Thoughts for Thanksgiving

Though it’s only a couple of weeks until Thanksgiving – and many of us may already have worship plans in place - I thought I would share a Thanksgiving worship tradition in my church.

I have always felt that it is important to spend some time with this particular holiday since in the stores (if your towns and cities are anything like those around me) are now on a direct course sweeping us rapidly along to Christmas. The Halloween candy is no sooner discounted and then removed from the shelves than all the Christmas paraphernalia takes its place. From orange and black to red and green – and Thanksgiving is completely bypassed and marginalized. So much for my little bit of ranting…..

On Thanksgiving Sunday, the congregation together creates a filled cornucopia on the altar. In advance of the service, people are asked to bring fresh fall produce – fruits and vegetables such as potatoes, carrots, squash, pumpkins, gourds, onions, etc. In addition, I leave potatoes, carrots, etc. here and there on the pews – in case people forget, are visitors, etc. There is a large, empty cornucopia on the altar.

I don’t generally preach on Thanksgiving but have a number of readings – scriptural and non – interspersed with times that people are invited to come forward with different types of produce and lay it on the altar. That is, at one point everyone with squash and pumpkins come forward, later on everyone with potatoes and onions, etc. One year, when the worship theme was “Count your Blessings, I also included a leaf shaped cut out in the bulletin and asked people to write down something they were thankful for and bring that to the altar along with their produce.

By the end of the worship service, the cornucopia on the altar is overflowing with produce and makes a strong visual statement.

When the service is over, the produce is used in the 50+ Thanksgiving dinner baskets we make for people in the community who need some help with food for the holiday – and beyond.

I’m curious about what others do for Thanksgiving. Please feel free to share……