What is the real meaning of Thanksgiving? For Americans in this Post Christian era, it has come to mean 2 days off from work and here in Texas, a Cowboy's home game. It also means a crazy shopping day on Friday and if you are lucky, seeing a movie on the big screen. Yes, in many parts of the country as well as here, people travel to see their families. There is a huge set-up, feast, and clean-up - which most men get out of due to the football games. Yes, I have been guilty of not pitching in just to watch the Cowboys - but I am getting better.
In this post and the one after it, I ask you to not only reflect on the secular aspect of Thanksgiving, but also on the Spiritual. For those of us living in America, we have been truly blessed more than anyone in the entire world - regardless of how much money we make. That being said, let us honor the Creator and Provider of our country and not Bacchus this year.
The First Thanksgiving Proclamation (June 20, 1676)
On June 20, 1676, the governing council of Charlestown, Massachusetts, held a meeting to determine how best to express thanks for the good fortune that had seen their community securely established. By unanimous vote they instructed Edward Rawson, the clerk, to proclaim June 29 as a day of thanksgiving, our first. That proclamation is reproduced here in the same language and spelling as the original.
"The Holy God having by a long and Continual Series of his Afflictive dispensations in and by the present War with the Heathen Natives of this land, written and brought to pass bitter things against his own Covenant people in this wilderness, yet so that we evidently discern that in the midst of his judgments he hath remembered mercy, having remembered his Footstool in the day of his sore displeasure against us for our sins, with many singular Intimations of his Fatherly Compassion, and regard; reserving many of our Towns from Desolation Threatened, and attempted by the Enemy, and giving us especially of late with many of our Confederates many signal Advantages against them, without such Disadvantage to ourselves as formerly we have been sensible of, if it be the Lord's mercy that we are not consumed, It certainly bespeaks our positive Thankfulness, when our Enemies are in any measure disappointed or destroyed; and fearing the Lord should take notice under so many Intimations of his returning mercy, we should be found an Insensible people, as not standing before Him with Thanksgiving, as well as lading him with our Complaints in the time of pressing Afflictions:
The Council has thought meet to appoint and set apart the 29th day of this instant June, as a day of Solemn Thanksgiving and praise to God for such his Goodness and Favour, many Particulars of which mercy might be Instanced, but we doubt not those who are sensible of God's Afflictions, have been as diligent to espy him returning to us; and that the Lord may behold us as a People offering Praise and thereby glorifying Him; the Council doth commend it to the Respective Ministers, Elders and people of this Jurisdiction; Solemnly and seriously to keep the same Beseeching that being persuaded by the mercies of God we may all, even this whole people offer up our bodies and souls as a living and acceptable Service unto God by Jesus Christ."
No comments:
Post a Comment