Thanksgiving Sunday
Americans celebrate their “Thanksgiving” by gathering generally in families and eating a special Thanksgiving Dinner which typically includes a turkey. Interestingly this custom has mixed origins, one of which goes back to early Pilgrims and Puritans emigrating from England and bringing a custom with them of thanksgiving to God for “acts of special providence”. Thanksgiving for harvest is another origin of this American custom. (It is not a celebration of independence from England which was my mistaken belief).
We are doing something different today in that we are showing thanksgiving to God for his goodness to us by promising to return a portion of our income. In earlier times in a more rural society when we grew our own produce an appropriate thanksgiving was to bring a portion of our crops. We may look back with nostalgia to churches decorated with fruit, vegetables, flowers, grapes and bread. These days with our more urban society our thanks to God is best expressed through a portion of our income.
In the Old Testament people were encouraged to bring the first fruits of the harvest; the best, not the left-overs. In the same way we are encouraged to give what we have carefully planned before we spend our income, not the change that is left. Happy thanksgiving!
Brian
