Thanksgiving, 2004
In November, 1863, Abraham Lincoln wrote:
The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty
No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy. It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and voice by the whole American People. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens.
The Civil War was raging. Our new nation was in grave danger. Yet, President Lincoln made this proclamation to set aside a day for everyone to give thanks to God. In the midst of a terrible crisis, he thanked God for fruitful fields and healthful skies.
But, that wasn’t the first Thanksgiving. In 1789, the year of the signing of our Constitution, President Washington wrote:
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 to implore his protection and favor--and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me "to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness."
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 the 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 previous to their becoming a Nation--for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of his Providence which we experienced in the tranquillity, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed--for the peaceable and rational manner, in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national One now lately instituted--for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed; and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and in general for all the great and various favors which he hath been pleased to confer upon us.
and also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions--to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually--to render our national government a blessing to all the people, by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed--to protect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shewn kindness onto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord--To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the encrease of science among them and us--and generally to grant unto all Mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best.
Of course, this wasn’t the first Thanksgiving either. You probably think you have to go back to the 1500’s and the Plymouth colony for that one. That would be the first Thanksgiving celebrated on our continent. But to find the first one, you have to go back a lot farther than that, all the way back to Matthew’s Gospel.
On the night he was betrayed, he took bread and gave you thanks and praise. He broke the bread, gave it to his disciples, and said:
“Take this, all of you, and eat it:
This is my body which will be given up for you.”
When supper was ended, he took the cup. Again he gave you thanks and praise,
Gave the cup to his disciples and said:
“Take this, all of you, and drink from it:
This is the cup of my blood.”
The word “Eucharist” is from the Greek Eucharisto, which means thanksgiving. Christ celebrated the first Thanksgiving in the upper room, the night before he suffered and died. Less than 24 hours before he would endure terrible pain and suffering, what did he do? He gave his Father thanks and praise. Later on, in the garden, he would ask God to take this cup from him, but “not my will, but thy will be done.”
That was the first Thanksgiving, and we celebrate it every time we gather around this altar to receive Christ’s Body and Blood in the Eucharist.
Unfortunately, our national day of Thanksgiving has lost a lot of its meaning. Many of us will spend the day eating, watching television, and making plans that rival the D-Day invasion in their complexity, deciding which store to go to first tomorrow morning. It will be a day of checking the ads to see who opens at 3:00 am, or 4:00 am, and who has the best bargains for the first 100 people through the door.
But no matter what our plans are for the rest of the day, we have this time to spend in thanks and praise to the one who gives us everything. Like President Lincoln, we can be thankful for all the good things in our lives, even if they aren’t exactly what we’d like them to be. Maybe our health could be better. But, hey, it could also be worse. Maybe we’ve had some financial reverses this year, but we’re definitely better off than a lot of others. And, we made it through another year. And in just a few minutes, we’ll share the real Thanksgiving Meal.
Thanks be to God.
The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty
No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy. It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and voice by the whole American People. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens.
The Civil War was raging. Our new nation was in grave danger. Yet, President Lincoln made this proclamation to set aside a day for everyone to give thanks to God. In the midst of a terrible crisis, he thanked God for fruitful fields and healthful skies.
But, that wasn’t the first Thanksgiving. In 1789, the year of the signing of our Constitution, President Washington wrote:
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 to implore his protection and favor--and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me "to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness."
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 the 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 previous to their becoming a Nation--for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of his Providence which we experienced in the tranquillity, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed--for the peaceable and rational manner, in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national One now lately instituted--for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed; and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and in general for all the great and various favors which he hath been pleased to confer upon us.
and also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions--to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually--to render our national government a blessing to all the people, by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed--to protect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shewn kindness onto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord--To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the encrease of science among them and us--and generally to grant unto all Mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best.
Of course, this wasn’t the first Thanksgiving either. You probably think you have to go back to the 1500’s and the Plymouth colony for that one. That would be the first Thanksgiving celebrated on our continent. But to find the first one, you have to go back a lot farther than that, all the way back to Matthew’s Gospel.
On the night he was betrayed, he took bread and gave you thanks and praise. He broke the bread, gave it to his disciples, and said:
“Take this, all of you, and eat it:
This is my body which will be given up for you.”
When supper was ended, he took the cup. Again he gave you thanks and praise,
Gave the cup to his disciples and said:
“Take this, all of you, and drink from it:
This is the cup of my blood.”
The word “Eucharist” is from the Greek Eucharisto, which means thanksgiving. Christ celebrated the first Thanksgiving in the upper room, the night before he suffered and died. Less than 24 hours before he would endure terrible pain and suffering, what did he do? He gave his Father thanks and praise. Later on, in the garden, he would ask God to take this cup from him, but “not my will, but thy will be done.”
That was the first Thanksgiving, and we celebrate it every time we gather around this altar to receive Christ’s Body and Blood in the Eucharist.
Unfortunately, our national day of Thanksgiving has lost a lot of its meaning. Many of us will spend the day eating, watching television, and making plans that rival the D-Day invasion in their complexity, deciding which store to go to first tomorrow morning. It will be a day of checking the ads to see who opens at 3:00 am, or 4:00 am, and who has the best bargains for the first 100 people through the door.
But no matter what our plans are for the rest of the day, we have this time to spend in thanks and praise to the one who gives us everything. Like President Lincoln, we can be thankful for all the good things in our lives, even if they aren’t exactly what we’d like them to be. Maybe our health could be better. But, hey, it could also be worse. Maybe we’ve had some financial reverses this year, but we’re definitely better off than a lot of others. And, we made it through another year. And in just a few minutes, we’ll share the real Thanksgiving Meal.
Thanks be to God.
posted by Mike at 9:10 PM
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