Thanksgiving Day
“Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving.”
In the early years of the Plymouth Colony, there were occasions when food was rationed. At one time the ration was five kernels of corn a day per person. Not wanting their children to forget the hardships of that time, and the endurance learned from the experience, the Pilgrims established a Thanksgiving custom. Five grains of corn were placed next to every dinner plate as a reminder. Each person was asked to list five reasons for thanksgiving.
Psalm 95 begins with a call to worship the God who gives us every blessing. We are invited to sing, to praise, and to kneel as we express our thanksgiving.
The picture here is of a group of pilgrims making their way to Jerusalem, singing as they go. As they move through the gates surrounding the Temple, they stop to express their faith and to listen to words of warning.
“Remember the past” is one of the messages. As we gather with family and friends around loaded tables, we are called to remember all that we have received in our lives. More than anything else we must remember the Giver of every good gift.
For Reflection: What would you name your five kernels of corn?
A Prayer Seed:
God only is the Maker of all things near and far;
God paints the wayside flower, God lights the evening star;
The winds and waves obey God, By God the birds are fed;
Much more to us, God’s children, God gives our daily bread.
Matthias Claudius, 1782, alt.
