Happy Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. It is the one traditional, American holiday that is not totally swept away with commercialism and mixed with pagan religion and superstition. Let me remind you of a few facts about this delightful holiday.

The First Thanksgiving?

It is true that the Pilgrims were not the first to observe Thanksgiving Day. It is also true that the day did not involve feasting. Yet, the first thanksgiving observance in America was truly a spiritual affair. Its stated object was the worship of God in thanksgiving.

On December 4, 1619, a group of 38 English settlers arrived at Berkeley Plantation in what is now Charles City, Virginia. The group's charter required that the day of arrival be observed yearly as a day of thanksgiving to God. Captain John Woodleaf held the service of thanksgiving. The Charter of Berkley Plantation specified the thanksgiving service:

"Wee ordaine that the day of our ships arrival at the place assigned for plantacon in the land of Virginia shall be yearly and perpetually keept holy as a day of thanksgiving to Almighty God."

In addition to 1619, the colonists perhaps held service in 1620 and 1621. The colony was wiped out in 1622.

Pilgrims' Thanksgiving

Modern perverters of American history tell us that the Pilgrims first came to this land "to seek their fortune in the New World." That would have come as news to the Pilgrims themselves. Pilgrim leader William Bradford wrote in his diary that the voyage was motivated by "a great hope for advancing the kingdom of Christ."

The Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock on December 11, 1620. Their first winter was devastating. Already weakened by their seven-week voyage, many of them came down with pneumonia and consumption. They began to die -- one per day, then two, and sometimes three. They dug the graves at night, so that the Indians would not see how their numbers were dwindling. At one point, there were only seven people strong enough to gather wood, make fires, and care for the sick. By the spring, they had lost 46 of the original 102 who sailed to this land on the Mayflower.

However the harvest of 1621 was a bountiful one. And the remaining colonists decided to celebrate with a feast. In an attempt to put God out of our society and out of our thinking, educators, the news and entertainment media, and vote-seeking politicians tell us that the first Thanksgiving Day was a day, not of thanksgiving to God but of mere celebration. Nothing could be further from the truth. It was, indeed, a day of great celebration precisely because it was a day of thanksgiving to God.

Edward Winslow wrote, on December 11, 1621, that they celebrated the "goodness of God" in providing for them, and it says that the feast was held so that they "might after a special manner rejoice together."

That sounds like a Thanksgiving feast to me! Granted, they did feast together, inviting friendly Indians to join them for a true feast – Lobster, Goose, Turkey, Rabbit, Cod, Duck, and Venison, served with Mustard Sauce, Meal Pudding, Berries, Pumpkin, and Hominy!

Other Thanksgiving Feasts

The Pilgrim's first thanksgiving feast was not repeated the following year. In the third year, when many of them had become preoccupied with material things (cultivating more land, and building on to their houses, and planting extra corn for trading with the Indians), they were stricken by a prolonged drought. Week followed week with no rain, until even the Indians did not recall such a thing happening before. The sun-parched corn withered on its stalks and became tinder dry, and the ground beneath it cracked open

In July, Governor Bradford called a council of the men in the colony. It was obvious that God was withholding the rain for a reason. Bradford declared a day of fasting, humiliation and prayer. They gathered in their blockhouse church building and began to search their hearts. One after another, as they became convicted of their sin and hardness of heart, they humbly and earnestly sought the Lord’s face.

Late in the afternoon, as they emerged from their place of worship, the sky which that morning had been hard and clear (as it had been every morning for nearly two months), was now filled with clouds. The following morning, it began to rain -- a gentle rain that continued on and off for fourteen days straight. Writing of it, Bradford said:

"It came, without either wind, or thunder, or any violence, and by degreese in yt abundance, as that ye earth was thorowly wete and soked therwith. Which did so apparently revive & quicken ye decayed corne & other fruits, as was wonderfull to see, and made ye Indeans astonished to behold; and afterwards the Lord sent them shuch seasonable showers, with enterchange of faire warme weather, as, through his blessing, caused a fruitfull & liberall harvest, to their no small comforte and rejoycing."

