Practicing Thanksgiving

Our Thanksgiving holiday is just a few weeks away.  In many ways, the regular observance of holidays can be a great spiritual help to us, if we will make them an opportunity to prepare in the right ways.  As followers of Jesus, the Thanksgiving holiday gives us an opportunity to “practice thanksgiving.”  As with any spiritual discipline, practicing thanksgiving takes a bit of work and discipline, but it can be done.

The concept is very simple, and can be found in numerous places in the Bible, especially the Psalms.  A passage that I find helpful is found in the New Testament letter of 1 Thessalonians:  “…give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1 Thessalonians 5:18, NRSV).

This instruction is helpful, for often our circumstances are not ones where giving thanks comes naturally.  Consider just these two examples of the negativity that abounds around us:

• Our TV and radio airwaves are currently saturated with political advertisements; I believe 100% of these criticize one person in the race, as if they have done everything wrong and nothing right.  Regardless of party, we know this is not true.  And yet, how often does our speech and opinion reflect the negative half-truths of our political ads?

• Just last week Patrick Henry and William Fleming High Schools played football; the game  unfortunately ended in a fight.  What could have been (and mostly was) an opportunity for all of us to be proud of Roanoke will be remembered for the unfortunate choices of a few.

From just these two illustrations (and many more we could think of), stop and think how easy it is to take a negative approach to life.  Do you find yourself being more critical or more positive in your outlook on life?  How does your life conform to the 1 Thessalonians 5:18 passage?  Are you a thankful person?

As one who seeks to follow Jesus, I find it very helpful to practice thanksgiving.  This helps me to stop thinking about myself and start thinking about what God is doing in my life and congregation.  It is so easy to get caught up in the challenges and opportunities of life and miss the ways the Kingdom of God is breaking in all around us, God’s will being done “on earth, as it is in Heaven.”

So how can we begin practicing thanksgiving?  Here are a few spiritual disciplines that I have found helpful in my life; I pray that you will find them to be of equal benefit:

A simple way to practice thanksgiving is to stop what you are doing, find a quiet place, and start writing down all the reasons you have to be thankful.  Be specific: name people, places, dates, conversations, blessings.  Plan on this taking some time.  Once you start, the floodgates will open and you will be amazed at how many reasons you have to be thankful.

Another option can involve your family and friends: Between now and Thanksgiving day, begin each meal by naming one thing for which you are thankful.  Write it down on a piece of paper, and put it in a container.  On Thanksgiving Day, pull the papers out of the container and read them out loud.

Finally, follow the previous example, but for each entry, agree to contribute a certain amount to mission or ministry.

I’m sure there are many more ways you can begin to practice thanksgiving.  Thanksgiving Day is November 25; how thankful can you be the first 24 days of November?

Tim Harvey is the senior pastor at Central Church of the Brethren in Roanoke. Come visit them at www.centralbrethren.org

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