One Holiday at a Time

Homily for Thanksgiving Day
Isaiah 63.7-9 1 Corinthians 1.3-9 Matthew 7.7-11

Last week, I had a chance to do a little shopping. Everywhere I went, the stores and the malls were decked out for Christmas: trees and wreaths were set up, glittering ribbons and ornaments filled the aisles, and Christmas music was playing over the sound systems. And in most places this had been going on for a few weeks already. But there was one exception. One department store in a mall where everything else was decorated for Christmas stood out. There were no festive trees or wreaths, no garland or holly. Instead, at each entrance to the store, there was a sign. The sign read: “Our halls will not be decked until November 27. Because we think it’s good to celebrate one holiday at a time. From our family to yours, Happy Thanksgiving.”

How easy it is to combine all holidays into one 8-week-long celebration, from the beginning of November until the beginning of January. Certainly there are things that all of these celebrations have in common – they’re built around family and friends, they often involve spending time together at a good meal, they help us celebrate what we have in life. But on the other hand, it is good to keep them separate. What we celebrate today is different than what we celebrate on December 25. On that day, a month from now, we will celebrate the birth of the Son of God, we will remember the shepherds and the magi and the gifts they brought to Jesus, and we will reflect on what we can give back to God. Today’s celebration is similar, but it is different. Today, we are thankful for the concrete blessings of our daily lives. Today, we are thankful for the spiritual and material gifts we have been given by God, family, friends, and country. Today, we are thankful for the opportunity to gather as a community for prayer. Today, we are thankful for the freedoms that we enjoy in this nation. Today, we are thankful for the faith that sustains us day by day. The food, the football games, the family gatherings may be important – but they are all secondary to the primary purpose of this particular holiday – simply to give thanks.

And then, taking one holiday at a time, after today’s celebrations are over, we can take our grateful hearts and prepare them to receive Christ, the Son of God. After we have given thanks for our blessings, we will be in a much better position to celebrate Christmas well, to welcome Christ into our hearts, and to make him known in the world. It all starts with simply being thankful, and that deserves a holiday all to itself.