Cornelius Plantinga:
In one of his books, John Baillie tells of a time he attended a religious service conducted by a humanist. The service included a sort of prayer of thanksgiving, in which the humanist avoided saying, “We thank you, O God,” and substituted the words, “We are thankful.”
It must be an odd feeling to be thankful to nobody in particular. Christians in public institutions often see this odd thing happening on Thanksgiving Day. Everyone in the institution seems to be thankful “in general.” It’s very strange. It’s a little like being married in general.
Christians are thankful to God, and especially because they have been raised with Christ. Prayer is the most important way of saying so. Thanksgiving is the healthy, upbeat response from people who know God’s goodness.”
Tomorrow, on Thanksgiving, be thankful, in particular, to the Triune God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Perhaps this is why Thanksgiving has lost much of it’s impact in the last couple decades. In trying to make it a day that everyone can be participatory, it has become less of a holy-day and more of a Hallmark day.
I read once that it must be the most lonesome feeling in the world, for an athiest to not have anyone to thank for sunsets and great beauty that they encounter. I’ve often thought of that; the lonesomeness, the void of relationship to our Creator.
Thank you for underscoring the great honor of kinship with Christ, on this day of remembrance for many, many blessings we’ve recieved. Doesn’t it nearly take your breath away?
Those are good insights Mary. Yes, we really do get reduced to Hallmark sentimentalism apart from being theocentric.
I pray that you and yours will be blessed.
Chris,
It is sad that our President, in his Thanksgiving declaration, to be thankful…”to those whose lives enrich our own.”
The declaration doesn’t mention God, except in a brief quote of George Washington.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/presidential-proclamation-thanksgiving-day