Rev. George Miller
Nov 27, 2024;
Thanksgiving
Psalm 100
It’s been said that there are 2 types of
prayers-
Help, help, help
and
Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Tomorrow is a day of thanks.
It is also a day that is tied to the
history of the UCC, for we know the Puritans and Pilgrims who came here via
boat became the Congregational side of our denomination.
That meal they had in 1621 was a harvest
feast, one they shared with the Wampanoag people.
It was indeed a meal of thanks, but it was
a meal that came after many months and prayers of “Help!” in which the
ancestors endured rough seas, rough seasons, and the loss of so numerous lives.
It was a woman, named Sara Hale, who
campaigned to have that meal commemorated and turned into a national event,
writing articles and letters of encouragement to presidents.
In 1863, with the nation embroiled in the
Civil War, seeking a restoration of peace and harmony,
President Lincoln issued a proclamation
establishing Thanksgiving as a National Holiday, asking citizens to pray for
the healing of the nation’s wounds.
Be it that first meal in 1621, or that 4th
Thursday in 1863, Thanksgiving is a time for folk get to gather over food and say
“Thank you thank you thank you,” even if
they are also saying “Help, help, help.”
It is a day of gratitude and promise,
remembrance and looking ahead.
For making it through another year. For having people we love. For being loved. For being right here, right now.
Thank you.
I wonder what it was like for those German
immigrants who came to St. Louis, when they celebrated their 1st
Thanksgiving here.
After leaving their home, after many
traveled up the Mississippi, after going through the process of assimilating
and settling in, what was it like to gather around that table with everyone
else?
And to think of how they helped to shape
the holiday as it is today.
The Cornucopia, or “horn of plenty” came
from the German settlers. Their love for
parades played a big part in what we see today.
According to author Muki Sahin, it was the
Germans who brought the presence of sauerkraut and pastries to the table.
According to St. Louis magazine, during
the 1800’s, Thanksgiving was very much a religious affair, with people coming
to church.
For those in high society, the meal began
promptly at noon, with entertainment after.
In 1890, when turkeys turned scarce, folk
turned to roast pig, duck, goose. Kids
played “Pin the Head on the Turkey.”
Here is something really cool- that in
many ways, Thanksgiving is a national form of Communion.
Think about it.
How Christ gathered with the people he
ministered alongside, and through food and drink he created a way for them to
forever be united.
How Jesus was able to take bread, break it
and say “This is my body.”
How Jesus was able to take drink, pour it
and say “This is the new covenant.”
The new covenant we heard Jeremiah talk
about 2 weeks ago, a covenant that is written upon our hearts, made known
through our actions.
It is so beautiful to think of how, even
if people may not see or realize it, there is a Communion aspect related to
tomorrow’s meal, in which food is cooked, food is shared, food brings us
together.
Psalm 100 invites us to make a joyful
noise to the Lord; to worship in gladness; to know that the Lord is God and we
are God’s people.
Tonight and tomorrow we get to do just
that. It does not mean we ignore the
issues in the world, or stop asking for “help”,
but it also means that we get to pause, take a break, breath, and be
thankful for what we have, who we are, what we have achieved, and just whose we
are-
Children of God, a family in Christ,
surrounded by the breath of the Holy Spirit.
For the Lord is good, and God’s steadfast
love endures forever.
Thank you, thank you, thank you.
And for that, we can say “Amen.”
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