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

Originally Broadcast Nov 2001The fourth Thursday inwith which the Separatists would have been very
November is called Thanksgiving Day in the USA.familiar. In their native England, days of feasting and
Whether you live here or not, are you going through aleisure commonly followed the harvest. Earlier such
tough time this Thanksgiving? Aside from all theharvest festivals include ancient Greek Thesmophoria,
international unrest, are you finding it hard to findancient Roman Cerealia, and the Jewish Sukkot.Not to
anything to be thankful about in the midst of your ownimply that the 1621 feast had more in common with
life? If so, maybe this message will minister to you.Didpagan festivals than with their first Christian
you know it wasn't until the American Civil WarThanksgiving, which they observed in 1623 to
(1861-1865) that Congress officially recognizedcelebrate the now infamous crop-saving rainfall, after
Thanksgiving Day? Even though it all began over 200apparently skipping the occasion in 1622. From the
years earlier in the Plymouth Colony, Massachusetts,Separatist perspective, everything fell within the
1621. The Separatists (it was much later when theybounds of faith. EVERYTHING. As Leland Ryken
became known as "Pilgrims"), who founded Plymouthwrote in "Worldly Saints: The Puritans As They Really
Colony in 1620, ignored most holidays. In fact, theyWere": "Puritanism was impelled by the insight that all
recognized only three: the weekly Sabbath, the Day ofof life is God's. The Puritans lived simultaneously in two
Humiliation and Fasting, and the Day of Thanksgivingworlds--the invisible spiritual world and the physical
and Praise. The latter two were not set on theworld of earthly existence. For the Puritans, both
calendar but were proclaimed in response to God'sworlds were equally real, and there was no cleavage
perceived favor or disfavor. Colonial life was so tied toof life into sacred and secular. All of life was sacred."In
the harvest cycle that fasting days were most oftensimple English, whether you go to church on
called in the spring, when there wasn't much to eatThanksgiving or not, the day can be seasoned with
anyway. Feast days often accompanied the autumnwhat Puritan Richard Baxter called "a drop of glory."
harvest. Both observances occurred on weekdays,For that matter, EVERY day can be seasoned in this
usually the day of special sermons (known as Lectureway. As Paul and King David put it, "The earth is the
Day), which was on a Thursday in PlymouthLord's, and everything in it" (Psalm 24:1, 1
Colony.Their first dreadful winter in Massachusetts hadCor.10:26).After their first few traditional celebrations of
killed about half the members of the colony. But newThanksgiving, the custom of such a day soon spread
hope arose in the summer of 1621. The settlersto other colonies, becoming a time of celebrating the
expected a good corn harvest, despite poor crops ofharvest. In 1777, the Continental Congress proclaimed a
peas, wheat, and barley. Thus, in early autumn,national day of Thanksgiving after the American
governor William Bradford arranged a harvest festivalRevolution victory at the Battle of Saratoga, an
to give thanks to God for the progress the colony hadimportant battle which proved to the world that
made.The festival lasted three days. The survivingAmerica could stand toe-to-toe with England, who had
Separatists, numbering about 50, feasted with 90the greatest army in the world at that time. Notice it
members of the Wampanoag Indians who broughtwas a holiday motivated by armed conflict. Twelve
gifts of food as a goodwill gesture. It was not anyears later, George Washington proclaimed another
"official" day of thanksgiving. In the only survivingnational day of Thanksgiving in honor of the ratification
firsthand account of the meal, Edward Winslowof the Constitution and requested that the Congress
described it this way: "Our harvest being gotten in, ourfinally establish it as an annual event. They declined. So,
governor sent four men on fowling, that so we mightit would be another 100 years, after the nation's bloody
after a special manner rejoice together after we hadCivil War, before President Abraham Lincoln would
gathered the fruit of our labors. They four in one dayproclaim that the last Thursday in November would
killed as much fowl as, with a little help beside, servedbecome Thanksgiving Day. That was 1865, the year
the company almost a week. At which time, amongthe Civil War ended. Surprisingly, it took another 40
other recreations, we exercised our arms, many of theyears, the early 1900s, before the tradition really caught
Indians coming amongst us, and among the rest theiron. See, Lincoln's official Thanksgiving was sanctioned
greatest king Massasoit, with some ninety men, whomin order to bolster the Union's morale. Southerners
for three days we entertained and feasted, and theyboycotted the new holiday, seeing it as an attempt to
went out and killed five deer, which they brought to theimpose Northern customs on their conquered
plantation and bestowed upon our governor, and uponland.Today, Thanksgiving is an annual Rockwellian
the captain, and others. And although it be not alwaysevent filled with football, feasting, and family that
so plentiful as it was at this time with us, yet by thecauses over 35 million Americans to "head home" for
goodness of God, we are so far from want that wetheir family feasts. But that's not the historical picture of
often wish you partakers of our plenty."The very firstthis idealistic holiday. From its inception, it has more
Thanksgiving observance in America, two yearsoften been associated with adversity, bloody, and
earlier, was entirely religious and didn't involve anythingdifficult times. Before a day of Thanksgiving ever
remotely resembling a feast. Sorry, it wasn't theexisted in a place called the United States, the Apostle
Pilgrims either. On Dec. 4, 1619, a group of 38 EnglishPaul, writing from a prison cell and probably knowing
settlers arrived at Berkeley Plantation, on the Jamesthat he would soon be killed, wrote to the Philippians, "I
River near what is now Charles City, Virginia. Thegive thanks to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."Out
group's charter required that the day of arrival beof great suffering have come many glorious
observed yearly as a day of thanksgiving to God.expressions of gratitude such as Paul's over the
Captain John Woodleaf held the service ofcenturies. One wonders, what motivates Christians to
thanksgiving. Here is the section of the Charter ofgive thanks at all when a more reasonable response
Berkley Plantation which specifies the thanksgivingwould seem to be bitterness and murmuring? Well,
service: "Wee ordained that the day of our shipsdoes not a new baby enter the world only after a time
arrival at the place assigned for plantacon on the landof travail and transition? Does not an expectant couple
of Virginia shall be yearly and perpetually keept holy asprepare a baby's room, and isn't the infant showered
a day of thanksgiving to Almighty god." In accordancewith gifts, before he or she ever arrives? We
with this 1619 charter, the colonists most likely heldcelebrate the good things to come, in faith that the
service in 1620 and 1621. The colony was wiped out ingood things WILL come.In the wake of the recent
1622. Thanksgiving was a private event, limited to theterrorist attacks, the Afghan war, the anthrax scare,
Berkeley settlement.For those who see Thanksgivingthe economic turmoil, and the flight 587 crash, in
as being more of a religious holiday, where thekeeping with American tradition, we have all the more
Separatists, or Pilgrims, were concerned, it wasn'treason to celebrate Thanksgiving. Let's give thanks,
intended to be such, though Separatist leader, WilliamEXPECTING new life to come as a result of the
Bradford wrote in his diary that their voyage acrossturmoil that surrounds us today.American or not,
the ocean was motivated by "a great hope forThanksgiving - giving thanks - in the midst of dark and
advancing the kingdom of Christ." Hunting, contests oftroubled times, if nothing else, is in keeping with the
skill and strength, and entertainment generally have noway of the cross ...the CHRISTIAN tradition. Give
place in religious observances. However, these were athanks at ALL times - even in the midst of your own
part of the long tradition of pagan harvest festivals,trying situation.