Thanksgiving Traditions
Mike Dwyer / Executive Pastor, Director Men's Ministry and Congregational Care
Last week, Thanksgiving was finally upon us. It has always been a special time of the year for me and my favorite holiday. Not just because of the turkey (I have always been a leg guy). I think it is because there is none of the “hoopla” of Christmas and it seems somehow simpler. The focus is on gathering together and sharing a meal. Okay, it takes days to prepare the meal and less than half an hour to consume the feast, but it always is a wonderful time of warmth and “homey-ness.”
I grew up in the New York City area, so going into the city to watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving parade was part of my heritage. Do you have special traditions associated with Thanksgiving? Every Thanksgiving my kids and I watch an old Laurel and Hardy film entitled “The March of the Wooden Soldiers.” We snicker and laugh at the corny scenes and the quality of the “special effects.” But we all have much of the dialogue memorized. Part of the ritual also requires that we eat Wise potato chips with homemade onion dip, made from sour cream and onion soup mix. The rest of the year we stick with Lays chips and Bison dip!
When the kids were young, we had Thanksgiving plays and now the grandchildren are getting into the act. There is inevitably heated discussion over who will be the pilgrims and who will play the part of the “Indians” (forgive my political incorrectness). My favorite part of the day has always been slowing down for a minute before we eat and going around the table sharing the things we are thankful for. I love listening to the hearts of the kids.
In Psalm 107:22 it says, “Let them sacrifice thank offerings and tell of his works with songs of joy.” There is a whole class of Thanksgiving offerings outlined in the Old Testament as a way to express thanks to God (see Leviticus 3 and 7). These were gifts given to God by worshipers who were enjoying fellowship and peace with God, as an expression of thanks for blessings or favor. We can now show this same expression of thanks by continuing to offer praise to God, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His name (see Hebrews 13:15). One of the new traditions that I have developed since becoming a believer is to read through those portions of Paul’s epistles that begin with Thanksgiving. We still go around the table, only our table is getting bigger. For that I continue to give God Thanks. Try making some new traditions and continually praise our great God. I hope you had a Happy Thanksgiving!
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| Photo by SJ Baren on Unsplash |
I grew up in the New York City area, so going into the city to watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving parade was part of my heritage. Do you have special traditions associated with Thanksgiving? Every Thanksgiving my kids and I watch an old Laurel and Hardy film entitled “The March of the Wooden Soldiers.” We snicker and laugh at the corny scenes and the quality of the “special effects.” But we all have much of the dialogue memorized. Part of the ritual also requires that we eat Wise potato chips with homemade onion dip, made from sour cream and onion soup mix. The rest of the year we stick with Lays chips and Bison dip!
When the kids were young, we had Thanksgiving plays and now the grandchildren are getting into the act. There is inevitably heated discussion over who will be the pilgrims and who will play the part of the “Indians” (forgive my political incorrectness). My favorite part of the day has always been slowing down for a minute before we eat and going around the table sharing the things we are thankful for. I love listening to the hearts of the kids.
In Psalm 107:22 it says, “Let them sacrifice thank offerings and tell of his works with songs of joy.” There is a whole class of Thanksgiving offerings outlined in the Old Testament as a way to express thanks to God (see Leviticus 3 and 7). These were gifts given to God by worshipers who were enjoying fellowship and peace with God, as an expression of thanks for blessings or favor. We can now show this same expression of thanks by continuing to offer praise to God, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His name (see Hebrews 13:15). One of the new traditions that I have developed since becoming a believer is to read through those portions of Paul’s epistles that begin with Thanksgiving. We still go around the table, only our table is getting bigger. For that I continue to give God Thanks. Try making some new traditions and continually praise our great God. I hope you had a Happy Thanksgiving!