Thanksgiving

We are approaching the Thanksgiving holiday. It is a national holiday but for Christians in America, be assured the day is celebrated not only as a holiday, but a holy-day. What makes Thanksgiving Day holy is not only do we give thanks for the many blessings that have been bestowed upon us, but we are a people who give thanks to God Almighty who is the source of all good things from which James writes, “every perfect gift, is from above.” (James 1:17)

All too often we simply give thanks for what we see and touch. Not that there is anything wrong with that. I give thanks for family and friends. I give thanks for a roof over my head. Yes, I give thanks for a cup of coffee in the morning. I could go on and on as you can as well.

My point is a simple one. I hope we can add this little two letter preposition, to with the turkey and stuffing and pumpkin pie and with whatever else will be consumed. It is a little word that makes quite a difference. In fact, for people of faith it makes all the difference in the world. Giving thanks to God grounds us, centers us, and disciplines us.

As an example, when we pray, celebrate, or worship, we are practicing disciplines, which is a way of life-with-God who transforms us and changes us into disciples. Get that? Disciplines make disciples and disciples have a teacher. Hear again, our teacher is Jesus, who is Lord and says loud and clear, “do not worry.” (Matthew 6:25) 

I need not tell you but worry, anxiety, and stress are not good for us emotionally, or physically nor certainly not spiritually. Look how quickly this dimension of life turns us to anger. And anger left unresolved has the potential to take us further into a life that is destructive. I’m not going negative on you but I am trying to encourage a practice of thanksgiving to God which produces a quality of life based on gratitude. Herein, the blessings flow and with a grateful heart we find not only gratitude right around the corner but the gift of appreciation.

We all know what depreciation is like. We buy a new car.  As soon as we drive the car off the dealers parking lot, we find the value of the car begins to depreciate. Jesus, calls upon us not to worship mammon, possessions, treasures here on earth but rather we pivot, and turn to God for our worship and our thanksgiving. An agnostic (a-gnosis trans. “not knowing”) finds thanksgiving difficult because they do not know God and as a result, they are thankful ultimately to their self only. Without God, the agnostic is left with mammon and stress, anxiety and worry.

The word eucharist, in Greek means thanksgiving for a reason. We are thankful when we break bread with Jesus who brings us to an abundant life, a life-with-God that is never ending and forever and ever. Thanks be to God!   

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Robin Jennings

Robin T. Jennings is an ordained priest in the Episcopal Church, and an accomplished author, speaker and teacher who inspires his audiences with Biblical guidance and spiritual insights into everyday life. Whether he has the opportunity to speak to churches, businesses or organizations, Robin’s lifetime of work in spiritual transformation and renewal connects individuals with timely topics such as the importance of community, hope, identity and the search for meaning which are inevitably woven into his message.

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