While I’m not totally sure, I think that Thanksgiving is at least “one of” my favorite holidays. It’s a great family gathering experience around a huge feast with some of my favorite foods – and there’s no pressure about sending cards and searching for “the right” gift for everyone. I am sad that the Thanksgiving Holiday has left the church, so to speak. Many churches don’t observe a special Thanksgiving worship service at all. I became quite aware of this when one of the churches I served decided to eliminate a Thanksgiving Day service and opt for only a Thanksgiving Eve service, like we do at Trinity. So, I thought I’d find a church to go to on Thanksgiving morning anyway. I was amazed to discover that very few churches offered a Thanksgiving service at all! I realize that it is not a religious holiday, per se, but giving thanks to God for blessings received is as biblical as worship and prayer! The root word “thank” shows up hundreds of times in the Bible. I understand why we have moved the Thanksgiving service to the evening before, and actually prefer it myself. But I would not want to eliminate it all together. It’s important that we gather for worship to specifically give thanks to God for His numerous blessings… from Jesus to pumpkin pie. I hope you will join us on Wednesday, November 21st at 7:00pm to pray, praise and give thanks!

I found an article on the facts and fictions of Thanksgiving that I wanted to share with you. I suppose the reason that we have so many myths associated with Thanksgiving is that it is an invented tradition. It doesn’t originate in any one event. It is based on the New England puritan Thanksgiving and the traditional harvest celebrations of England and New England as well as other ideas like commemorating the pilgrims. All of these have been gathered together and transformed into what we observe as Thanksgiving. Mix all of that in with the shopping craze of “black Friday” and you get the whole Thanksgiving holiday we celebrate today. Enjoy the ‘Fact or Fiction’ following. The answers can be found in this month’s newsletter.

~ Pastor Dennis Krueger

1. Fact or Fiction: Thanksgiving is held on the final Thursday of November each year.

2. Fact or Fiction: One of America’s Founding Fathers thought the turkey should be the national bird of the United States.

3. Fact or Fiction: In 1863, Abraham Lincoln became the first American president to proclaim a national day of thanksgiving.

4. Fact or Fiction: Macy’s was the first American department store to sponsor a parade in celebration of Thanksgiving.

5. Fact or Fiction: Turkeys are slow-moving birds that lack the ability to fly.

6. Fact or Fiction: Native Americans used cranberries, now a staple of many Thanksgiving dinners, for cooking as well as medicinal purposes.

7. Fact or Fiction: The movement of the turkey inspired a ballroom dance.

8. Fact or Fiction: On Thanksgiving Day in 2007, two turkeys earned a trip to Disney World.

9. Fact or Fiction: Turkey contains an amino acid that makes you sleepy.

10. Fact or Fiction: The tradition of playing or watching football on Thanksgiving started with the first National Football League game on the holiday in 1934.