Their harvest that fall, was so abundant that they ended up with a surplus -- to the benefit of Indians to the north who had not had a good growing season. To everyone's delight, the Governor "sett aparte a day of thanksgiveing" again inviting their Indian neighbors to join them.

Another Day of Thanksgiving

In June of 1676 another Day of Thanksgiving was proclaimed. The governing council of Charlestown, Massachusetts, held a meeting to determine how best to express thanks for the victories in "Warr with the Heathen Natives of this land" and the good providence of God by which their community had been securely established. By unanimous vote they instructed Edward Rawson, the clerk, to proclaim June 29 as a Day of Thanksgiving. The following is part of that proclamation:

The Council has thought meet to appoint and set apart the 29th day of this instant June, as a day of Solemn Thanksgiving and praise to God for such his Goodness and Favour, many Particulars of which mercy might be Instanced, but we doubt not those who are sensible of God's Afflictions, have been as diligent to espy him returning to us; and that the Lord may behold us as a People offering Praise and thereby glorifying Him; the Council doth commend it to the Respective Ministers, Elders and people of this Jurisdiction; Solemnly and seriously to keep the same Beseeching that being persuaded by the mercies of God we may all, even this whole people offer up our bodies and souls as a living and acceptable Service unto God by Jesus Christ."

Colonial Times

Was thanksgiving observed during the colonial times? Yes. October of 1777 marked the first time that all 13 colonies joined in a thanksgiving celebration. It lasted eight days. It also commemorated the patriotic victory over the British at Saratoga. It was a one-time affair.

George Washington (Washington was a Baptist, baptized by John Gano, who is buried in Frankfort, KY.) proclaimed a National Day of Thanksgiving in 1789. He called for a day of prayer and giving thanks to God. It was to be celebrated by all religious denominations, but discord among the colonies prevented it from being practiced by all the states. Many felt the hardships of a few Pilgrims did not warrant a national holiday. Later, President Thomas Jefferson (Deist) scoffed at the idea of having a day of thanksgiving.

Yearly Observance

How did Thanksgiving become a yearly national practice? It was Sarah Josepha Hale, a magazine editor, whose efforts eventually led to what we recognize as Thanksgiving Day. She wrote numerous editorials championing her cause in her Boston Ladies' Magazine, and later, in Godey's Lady's Book. She longed to see the entire nation join together in setting apart a national day for giving thanks "unto Him from who all blessings flow."

In 1830, New York proclaimed an official state "Thanksgiving Day." Other states soon followed its example. In 1852, Hale’s campaign succeeded in uniting 29 states in marking the last Thursday of November as "Thanksgiving Day."

Finally, after a 40-year campaign of writing editorials and letters to governors and presidents, Hale's passion became a reality. In 1863, President Lincoln proclaimed the last Thursday in November as a national day "of thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father." Here is the text of Lincoln's proclamation:

We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of heaven. We have been preserved, the many years, in peace and prosperity. We have grown in numbers, wealth and power, as no other nation has ever grown. But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us; and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own.

Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to God that made us! It behooves us, then to humble ourselves before the offended Power, to confess our national sins, and to pray for clemency and forgiveness.

-- April 30, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln's Proclamation for a National Day of Fasting, Humiliation and Prayer

Since then, the date was changed only once, by President Franklin Roosevelt, who moved it up one week to the third Thursday of November in order to create a longer Christmas shopping season!

The Origin

However, Thanksgiving did not originate with Hale, with President Lincoln's proclamation, or even with the Pilgrims feasting with the native Americans. God’s people have always been taught of him to give thanks, to give thanks to him for his holiness, for all his wondrous works, particularly for his goodness and mercy, and to give thanks by calling upon his name (worshipping him), seeking him, glorying in him, and rejoicing in him.

As we gather with our families Thursday to observe this one truly spiritual national holiday, let us give thanks to our God, celebrating both his character and his wondrous deeds of providence and grace, especially his wondrous deeds of redemption in Christ. Let us begin now to do so. I pray that he will give us grace to truly give thanks to him in all things and at all times, ever remembering and declaring his wondrous works of providence and grace. Above all else, let us ever give thanks to our God for Christ, redemption by his blood, and the precious gift of faith in him. – “Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift!”

Happy Thanksgiving!