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

Originally Broadcast Nov 2001The fourth Thursday inwould have been very familiar. In their native England,
November is called Thanksgiving Day in the USA.days of feasting and leisure commonly followed the
Whether you live here or not, are you going throughharvest. Earlier such harvest festivals include ancient
a tough time this Thanksgiving? Aside from all theGreek Thesmophoria, ancient Roman Cerealia, and
international unrest, are you finding it hard to findthe Jewish Sukkot.Not to imply that the 1621 feast
anything to be thankful about in the midst of yourhad more in common with pagan festivals than with
own life? If so, maybe this message will minister totheir first Christian Thanksgiving, which they
you.Did you know it wasn't until the American Civilobserved in 1623 to celebrate the now infamous
War (1861-1865) that Congress officially recognizedcrop-saving rainfall, after apparently skipping the
Thanksgiving Day? Even though it all began over 200occasion in 1622. From the Separatist perspective,
years earlier in the Plymouth Colony, Massachusetts,everything fell within the bounds of faith.
1621. The Separatists (it was much later when theyEVERYTHING. As Leland Ryken wrote in "Worldly
became known as "Pilgrims"), who founded PlymouthSaints: The Puritans As They Really Were":
Colony in 1620, ignored most holidays. In fact, they"Puritanism was impelled by the insight that all of life
recognized only three: the weekly Sabbath, the Dayis God's. The Puritans lived simultaneously in two
of Humiliation and Fasting, and the Day ofworlds--the invisible spiritual world and the physical
Thanksgiving and Praise. The latter two were not setworld of earthly existence. For the Puritans, both
on the calendar but were proclaimed in response toworlds were equally real, and there was no cleavage
God's perceived favor or disfavor. Colonial life was soof life into sacred and secular. All of life was
tied to the harvest cycle that fasting days weresacred."In simple English, whether you go to church
most often called in the spring, when there wasn'ton Thanksgiving or not, the day can be seasoned
much to eat anyway. Feast days often accompaniedwith what Puritan Richard Baxter called "a drop of
the autumn harvest. Both observances occurred onglory." For that matter, EVERY day can be seasoned
weekdays, usually the day of special sermonsin this way. As Paul and King David put it, "The earth
(known as Lecture Day), which was on a Thursday inis the Lord's, and everything in it" (Psalm 24:1, 1
Plymouth Colony.Their first dreadful winter inCor.10:26).After their first few traditional celebrations
Massachusetts had killed about half the members ofof Thanksgiving, the custom of such a day soon
the colony. But new hope arose in the summer ofspread to other colonies, becoming a time of
1621. The settlers expected a good corn harvest,celebrating the harvest. In 1777, the Continental
despite poor crops of peas, wheat, and barley. Thus,Congress proclaimed a national day of Thanksgiving
in early autumn, governor William Bradford arranged aafter the American Revolution victory at the Battle
harvest festival to give thanks to God for theof Saratoga, an important battle which proved to the
progress the colony had made.The festival lastedworld that America could stand toe-to-toe with
three days. The surviving Separatists, numberingEngland, who had the greatest army in the world at
about 50, feasted with 90 members of thethat time. Notice it was a holiday motivated by
Wampanoag Indians who brought gifts of food as aarmed conflict. Twelve years later, George
goodwill gesture. It was not an "official" day ofWashington proclaimed another national day of
thanksgiving. In the only surviving firsthand accountThanksgiving in honor of the ratification of the
of the meal, Edward Winslow described it this way:Constitution and requested that the Congress finally
"Our harvest being gotten in, our governor sent fourestablish it as an annual event. They declined. So, it
men on fowling, that so we might after a specialwould be another 100 years, after the nation's bloody
manner rejoice together after we had gathered theCivil War, before President Abraham Lincoln would
fruit of our labors. They four in one day killed asproclaim that the last Thursday in November would
much fowl as, with a little help beside, served thebecome Thanksgiving Day. That was 1865, the year
company almost a week. At which time, amongthe Civil War ended. Surprisingly, it took another 40
other recreations, we exercised our arms, many ofyears, the early 1900s, before the tradition really
the Indians coming amongst us, and among the restcaught on. See, Lincoln's official Thanksgiving was
their greatest king Massasoit, with some ninety men,sanctioned in order to bolster the Union's morale.
whom for three days we entertained and feasted,Southerners boycotted the new holiday, seeing it as
and they went out and killed five deer, which theyan attempt to impose Northern customs on their
brought to the plantation and bestowed upon ourconquered land.Today, Thanksgiving is an annual
governor, and upon the captain, and others. AndRockwellian event filled with football, feasting, and
although it be not always so plentiful as it was at thisfamily that causes over 35 million Americans to "head
time with us, yet by the goodness of God, we arehome" for their family feasts. But that's not the
so far from want that we often wish you partakershistorical picture of this idealistic holiday. From its
of our plenty."The very first Thanksgivinginception, it has more often been associated with
observance in America, two years earlier, wasadversity, bloody, and difficult times. Before a day of
entirely religious and didn't involve anything remotelyThanksgiving ever existed in a place called the United
resembling a feast. Sorry, it wasn't the Pilgrims either.States, the Apostle Paul, writing from a prison cell
On Dec. 4, 1619, a group of 38 English settlers arrivedand probably knowing that he would soon be killed,
at Berkeley Plantation, on the James River near whatwrote to the Philippians, "I give thanks to my Lord
is now Charles City, Virginia. The group's charterand Savior Jesus Christ."Out of great suffering have
required that the day of arrival be observed yearlycome many glorious expressions of gratitude such as
as a day of thanksgiving to God. Captain JohnPaul's over the centuries. One wonders, what
Woodleaf held the service of thanksgiving. Here ismotivates Christians to give thanks at all when a
the section of the Charter of Berkley Plantationmore reasonable response would seem to be
which specifies the thanksgiving service: "Weebitterness and murmuring? Well, does not a new
ordained that the day of our ships arrival at the placebaby enter the world only after a time of travail and
assigned for plantacon on the land of Virginia shall betransition? Does not an expectant couple prepare a
yearly and perpetually keept holy as a day ofbaby's room, and isn't the infant showered with gifts,
thanksgiving to Almighty god." In accordance withbefore he or she ever arrives? We celebrate the
this 1619 charter, the colonists most likely heldgood things to come, in faith that the good things
service in 1620 and 1621. The colony was wiped outWILL come.In the wake of the recent terrorist
in 1622. Thanksgiving was a private event, limited toattacks, the Afghan war, the anthrax scare, the
the Berkeley settlement.For those who seeeconomic turmoil, and the flight 587 crash, in keeping
Thanksgiving as being more of a religious holiday,with American tradition, we have all the more reason
where the Separatists, or Pilgrims, were concerned, itto celebrate Thanksgiving. Let's give thanks,
wasn't intended to be such, though Separatist leader,EXPECTING new life to come as a result of the
William Bradford wrote in his diary that their voyageturmoil that surrounds us today.American or not,
across the ocean was motivated by "a great hopeThanksgiving - giving thanks - in the midst of dark
for advancing the kingdom of Christ." Hunting,and troubled times, if nothing else, is in keeping with
contests of skill and strength, and entertainmentthe way of the cross ...the CHRISTIAN tradition. Give
generally have no place in religious observances.thanks at ALL times - even in the midst of your own
However, these were a part of the long tradition oftrying situation.
pagan harvest festivals, with which the Separatists