In this season of gratitude, Rev. LuAnn Rourke shares wisdom on getting our minds and hearts centered in thanksgiving and praise.

LUANN ROURKE
Superintendent, Heritage District

Thanksgiving has a beloved history in the United States. Its fabled origins trace back to the 1620s. Over the centuries, the focus on gratitude for abundant blessings became a national holiday, recognized in 1863 by President Abraham Lincoln as a day of thanksgiving and praise, then taking up permanent residence on the third Thursday in November in 1939. Ideally, it is time to reflect and celebrate as we contemplate abundant blessings and give thanks for the good things in our lives.

Lately, Thanksgiving has struggled to hold its position in our cultural landscape. It gets squeezed in retail stores between the more lucrative Halloween and Christmas displays. In 2022, we were struck by the great turkey shortage. Prices were high, and birds were few. This year, at least, it seems that tide has turned. According to CNN and the Wells Fargo Agri-Food Institute, the cost of a 10-to-15-pound turkey dropped 13% in October versus a year ago, and fresh cranberries are about 20% cheaper than last year. However, lest we get too comfortable in our holiday food budget, it is worth noting that canned goods like cranberry sauce (up 60%), pumpkin puree (up 30%), and green beans (up 9%) are all more expensive in 2023.

If Thanksgiving is all about dinner, it might be difficult to embrace our scriptural call: “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, NRSVue). Honestly, aside from the cost of the food on the table, it can be challenging to do much more than recite one thing we’re thankful for as we prepare to overindulge in cheaper turkey and expensive but sweet pumpkin pie.

We know there are benefits to doing the work of sowing seeds of gratitude. Taking time to be thankful may help lessen anxiety, relieve stress, and improve rest. We all know the holidays can be difficult. We reap the benefits if we can help one another cultivate a grateful space. God is greatly to be praised, but it is for our good, not God’s. We get the blessing because when gratitude becomes a habit, we increase our capacity for grace. When I am centered in thanksgiving and praise, I am better able to find peace and extend grace.

To be centered in thanksgiving and praise does not mean I turn a blind eye to the tough stuff of life. It’s hard living in the world today. In The Message translation of Matthew 5:1-8, Jesus said to those who followed him:

“You’re blessed when you’re at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule. You’re blessed when you feel you’ve lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you. You’re blessed when you’re content with just who you are — no more, no less. That’s the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can’t be bought. You’re blessed when you’ve worked up a good appetite for God. He’s food and drink in the best meal you’ll ever eat. You’re blessed when you care. At the moment of being ‘care-full,’ you find yourselves cared for. You’re blessed when you get your inside world — your mind and heart — put right. Then you can see God in the outside world.”

When we cultivate that attitude of gratitude, we get our minds and hearts put right. It doesn’t come naturally for most of us, so here are some ideas to help get you started:

• • Sing. Our hymnals are filled with songs of praise, thanksgiving, and joy. Sing loud, without holding back. Move a little while you do it. Watch how the children sing. They know how to do it.
  • Speak. Read and recite scripture. Hear your voice speak the life-giving words of hope, light, and new beginnings. Let your ears hear your voice declare the promises and encouragements you find there.
  • See. Open your eyes to observe and look for the beauty around you. It is there, even in the difficult and dreary. There are glimpses of God waiting to surprise us, evidence of God-with-us woven into every moment. As Elizabeth Barrett Browning wrote:

Earth’s crammed with heaven,
And every common bush afire with God;
But only he who sees, takes off his shoes —
The rest sit round it and pluck blackberries . . .

I pray that in the ebb of Thanksgiving, you will flow toward Advent with a determination to sing, speak, see, and declare the goodness of God. Celebrate abundance wherever you recognize it. Take off your shoes in the holy spaces and walk barefoot there. Sit down at the table prepared for you and eat. Enjoy! Overflow with thanksgiving. Wonder at God’s abundance. Receive and give grace as if there is an unending supply. Because there is.

Last Updated on November 28, 2023