Walking in the Valley A bi-weekly column, featuring one Christian's (a)musings on life's journey by Barbara Dahlgren

Giving Thanks! Column for the weeks of November 16-30, 2006

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Celebrations of thankfulness date back to ancient times, usually in conjunction with a bountiful harvest. The Greeks honored Demeter the goddess of grain at the festival of Thesmosphoria. The Romans had an annual banquet to Ceres, their harvest deity. Egyptians honored Min, the god of vegetation, through music, dance and sports. The Israelites built temporary dwellings during Sukkoth, or the Feast of Tabernacles or what some called the Fall Harvest (Exodus 23:16; 34:22; Deuteronomy 16:13-17), and had a week long celebration.

Even today the Germans have Oktoberfest; the Japanese have the Aoi Festival; the French have the Wheat Harvest; The Dutch celebrate the hay harvest; the Chinese have the Harvest Moon festivities; and the Pueblo Indians have the Green Corn Dance.

Many societies like the United States do not revolve around harvest times anymore. Some even have official Thanksgiving Days similar to ours like Argentina, Canada, Brazil, Korea, Liberia, Switzerland, and so on. These countries have their own origin of their Thanksgiving Days.

We have ours. Our first Thanksgiving was in 1621 when the Pilgrims of Plymouth Rock held a 3-day celebration with the Indians who had helped them survive in the New World. Later when our country had won it’s independence from England, our first president George Washington declared November 26 a day of thanksgiving in 1789.

Thanksgiving days continued to be celebrated in the United States on various days in different states until Sarah Hale, editor of Godey’s Lady’s Book lobbied for more than 30 years to make Thanksgiving Day a national holiday. Her efforts were finally rewarded when President Lincoln issued a proclamation for “the whole American people” to set aside the last Thursday of November as a day of thanksgiving. Today, Thanksgiving Day is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November.

Thanksgiving Day is a time for giving thanks. I find this holiday unique during a time when it is not politically correct to give homage to the Christian God. However, historical documents prove that’s what the origin of this holiday is totally based on. And even though some may not feel all blessings come from God, the majority of homes will bow their heads and say “grace,” a prayer of thanksgiving to God our creator.

Some might hold hands or stand around the table. Maybe a praise song will be sung such as “Give thanks with a grateful heart” or “Count your blessings. Name them one by one.” Perhaps each person will be asked to say what he or she is most thankful for. Or copies of a prayer might be placed around the table and the group would say “grace” together. Maybe a child will be designated to say “grace.” Hopefully it will run a little deeper than “God is great. God is good. Let us thank him for our food.” (This prayer always irritated me because good and food don’t rhyme.) Although, if spoken from the heart of a child, it could be meaningful. Especially if the last part is added: “By his hands, we are fed. Let us thank him for our bread. Amen.”

For patriotism, I like:

“While the storm clouds gather
Far across the sea,
Let us swear allegiance
To a land that’s free;
Let us all be grateful
For a land so fair,
As we raise our voices
In a solemn prayer.”

Irving Berlin’s spoken introduction to his song “God Bless America”

A popular grace prayer used by many Catholics is:

“Bless us, O Lord, and thy gifts, which we are about to receive from thy bounty.
In Jesus Christ's name I pray, who lives and reigns with the Father and the Holy
Spirit, one God forever and ever.”
Amen

 

Here are some from the Book of Common Prayer:

“Give us grateful hearts, our Father, for all thy [your] mercies, and make us
mindful of the needs of others; through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Amen

“Blessed are you, O Lord God, King of the Universe, for you give us food to
sustain our lives and make our hearts glad; through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Amen.

.

I love what the late Peter Marshall, chaplain to the U.S. senate prayed.

“Our Father in Heaven, let not the beauty of this day, or the glow of good health, or the present prosperity of our undertakings deceive us into a false reliance upon our own strength. You have given us every good thing. You have given us life itself with whatever talents we possess…may we use them wisely. We ask in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Amen

Heartfelt prayers of thanks can enhance a Thanksgiving Day.

Be sure to visit this page often to read the next edition of Walking in the Valley. You can write to the author at bdahlgren@wcgsouthbay.org.