Here’s Why We Should Still Celebrate the Pilgrims at Thanksgiving

 

"For most American families, Thanksgiving is a time to gather with loved ones, eat delicious food, and perhaps watch some football.


But not everyone is pleased with the celebration of this holiday, and some have taken to maligning its 'originators,' the Pilgrims.

An editorial in Al Jazeera labeled Thanksgiving a 'thoroughly nauseating affair,' one that is 'saturated with disgrace.' Other articles have called the Pilgrims genocidal toward Native Americans, or argued that the original idea of a Thanksgiving feast is a 'myth.' ”

Read the entire article by Jarrett Stepman at The Daily Signal here.

Picture used by permission from Pixabay.

Preparing for Thanksgiving

I love the beauty of the leaves as October turns to November, reminding us that autumn is passing and winter approaching.  And it aggravates me every year when the stores try to sell Christmas to us way-too-early.  The pursuit of the dollar tempts us to overlook one of the year’s most important observations: Thanksgiving.
 
Here is one holiday that avoids commercialism, brings people together, offers fantastic food, and calls us to forsake our selfishness and instead practice gratitude.  Don’t lose the spirit of Thanksgiving.  Claim it, prepare for it, and practice the art of that holiday.

As we plan for Thanksgiving this month, here are a few ways to intentionally lead your family to be thankful.

 

Read the entire article, Preparing for Thanksgiving, here.

Thanksgiving in America

 

The tradition introduced by European Americans of Thanksgiving as a time to focus on God and His blessings dates back well over four centuries in America. For example, such thanksgivings occurred in 1541 at Palo Duro Canyon, Texas with Coronado and 1,500 of his men; ¹ in 1564 at St. Augustine, Florida with French Huguenot (Protestant) colonists; ² in 1598 at El Paso, Texas with Juan de Oñate and his expedition; ³ in 1607 at Cape Henry, Virginia with the landing of the Jamestown settlers; ⁴ in 1619 at Berkeley Plantation, Virginia; ⁵ (and many other such celebrations). But it is primarily from the Pilgrim’s Thanksgiving celebration of 1621 that we derive the current tradition of Thanksgiving Day.

The Pilgrims set sail for America on September 6, 1620, and for two months braved the harsh elements of a storm-tossed sea. Upon disembarking at Plymouth Rock, they held a prayer service and then hastily began building shelters; however, unprepared for such a harsh New England winter, nearly half of them died before spring. ⁶ Emerging from that grueling winter, the Pilgrims were surprised when an Indian named Samoset approached them and greeted them in their own language, explaining to them that he had learned English from fishermen and traders. A week later, Samoset returned with a friend named Squanto, who lived with the Pilgrims and accepted their Christian faith. Squanto taught the Pilgrims much about how to live in the New World, and he and Samoset helped forge a long-lasting peace treaty between the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag Indians. Pilgrim Governor William Bradford described Squanto as “a special instrument sent of God for [our] good . . . and never left [us] till he died.” ⁷

That summer, the Pilgrims, still persevering in prayer and assisted by helpful Indians, ⁸ reaped a bountiful harvest. ⁹ As Pilgrim Edward Winslow (later to become the Governor) affirmed, “God be praised, we had a good increase of Indian corn”; “by the goodness of God, we are…far from want.” ¹⁰ The grateful Pilgrims therefore declared a three-day feast in December 1621 to thank God and to celebrate with their Indian friends ¹¹ – America’s first Thanksgiving Festival. Ninety Wampanoag Indians joined the fifty Pilgrims for three days of feasting (which included shellfish, lobsters, turkey, corn bread, berries, deer, and other foods), of play (the young Pilgrim and Wampanoag men engaged in races, wrestling matches, and athletic events), and of prayer. This celebration and its accompanying activities were the origin of the holiday that Americans now celebrate each November.

Check out the entire article by David Barton here at Wallbuilders.

Picture in the Public Domain.

What's the Truth About the First Thanksgiving?

 

The Church's Response to Cohabitation

 

Cohabitation has become a growing trend in recent years in American culture. How can Christians - and the church - think and then act biblically, in a way that honors the Lord, about this trend? Here are a collection of articles and podcasts I've put together from some great Christian thinkers and communicators.

Articles and Podcasts on Cohabitation and Pastoral Ministry

 

Articles

https://www.denisonforum.org/church-leadership/when-a-cohabiting-couple-wants-to-join-your-church/

https://www.focusonthefamily.com/marriage/living-together-before-marriage-how-to-have-a-conversation-with-someone-making-the-wrong-choice/

https://www.christianitytoday.com/women-leaders/2013/october/what-intimate-cohabitation-means-for-ministry.html

https://www.wilsonrhett.com/2023/10/pastoral-policy-on-cohabitation.html

https://www.crosswalk.com/family/marriage/christians-and-cohabitation-what-you-need-to-know.html

https://www.familylife.com/articles/topics/faith/essentials-faith/reaching-out/when-your-friends-are-moving-in-together-before-marriage/

https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/9-things-you-should-know-about-cohabitation-in-america/

https://s3.amazonaws.com/tgc-documents/carson/2010_cohabiting.pdf

https://www.familylife.com/articles/topics/marriage/getting-married/engagements-and-weddings/gods-way-is-always-the-best-way/

https://billygraham.org/answer/why-is-living-together-unmarried-considered-a-sin/

 

Podcasts and Videos

https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/video/wrong-engaged-couples-live-together/

https://biblicalcounseling.com/resource-library/podcast-episodes/til-040-talking-to-couples-who-are-living-together-feat-kevin-carson/

https://www.familylife.com/podcast/familylife-today/cohabitation-good-or-bad/

https://www.familylife.com/podcast/familylife-today/speaking-truth-to-a-culture/

https://www.familylife.com/podcast/familylife-today/cohabitation-the-new-norm/

https://churchanswers.com/podcasts/rainer-on-leadership/six-cultural-pastoral-issues-where-pastors-often-struggle-rainer-on-leadership-542/

https://www.familylife.com/?s=cohabitation

https://www.focusonthefamily.com/episodes/broadcast/gods-blueprint-for-a-healthy-marriage-part-1-of-3/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVpksSumfyM

Picture used courtesy of Pexels

All Saints Day - November 1

Today, November 1, is the church's traditional observance of All Saints Day.  Often lost in our evangelical community, this day has a rich heritage of remembering saints who have gone before us.

Charles Colson shared some great words about All Saints Day in his commentary Honoring the Witnesses:

"In case you’ve missed it before, the name Halloween is a shortening of All Hallows’ Eve and signifies the night before All Saints’ Day. For centuries on All Saints’ Day, the Church celebrated the lives of Christians who went before us. And rightly so: We can learn so much from those whom the author of Hebrews calls that great cloud of witnesses.  

The tradition of remembering the Church triumphant dates back to the time of the first Christian martyrs. When soldiers of Marcus Aurelius Verus came to arrest Polycarp, a beloved church leader, Polycarp greeted them kindly. According to the third-century historian Eusebius, Polycarp “ordered a table to be laid for them immediately, invited them to eat as much as they liked, asking in return a single hour in which he could pray.” When Polycarp later stood in the coliseum, accused and surrounded by the jeering crowds, the governor pressed him to recant his faith. Instead, this man, who himself had been discipled by the Apostle John, said this: 'For 86 years, I have been [Christ’s] servant, and He has never done me wrong: How can I blaspheme my King who saved me?' As they were preparing to burn him alive, Polycarp offered up prayers of faith and praise."  

Read the entire article here at Breakpoint.

Image courtesy of Pexels