in the morning in Chattanooga, thousands took to the frigid streets for the annual Grateful Gobbler Walk, a downtown and North Shore 5K that helped to raise money for a new 68-bed homeless family shelter at the Chattanooga Community Kitchen.

Around lunchtime, the Community Kitchen started serving up its annual Thanksgiving meal, capping more than a week of free meals from community nonprofits and churches. Tim Wood, the Community Kitchen's director of operations, said he expected some 150 volunteers would serve 500 to 700 meals of turkey, dressing, yams and pie on Thursday. The kitchen generally serves 300 to 350 people each day, but Thanksgiving always sees a bigger crowd.

With temperatures predicted to dip as low as 25 degrees overnight, Wood expected the kitchen's shelter to see increased occupancy Thursday night.

"We expect some that usually stay in camp sites to come in tonight," he said, though temperatures were expected to warm up a bit over the weekend. "Tonight's the real night of concern for us."

Contact staff writer Kevin Hardy at khardy@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6249.

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