Thanksgiving is NOT "Turkey Day"

[Vickilynn]

Shalom Dear Friends,

Now, y'all might accuse me of picking at nits, but to be honest, it disturbs me to see this day of Thanksgiving being referred to as "Turkey Day." Oh my, what have we come to if this is how we see this day and all it stands for?

Is it about a "turkey??"

I feel the same way when people reduce Christmas, which celebrates the birth of the Messiah, to nothing but the secular celebrations.

I pray that instead of flaming me for being picky, that those reading will STOP and thank our gracious, loving Heavenly Father for all the things that you have, because HE has given them to you!

It's not about eating, it's about being so full of thanks to G-d that we overflow! Yes, it's about history and yes it's a joyous celebratory time, but let's remember that it is a day of humble thanksgiving to our G-d, not a "turkey day."

What are you doing today to give glory to G-d and thank HIM for all your blessings?

Psalm 9

1I will praise thee, O LORD, with my whole heart; I will shew forth all thy marvellous works.

2I will be glad and rejoice in thee: I will sing praise to thy name, O thou most High.

[Guest LadyC]

i, too feel that the meaning of thanksgiving has been lost... and long before my generation, i'm afraid! i mentioned this in another thread. it's so easy to get caught up in the cooking, the cleaning, the "making nice" with relatives you don't bother to see any other time of year that i sometimes feel i have to be reminded that this is a day to give thanks.

that being said, i often use the phrase 'happy turkey day'.... and i wonder about that too... just how happy is that turkey?

[stan4257]

Shalom Dear Friends,

Is it about a "turkey??"

Not if you are expecting the turkey to give thanks.

[tah]

3...new years...

Ham and black-eyed peas...

Sometimes I take for granted just about everything..including the tradition of Thanksgiving..

I remind myself every day to be thankful... \O/

[Guest LadyC]

3...new years...

Ham and black-eyed peas...

Sometimes I take for granted just about everything..including the tradition of Thanksgiving..

I remind myself every day to be thankful... \O/

you're obviously from the south! new years and black eyed peas.... our first year in vegas we went out, and i asked for peas, and the waitress was dumbfounded when i said you can't have a new year's meal without black eyed peas! since then i've learned that it's a southern thing.

[Vickilynn]

Shalom,

Those of you ridiculing this thread, please stop. Your posts are ungracious and inconsiderate.

This is a serious issue. Please refrain from posting your silliness and irreverence. Thank you.

Please consider that all we have is BECAUSE G-d gave it to us. We should be so humble and grateful.

James 16

Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. 18 Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

[Vickilynn]

i, too feel that the meaning of thanksgiving has been lost... and long before my generation, i'm afraid! i mentioned this in another thread. it's so easy to get caught up in the cooking, the cleaning, the "making nice" with relatives you don't bother to see any other time of year that i sometimes feel i have to be reminded that this is a day to give thanks.

Shalom LadyC,

I pray that something in this thread will help us not to refer to this day in any other way that for giving THANKS to G-d and to be humbly grateful to Him.

[ted]

what if we praise God for His blessings and eat the turkey? Is that so bad?

t.

[stan4257]

i, too feel that the meaning of thanksgiving has been lost... and long before my generation, i'm afraid! i mentioned this in another thread. it's so easy to get caught up in the cooking, the cleaning, the "making nice" with relatives you don't bother to see any other time of year that i sometimes feel i have to be reminded that this is a day to give thanks.

There are some issues here that may appear differently to some than to others as Christians from different countries interact with each other on the internet amd in this forum.

First is that Thanksgiving day is a traditional North American holiday, begun initially as a harvest thanksgiving festival, which has developed into something not quite the same as the original version. The same tradition is maintained to a much lesser extent in other parts of the world where it is know as harvest thanksgiving. In both cases it celebrates the end of the gathering in of the crops and the end of a year's work for an agrarian society.

The second is that Christians, who are now predominately not involved in hands on harvesting, though many are of course, miss and cannot understand the significance of the relief and joy after a safe harvest when the season has come to an end and there is enough to last through the next year. It is a wonderful feeling to have all the crop in and the machinery cleaned and back in the shed ready for next year. Thanking God comes very naturally at such a time, apart from the OT traditions that cover similar events.

Coupled with this second thought is the risk that in a modern society, thanking God for his mercies is not so dependent on a once a year event, but something that should occur every day, or at least every time that pay packet hits the bank or wherever. (And I am not talking about all the other things that happen all the time, like crossing a road safely or when it rains at the right time to put in the crop.) I am talking about significant, measurable, observable events that relate to income and survival.

Paul writes about special days in Galatians 4:8-10 when he says:

"Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods. But now that you know God - or rather are known by God - how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable principles? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again? You are observing special days and months and seasons and years!"

I suppose there is also another issue here that only applies to the USA, in that Thanksgiving Day has become not only a great holiday, but is now so American and traditional that it would be almost un-American for it not to be observed. That's fine, and I am not even hinting that there is anything wrong with that. All to their own, except that it is sometimes a bit difficult for those who have grown up in and embraced a national tradition to understand how different it appears to others from other traditions. Most of the world hardly even knows that there is such a thing as Thanksgiving Day. And that does not mean that Christians in other countries do not thank God in other ways.

But speaking as we are from a Christian perspective, yes. Anything that was initiated as a reminder to thank God for his mercies should not become overshadowed by other issues, if possible, and perhaps equally, should not be elevated to a purpose that is not consistent with the scripture on which it was based.

In all things thank God is not a bad biblical command, whatever and whenever and wherever and however, so long as the process for doing so does not overshadow the reason for doing so.

[OneLight]

Check out how many times Thanksgiving was given in the Old Testament. Seems like it did not start with us after all ...

God Bless Your Thanksgiving!

Your Brother In Christ,

OneLight