Article: Thanksgiving

A week from today, it will be Thanksgiving Day. Can you believe it? I can’t. Time seems to be accelerating the older I get. Blink twice and it will be Christmas! Not really, we have to celebrate Advent first, after all we are Lutherans.

I know people think we have been celebrating Thanksgiving annually since the Pilgrims of Plymouth Colony. However, the actual yearly commemoration of Thanksgiving began in 1864 when President Lincoln proclaimed a national day of “Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens,” to be celebrated on the last Thursday in November.

Thanksgiving was later moved to the fourth Thursday of November to accommodate extra shopping days before Christmas on the years there is a fifth Thursday.

What are you doing for Thanksgiving this year?

I know that some of you will be…

Traveling to be with family.

  1. Hosting family at your home.
  2. Getting together with friends
  3. Having a quiet day alone.

Whatever you will be doing, I hope you sense God’s blessing in your life. Rachel and I will be spending the day together and I am always thankful when I spend time with her. We will also take time to call our parents as we do on all the holidays. We definitely know we are blessed and who provides those blessings.

Where ever you are and whatever you might be doing on Thanksgiving (we might go see a movie) I want you to remember this, “You are an Aspen tree.”

I know what you are thinking, “I just witnessed Pr. Ben lose his mind.” Hold on, let me explain.

The Aspen tree is not just an Aspen tree. An Aspen tree grove in the wild shares the same root system.  An Aspen tree grove is not only the oldest living organism on Earth but it is also the largest.  The oldest Aspen tree grove is found in Utah and is estimated to be 80,000 years old and can weigh up to 6600 tons.

We as the church are like a grove of Aspen trees. We are connected and we are one. We share the same roots because we have one foundation in Christ. No matter where you are and who you are with this Thanksgiving, we are connected and always will be. I am thankful to be connected to you.

If you are in town this Wednesday evening at 7pm, come to Bethel and we will worship together. We will stand together like an Aspen grove and give thanks to the One who watches over us and provides all we need.

Oh, and bring a pie if you can, Aspen trees love pie. Especially pecan pie.

God bless you and I hope you have a blessed Thanksgiving,
Pr. Ben

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2 thoughts on “Article: Thanksgiving

  1. I enjoyed the information about Aspen trees…..such a wonderful example for us. Also liked learning that pecan pie is a favorite of Aspens…..that also was news. We are thankful to have you in our lives and hope that continues for a long time. Happy Thanksgiving….see you Sunday!

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