The Rev. Graham Tucker told those in attendance at the annual Andalusia Area Community Thanksgiving service Tuesday night “we never seem to do enough thanking God for his blessings throughout the year.”

Tucker shared with the congregation, who gathered at the First Presbyterian Church, about how an oyster goes through much pain to develop beautiful pearls.

“Pearls are important in the scriptures,” he said. “In Revelation 21:21, it says, ‘The 12 gates were 12 pearls…every single gate was of one pearl.

“The gates of Heaven are solid pearl,” he said. “And Jesus went through a lot of pain for our sins. So, it’s not surprising that the pearl is used to make those huge gates in Heaven. I began to realize it could be said of Jesus, that because of the pain he endured for me. Did he develop the pearl? I don’t if it would hold Biblical truth, but it does remind me or the awful pain He suffered for me.”

Tucker said he wishes that people would remember that thanksgiving to God should be more than just during the holidays.

“Sometimes we don’t remember to thank him anymore until Thanksgiving rolls around again,” he said. “We need to be thanking God all the time for his mercy. His mercy is a result of his love. Jesus did not have to come and give his life. He didn’t have to suffer. Sometimes the oyster doesn’t have a lot of choice. It doesn’t have arms or eyes. It just opens its shell and takes in the food. Therefore, it doesn’t have a lot of choice in the pain it endures.

“We should be thankful that Jesus came and gave himself for us,” he said. “Jesus’ blood covers our sins. We should thank God that he sees the blood and can’t see sin anymore, if we ask him to forgive us.”

In addition to the sermon, a mass community choir under the direction of Angie Sasser, music director of the First Presbyterian Church, performed.

The event was sponsored by the Andalusia Area Ministerial Alliance, which includes the Rev. Leroy Cole of the Covington Baptist Association, the Rev. Willie Denson of Bethel AME Church, the Rev. Clyde Northrop of Salem Baptist Church, the Rev. Ed Ganus of Philadelphia Baptist Church, the Rev. Fred Funches of Mt. Zion United Methodist Church, Tucker, retired minister Melvin Smith, the Rev. Mike Wilcox of the Church of the Nazarene and the Rev. Dale Sallans of the First Presbyterian Church.