[picapp align=”center” wrap=”false” link=”term=thanksgiving&iid=7136094″ src=”e/0/4/e/President_Obama_Pardons_b351.jpg?adImageId=7858833&imageId=7136094″ width=”380″ height=”258″ /]Since I did not grow up with knowing of the Liturgical year, my Christian holiday experience is limited (by experience) to Christmas, Easter and Thanksgiving. I “ranked” the holidays in just this order through my childhood and early adult years. Each was important, each had its place in the holiday pecking order.
My first son, born in late October, facilitated Thanksgiving bearing a deeper meaning. It seems that holding a newborn in your hand changes a lot of things. I got to thinking about holidays that year and my appreciation of Thanksgiving increased by the month.
That first Christmas was incredible, but the day necessitated a discussion as to how we would protect the significance of the celebration as years rolled by. The first Easter, quite frankly, was a chore as the boy was old enough to require extra attention and preparation to make the varied events of the day. Yet another discussion was required as to how keep the resurrection the focus against the silliness of bunnies and prodigious amounts of sugar treats.
Thanksgiving stood alone. In America it is the last remaining distinctly Christian holiday and now is my favorite bar none. Until we begin to call it something different from “Thanksgiving,” the day begs the questions, “Thankful to whom?” and “Why be thankful at all?” I love it!
Since becoming a pastor, I have exerted much effort to allow the Christmas holiday to roll along without making the Church yet another participant in creating a ridiculously overbearing season. I have tried to reclaim Easter as a Resurrection Day celebration and rid it of unrelated baggage. Thanksgiving stands alone, inviting us all to get beyond gluttony and to grasp the rare treasure of gratitude. What a day to celebrate!
There is so much to talk about at Thanksgiving, so many ways to recognize the grace of God in our lives from day-to-day. This day, this one day, our culture stops and responds, mostly in ignorance, but responds none-the-less to the immensity of the largess God has placed in our hands. It is my prayer this day that in the midst of the pain and disappointments and financial devastations of this past year, we humbly bow and truly thank the God who is still giving to us in spite of our complete lack of merit.
Thank you Father, Savior, Friend, Provider. You are good and because of you I know what good is.