HAVE A GREAT THANKSGIVING!

     In 1621, when their labors were rewarded with a bountiful harvest after a year of sickness and scarcity, the Pilgrims gave thanks to God and celebrated His bounty in the Harvest Home tradition with feasting and recreation. To these people of strong Christian faith, this was not merely a revel; it was also a joyous outpouring of gratitude. Fellowship, prayer, and gratitude. A focus on God, community, and blessings. 1620 had been a very tough year, but the Pilgrims had a wonderful harvest in 1621. So John Allerton (with his kids- Bartholomew, Mary, and Remember), William and Mary Brewster (plus their kids- Love, and Wrestling), Francis Easton, Richard Gardiner, Miles Standish, the Hopkins (including Damaris and Oceanus), Edward and Susanna Winslow, and Richard Gardiner sat down with 34 other Pilgrims and a large group of Native Americans … to give thanks to God. It is likely that they feasted on wild turkeys, geese, ducks, beans, spinach, cabbage, blueberries, plums, and grapes … but their focus was on God’s blessings and their own togetherness.

      398 years ago, Thanksgiving was about joy and gratitude. The people had fun together. They played games, but their joy was anchored in God’s blessings. Today, many people have narrowed their sense of community to just a few family members and for some, God has taken a backseat to football. In 2019, Thanksgiving is, for some, a day without work and the kickoff to the Christmas season. Some of us do well to simply stay awake and avoid talking about God and/or current affairs.

      Yet, there are many who continue to hold God and God’s blessings at the center of their festivities. You are among this crowd. I know that and I wish each one of you a Thanksgiving that’s filled with gratitude, joy, grace, and your favorite dish-to-pass. When I was a kid, our holidays were celebrated in a secular way. Church was not part of our Easter. Christmas was about kids and gifts. Alcohol was always lurking as a potential problem, but we certainly tried to give our kids the best Christmas possible.

      However, as I remember, God was always mentioned at Thanksgiving. Our friends and families were not religious … but Thanksgiving reminded us that we were blessed by God. A generous God. A God without any denomination. A God without any expectation from us. A God to whom many of us gave no thought at all during the rest of the year. We didn’t think about God much, but on Thanksgiving… one of the elders and eventually, one of us, would lead everyone in prayer before we ate. “Thank you, God, for giving us so much. Thanks for blessing us in so many ways. On this day, we remember you and thank you for remembering us. Amen,”

      That was it, but I always looked forward to this prayer. And given my own struggles with faith, it was a reminder that God is good. Have a great Thanksgiving. pk