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Thanksgiving: The Root of the Tradition, the Secret to Successful Christian Living

Originally Broadcast Nov 2001The fourthfestivals, with which the Separatists would
Thursday in November is called Thanksgivinghave been very familiar. In their native
Day in the USA. Whether you live here or not,England, days of feasting and leisure
are you going through a tough time thiscommonly followed the harvest. Earlier such
Thanksgiving? Aside from all theharvest festivals include ancient Greek
international unrest, are you finding it hardThesmophoria, ancient Roman Cerealia, and the
to find anything to be thankful about in theJewish Sukkot.Not to imply that the 1621
midst of your own life? If so, maybe thisfeast had more in common with pagan festivals
message will minister to you.Did you know itthan with their first Christian Thanksgiving,
wasn't until the American Civil Warwhich they observed in 1623 to celebrate the
(1861-1865) that Congress officiallynow infamous crop-saving rainfall, after
recognized Thanksgiving Day? Even though itapparently skipping the occasion in 1622.
all began over 200 years earlier in theFrom the Separatist perspective, everything
Plymouth Colony, Massachusetts, 1621. Thefell within the bounds of faith. EVERYTHING.
Separatists (it was much later when theyAs Leland Ryken wrote in "Worldly Saints: The
became known as "Pilgrims"), who foundedPuritans As They Really Were": "Puritanism
Plymouth Colony in 1620, ignored mostwas impelled by the insight that all of life
holidays. In fact, they recognized onlyis God's. The Puritans lived simultaneously
three: the weekly Sabbath, the Day ofin two worlds--the invisible spiritual world
Humiliation and Fasting, and the Day ofand the physical world of earthly existence.
Thanksgiving and Praise. The latter two wereFor the Puritans, both worlds were equally
not set on the calendar but were proclaimedreal, and there was no cleavage of life into
in response to God's perceived favor orsacred and secular. All of life was
disfavor. Colonial life was so tied to thesacred."In simple English, whether you go to
harvest cycle that fasting days were mostchurch on Thanksgiving or not, the day can be
often called in the spring, when there wasn'tseasoned with what Puritan Richard Baxter
much to eat anyway. Feast days oftencalled "a drop of glory." For that matter,
accompanied the autumn harvest. BothEVERY day can be seasoned in this way. As
observances occurred on weekdays, usually thePaul and King David put it, "The earth is the
day of special sermons (known as LectureLord's, and everything in it" (Psalm 24:1, 1
Day), which was on a Thursday in PlymouthCor.10:26).After their first few traditional
Colony.Their first dreadful winter incelebrations of Thanksgiving, the custom of
Massachusetts had killed about half thesuch a day soon spread to other colonies,
members of the colony. But new hope arose inbecoming a time of celebrating the harvest.
the summer of 1621. The settlers expected aIn 1777, the Continental Congress proclaimed
good corn harvest, despite poor crops ofa national day of Thanksgiving after the
peas, wheat, and barley. Thus, in earlyAmerican Revolution victory at the Battle of
autumn, governor William Bradford arranged aSaratoga, an important battle which proved to
harvest festival to give thanks to God forthe world that America could stand toe-to-toe
the progress the colony had made.The festivalwith England, who had the greatest army in
lasted three days. The surviving Separatists,the world at that time. Notice it was a
numbering about 50, feasted with 90 membersholiday motivated by armed conflict. Twelve
of the Wampanoag Indians who brought gifts ofyears later, George Washington proclaimed
food as a goodwill gesture. It was not ananother national day of Thanksgiving in honor
"official" day of thanksgiving. In the onlyof the ratification of the Constitution and
surviving firsthand account of the meal,requested that the Congress finally establish
Edward Winslow described it this way: "Ourit as an annual event. They declined. So, it
harvest being gotten in, our governor sentwould be another 100 years, after the
four men on fowling, that so we might after anation's bloody Civil War, before President
special manner rejoice together after we hadAbraham Lincoln would proclaim that the last
gathered the fruit of our labors. They fourThursday in November would become
in one day killed as much fowl as, with aThanksgiving Day. That was 1865, the year the
little help beside, served the company almostCivil War ended. Surprisingly, it took
a week. At which time, among otheranother 40 years, the early 1900s, before the
recreations, we exercised our arms, many oftradition really caught on. See, Lincoln's
the Indians coming amongst us, and among theofficial Thanksgiving was sanctioned in order
rest their greatest king Massasoit, with someto bolster the Union's morale. Southerners
ninety men, whom for three days weboycotted the new holiday, seeing it as an
entertained and feasted, and they went outattempt to impose Northern customs on their
and killed five deer, which they brought toconquered land.Today, Thanksgiving is an
the plantation and bestowed upon ourannual Rockwellian event filled with
governor, and upon the captain, and others.football, feasting, and family that causes
And although it be not always so plentiful asover 35 million Americans to "head home" for
it was at this time with us, yet by thetheir family feasts. But that's not the
goodness of God, we are so far from want thathistorical picture of this idealistic
we often wish you partakers of ourholiday. From its inception, it has more
plenty."The very first Thanksgivingoften been associated with adversity, bloody,
observance in America, two years earlier, wasand difficult times. Before a day of
entirely religious and didn't involveThanksgiving ever existed in a place called
anything remotely resembling a feast. Sorry,the United States, the Apostle Paul, writing
it wasn't the Pilgrims either. On Dec. 4,from a prison cell and probably knowing that
1619, a group of 38 English settlers arrivedhe would soon be killed, wrote to the
at Berkeley Plantation, on the James RiverPhilippians, "I give thanks to my Lord and
near what is now Charles City, Virginia. TheSavior Jesus Christ."Out of great suffering
group's charter required that the day ofhave come many glorious expressions of
arrival be observed yearly as a day ofgratitude such as Paul's over the centuries.
thanksgiving to God. Captain John WoodleafOne wonders, what motivates Christians to
held the service of thanksgiving. Here is thegive thanks at all when a more reasonable
section of the Charter of Berkley Plantationresponse would seem to be bitterness and
which specifies the thanksgiving service:murmuring? Well, does not a new baby enter
"Wee ordained that the day of our shipsthe world only after a time of travail and
arrival at the place assigned for plantacontransition? Does not an expectant couple
on the land of Virginia shall be yearly andprepare a baby's room, and isn't the infant
perpetually keept holy as a day ofshowered with gifts, before he or she ever
thanksgiving to Almighty god." In accordancearrives? We celebrate the good things to
with this 1619 charter, the colonists mostcome, in faith that the good things WILL
likely held service in 1620 and 1621. Thecome.In the wake of the recent terrorist
colony was wiped out in 1622. Thanksgivingattacks, the Afghan war, the anthrax scare,
was a private event, limited to the Berkeleythe economic turmoil, and the flight 587
settlement.For those who see Thanksgiving ascrash, in keeping with American tradition, we
being more of a religious holiday, where thehave all the more reason to celebrate
Separatists, or Pilgrims, were concerned, itThanksgiving. Let's give thanks, EXPECTING
wasn't intended to be such, though Separatistnew life to come as a result of the turmoil
leader, William Bradford wrote in his diarythat surrounds us today.American or not,
that their voyage across the ocean wasThanksgiving - giving thanks - in the midst
motivated by "a great hope for advancing theof dark and troubled times, if nothing else,
kingdom of Christ." Hunting, contests ofis in keeping with the way of the cross
skill and strength, and entertainment...the CHRISTIAN tradition. Give thanks at
generally have no place in religiousALL times - even in the midst of your own
observances. However, these were a part oftrying situation.
the long tradition of pagan harvest



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