This past week, I’ve been asking a question of my neighbors and everyone I meet out in public. Yesterday it was the pizza delivery guy. The question is this: “Did you know this year is the 400th anniversary of our nations’ first Thanksgiving?” To a person, they didn’t.
You would think that the beginning of this holiday, the holiday that has defined our nation above all other holidays, would be at least mentioned on its 400-year anniversary. Today’s television coverage of New York’s Thanksgiving Day Parade had a 30-second history segment. They did mention the Pilgrims but then when straight to President Lincoln and then ultimately, to turkeys and football.
That we don’t give thanks at Thanksgiving to God through Jesus is in the back of our minds as Christians every year. But what is at the heart of that shortfall? What are we missing? What’s different?
The Difference Today
The main difference between now and then, between 1621 and 2021, I submit is the difference between us and them. Let me say that again…
The main difference between now and then is the difference between us and them.
What I mean is that today, there is a covenantal separation between us and the rest of society, but the original Thanksgiving and many subsequent celebrations of it were confessional. In confessional Christianity, there is no difference between “us” and “them” in terms of who is Lord of the society. Back then, there were no subsets like today, at least not in the official standing. There was no “us” and “them” covenanatlly. There was only “us.”
There may have been differences in faithfulness, and there may have been differences in doctrine between congregations. Not all were true Christians. But there was still one Lord, one faith, one baptism. Even those who were not Christians were understood and declared to be under the lordship of Christ. And, there was an unmistakable local aspect to this.
That is probably why the celebration of Thanksgiving was not a family event. Nor was it a church event. It was a society event. We laud the pilgrims as being generous in inviting the Indians, but I think it’s more than generosity. The Indians were invited at least partly because they were part of the land. You see, the Pilgrims had something we don’t have: they had the understanding that society cannot be pluralistic. Pluralism made no sense to them. How could you have a sovereign Lord and yet have subsets of society opting for other sovereigns? (Side note: “sovereign” doesn’t just mean that God is in control of all events; it also means that He rules all men by ruling all nations.)
First Thanksgiving proclamation, June 20, 1676
Another event occurred 55 years after the original Thanksgiving, and it was influential in the development of the celebration we have today. Here’s what happened. The governing council of Charlestown, Massachusetts, wanted to determine the best way to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God as a society. They came up with this declaration. I’m going to put in bold some confessional aspects. It’s also important to note that this was done as a town.
“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 perswaded 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.”
As my friend, Ovid Need points out, the early Americans saw themselves as a continuing in the vein of Joshua, being grafted into true Israel, and bringing the local land under the gracious reign of Jesus Christ. Brother Need writes, “The Covenant they referred to is Deuteronomy 28-30 which pronounced a blessing or a curse for His ancient covenant people.”
Today, as we pray and give thanks as families and as churches, we are doing so (sadly) as a remnant in this land. It is good that God preserves His remnant.
But let’s also renew our minds to a covenantal, confessional understanding of God’s reign, of blessing and curses, and of God’s law for all nations and all times. Let’s renew our minds toward Thanksgiving as “towns” as Charleston, Massachusetts did.
May God be praised, 400 years later. The best is yet to come!