Thanksgiving: Lamentation and Gratitude

Please don’t misunderstand. I love Thanksgiving. It’s one of the best holidays.

No presents, not too much folderol, and plenty of good eating.
 
However, I’ve been rethinking how we got to Thanksgiving. For five-and-a-half years, I’ve been co-leading a Zoom class, “Educating Ourselves about Race & Racism” sponsored by my church.

The number one thing I hear repeatedly is: “I did not know that” and usually followed by: “I never thought about it that way.”
 
Thus, as a person of faith and curiosity, I want to know if the way Thanksgiving has always been presented is indeed the way it happened.

As a kid, I was taught that it was a virtual love fest between the pilgrims and the Native peoples at the first Thanksgiving. Who doesn’t want to emulate a wonderful can’t-we-all-get-along experience like that?
 
It may do us well to look at Thanksgiving with new eyes. Check out this article from the Potawatomi peoples: The True, Dark History of Thanksgiving.

Quick fact: Thanksgiving wasn’t established until 1863 by President Lincoln. Lincoln was trying to deflect from the fact that he ordered the mass execution of 38 Dakota men in 1862. These men were trying to fight back after they were denied food and provisions and were facing forced starvation during the Dakota War of 1862 in Minnesota. What a way to start a national holiday.
 
Want more information about the origins of Thanksgiving? The Myths of the Thanksgiving Story and the Lasting Damage they Imbue, highlights what probably really happened between the Wampanoag Indian tribe and the pilgrims during that first Thanksgiving.
 
But back to my original statement: I love Thanksgiving. However, we’ve got to tell the whole story about Thanksgiving and understand our and its full history – the good, the bad, and the ugly.
 
Over the years, Thanksgiving has morphed into a time to express gratitude. And that is a beautiful thing. But maybe it’s also time for lamentation. Remembering those who came before us. Remembering whose land we are on. Remembering the harm that has been done.
 
And it’s time to tell the people around the table what they mean to us. Time to acknowledge all the good that is happening in the world. Time to thank the Creator for giving us another day to be of service.
 
Perhaps you might want to use this prayer as you gather around the table, This Land Belongs to No One by Hila Ratzabi. Inspired by Psalm 24, it in part says,
 
This land belongs to no one but God.
The Earth was here before us and will endure after we are gone.
Let us walk gently upon this precious earth,
taking only what we need,
leaving little waste,
nurturing the soil,
revitalizing the land
to sustain future generations.
 
Dear readers, even as I lament, I give thanks for you.
For all the ways you are doing God’s work in the world.
For the many acts of reconciliation you participate in.
For being a generous people.
I am privileged to be in ministry with you.
 
Happy Thanksgiving.

Photo credit: Couleur @ pixabay.com

Here’s my annual gift to you: Those of you who write their year-end letter early and want to get some friendly feedback from me – send your draft letter no later than Friday, Nov. 28 to InspiringGenerosity@gmail.com.
 
And…head’s up. I’ll be on a two-week vacation (two weeks!) Dec. 1-14. There will be no Inspiring Generosity posted during that time. But you can bet I’ll have plenty to say when I return!
 
Cesie Delve Scheuermann (pronounced “CC Delv Sherman,” yes, really) is a Stewardship Consultant for the OR-ID Annual Conference. She is also a Senior Ministry Strategist with Horizons Stewardship – helping with capital campaigns and encouraging more generosity. For 25 years, while working as a volunteer and part-time consultant, she has helped raise millions of dollars for numerous churches and non-profit organizations. Crowded Table by the Highwaywomen must be one of the all-great Thanksgiving anthems. Sing it loudly and with gusto.
 
You can reach Cesie at inspiringgenerosity@gmail.com, at CesieScheuermann.com, or at cesieds@horizons.net. Want to schedule a meeting? She’s got you covered!
Schedule a meeting now.
 
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