THANKSGIVING
I was not going to stay up late last night. I flipped through the channels not really interested in seeing Tom Brady and the Patriots. I stopped at the Discovery Channel, as a “made for TV” movie was just beginning. The movie chronicled the story of the Mayflower Pilgrims. Three hours later I went to bed. To say that the story was gripping would be an understatement.
The harrowing journey across a stormy Atlantic Ocean gave way to the harsh realities of starting life over in a largely unsettled wilderness. It is clear that the settlers of New Plymouth never would have survived without the help of the Native Americans. The cold, dark winter of 1620-21 was marked by hunger, disease, and death.
In the fall of 1621 the settlers invited the Native Americans to join them in a three day celebration. They would thank God for the gifts of harvest, the blessings of everyday life, and the friendship they now shared. 102 Pilgrims had set out for the new world in September 1620. By that first American Thanksgiving only 51 had survived. The year had been filled with peril, grief and loss. The future was uncertain to say the least, and yet they paused to give thanks to God.
The action from the Plymouth Colony paused. Commercial after commercial encouraged me to buy a new car or a chocolate diamond for my wife. Then an advertisement graced the screen with a simple message, “This year, instead of Thanksgiving, make it Thanksgetting.”The scene changed and we were back in Plymouth where William Bradford and his son, Thomas, were kneeling in prayer at his wife’s graveside.
This Thanksgiving take some time to really think about the meaning of the day. Pause and take a quick inventory of the many blessings in your life. Most of those blessings appear without notice and without any effort on your part. So Give Thanks! And then remember, we are blessed by God to be a blessing to others. Everything we have has been entrusted to us.
Let’s put the “giving” back in Thanksgiving and resist the consumer theme of “Thanksgetting.”
See you in Church tomorrow night as we begin the Holy Days with a simple meal of love and forgiveness. Karl will lead a hymn sing at 6:45 and our Thanksgiving worship will follow at 7:00 pm.
I am blessed to share the journey with you!
Love,
Pastor Jim
