Thanksgiving

Monday after Christ he King Sunday
November 21, 2011

The Lord be with you

This coming Thursday, November 24, will be celebrated in the United States as Thanksgiving Day. The foundation for this national holiday has eroded in recent decades. That foundation is to set aside a day for the nation to give thanks to the Almighty for his many blessings to our nation and to implore Him to protect and bless us in the future. One of those blessings many of us enjoy is that of family. As such families often gather together, and that gathering typically includes a large meal. Featured in this meal is often a turkey. Those who have lost the original meaning of the day, or have had it pushed into the background by the contemporary culture of the USA, often simply call the day “Turkey Day.” It becomes an excuse to indulge our appetites and entertain ourselves with television specials.

Now there is nothing innately wrong with gathering with our families, enjoying a meal together, or even watching television on Thanksgiving Day (at least many programs on television). What is wrong is when such things become the center of the day, when God is pushed into the background, when it becomes a day to pat ourselves on the back as if God didn’t exist and our particular desires are the center of the universe.

At Lamb of God we will have a Thanksgiving worship service, held on the Eve of Thanksgiving Day, Wednesday, November 23. While our members are encouraged to attend, I encourage all who read this post to attend a Thanksgiving service wherever you may be.

If you live in the Spartanburg area, we invite you to join us. Our service will begin at 7:00 PM. We will be using Evening Prayer for our liturgy (page 243 of the Lutheran Service Book). The focus of the homily will be prayer.

Blessings in Christ,
Pastor John Rickert