On great holidays like Thanksgiving I think it’s a good time to go back to the wisdom that has come down to us from our ancestors and, perhaps, to turn to the wisdom of other traditions as well. Here are a few resources for such reflections. I’m jumping the gun a little so you can take a look at some of these before Thanksgiving. Incorporate them into your own celebration if you’d like.
If you have any Thanksgiving resources of your own to suggest, please include them in the comments section or email me and I’ll incorporate them into the post.
Psalm 136
An Iroquois Thanksgiving Prayer
Meister Eckhart on giving thanks
The First Thanksgiving Proclamation
Tecumseh on giving thanks
Washington’s Thanksgiving Proclamation of 1789
Lincoln’s Thanksgiving Proclamation of 1863
Thanksgiving: a native American view
An American Muslim reflects on Thanksgiving
A little grace from Ralph Waldo Emerson
Chesterton on gratitude
Psalm 136 (King James version)
1: O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.
2: O give thanks unto the God of gods: for his mercy endureth for ever.
3: O give thanks to the Lord of lords: for his mercy endureth for ever.
4: To him who alone doeth great wonders: for his mercy endureth for ever.
5: To him that by wisdom made the heavens: for his mercy endureth for ever.
6: To him that stretched out the earth above the waters: for his mercy endureth for ever.
7: To him that made great lights: for his mercy endureth for ever:
8: The sun to rule by day: for his mercy endureth for ever:
9: The moon and stars to rule by night: for his mercy endureth for ever.
10: To him that smote Egypt in their firstborn: for his mercy endureth for ever:
11: And brought out Israel from among them: for his mercy endureth for ever:
12: With a strong hand, and with a stretched out arm: for his mercy endureth for ever.
13: To him which divided the Red sea into parts: for his mercy endureth for ever:
14: And made Israel to pass through the midst of it: for his mercy endureth for ever:
15: But overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red sea: for his mercy endureth for ever.
16: To him which led his people through the wilderness: for his mercy endureth for ever.
17: To him which smote great kings: for his mercy endureth for ever:
18: And slew famous kings: for his mercy endureth for ever:
19: Sihon king of the Amorites: for his mercy endureth for ever:
20: And Og the king of Bashan: for his mercy endureth for ever:
21: And gave their land for an heritage: for his mercy endureth for ever:
22: Even an heritage unto Israel his servant: for his mercy endureth for ever.
23: Who remembered us in our low estate: for his mercy endureth for ever:
24: And hath redeemed us from our enemies: for his mercy endureth for ever.
25: Who giveth food to all flesh: for his mercy endureth for ever.
26: O give thanks unto the God of heaven: for his mercy endureth for ever.
A THANKSGIVING PRAYER FROM THE IROQUOIS (SENECA) PEOPLE
Gwa! Gwa! Gwa! Now the time has come! Hear us, Lord of the Sky! We are here to speak the truth, for you do not hear lies, We are your children, Lord of the Sky.
Now begins the Gayant’ gogwus This sacred fire and sacred tobacco And through this smoke We offer our prayers We are your children, Lord of the Sky.
Now in the beginning of all things You provided that we inherit your creation You said: I shall make the earth on which people shall live And they shall look to the earth as their mother And they shall say, “It is she who supports us.” You said that we should always be thankful For our earth and for each other So it is that we are gathered here We are your children, Lord of the Sky.
Now again the smoke rises And again we offer prayers You said that food should be placed beside us And it should be ours in exchange for our labor. You thought that ours should be a world where green grass of many kinds should grow You said that some should be medicines And that one should be Ona’o the sacred food, our sister corn You gave to her two clinging sisters beautiful Oa’geta, our sister beans and bountiful Nyo’sowane, our sister squash The three sacred sisters; they who sustain us.
This is what you thought, Lord of the Sky. Thus did you think to provide for us And you ordered that when the warm season comes, That we should see the return of life And remember you, and be thankful, and gather here by the sacred fire. So now again the smoke arises We the people offer our prayers We speak to you through the rising smoke We are thankful, Lord of the Sky.
Liberally translated by Chuck Larsen, Seneca
Meister Eckhart on giving thanks
If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, “thank you,” that would suffice.
Meister Eckhart (c. 1260 – 1327/8)
The First Thanksgiving Proclamation, 1676
“The Holy God having by a long and Continual Series of his Afflictive dispensations in and by the present Warr with the Heathen Natives of this land, written and brought to pass bitter things against his own Covenant people in this wilderness, yet so that we evidently discern that in the midst of his judgements he hath remembered mercy, having remembered his Footstool in the day of his sore displeasure against us for our sins, with many singular Intimations of his Fatherly Compassion, and regard; reserving many of our Towns from Desolation Threatened, and attempted by the Enemy, and giving us especially of late with many of our Confederates many signal Advantages against them, without such Disadvantage to ourselves as formerly we have been sensible of, if it be the Lord’s mercy that we are not consumed, It certainly bespeaks our positive Thankfulness, when our Enemies are in any measure disappointed or destroyed; and fearing the Lord should take notice under so many Intimations of his returning mercy, we should be found an Insensible people, as not standing before Him with Thanksgiving, as well as lading him with our Complaints in the time of pressing Afflictions:
The Council has thought meet to appoint and set apart the 29th day of this instant June, as a day of Solemn Thanksgiving and praise to God for such his Goodness and Favour, many Particulars of which mercy might be Instanced, but we doubt not those who are sensible of God’s Afflictions, have been as diligent to espy him returning to us; and that the Lord may behold us as a People offering Praise and thereby glorifying Him; the Council doth commend it to the Respective Ministers, Elders and people of this Jurisdiction; Solemnly and seriously to keep the same Beseeching that being perswaded by the mercies of God we may all, even this whole people offer up our bodies and soulds as a living and acceptable Service unto God by Jesus Christ.”
“When you arise in the morning, give thanks for the morning light, for your life and strength. Give thanks for your food, and the joy of living. If you see no reason for giving thanks, the fault lies with yourself.”
Tecumseh (1768-1813)
Washington’s Thanksgiving Proclamation, 1789
Now, therefore, I do recommend and assign Thursday, the 26th day of November next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation; for the signal and manifold mercies and the favorable interpositions of His providence in the course and conclusion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty which we have since enjoyed; for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enable to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national one now lately instituted’ for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and, in general, for all the great and various favors which He has been pleased to confer upon us.
Lincoln’s Thanksgiving Proclamation, 1863
The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God.
I strongly recommend that you read the whole thing. I find it very relevant these days.
Thanksgiving: A Native American View
An American Muslim reflects on Thanksgiving
A little grace from Ralph Waldo Emerson
For each new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food, for love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
When we were children we were grateful to those who filled our stockings at Christmas time. Why are we not grateful to God for filling our stockings with legs?
Gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.
You say grace before meals. All right. But I say grace before the concert and the opera, and grace before the play and pantomime, and grace before I open a book, and grace before sketching, painting, swimming, fencing, boxing, walking, playing, dancing and grace before I dip the pen in the ink.
