Grant us, O Lord, to receive with grateful hearts and with attentive minds all that you would give us. Make us to know your grace and to believe your promises, to offer with generosity all that you ask of us and to follow where you lead, into lives of service and an eternity of joy in your presence. Amen. ~ St. Augustine’s Prayer Book, page 93
Dear People of St. David’s,
Elias Boudinot was a patriot, a friend of George Washington’s, a devout Christian, the founder of the American Bible Society, and he eventually served as the President of the Continental Congress and the Director of the US Mint.
In 1789, Boudinot used his position in Congress to push for a National Day of Thanksgiving, and he wrote a letter to President Washington to that effect. Boudinot argued that he “could not think of letting the session pass over without offering an opportunity to all the citizens of the United States of joining with one voice in returning to Almighty God their sincere thanks for the many blessings he had poured down upon them.” [https://news.americanbible.org/blog/entry/corporate-blog/founding-father-elias-boudinots-thanksgiving-legacy]
This was a pretty controversial thing that Boudinot was proposing, and it inspired a vigorous debate in the House of Representatives. America had just fought a war that was, at its core, a fight for liberty and against the tyranny of an overreaching government—and now was the new American government going to require citizens to give thanks to God? Surely—the detractors argued—if the people wanted to give thanks, they didn’t need their government to prompt them to it.
Fortunately, cooler heads prevailed, and Boudinot ended up persuading not only Congress but the nation’s new President, George Washington. Washington echoed Boudinot’s sentiments in his first Thanksgiving Proclamation, writing:
“Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor—and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness.”
With that, the American celebration of Thanksgiving was born.
The story of Boudinot has left an indelible mark on me mostly because he had a farm and estate in Basking Ridge, New Jersey, just a short walk from my former parish. The local Episcopal Churches established a large garden on his farm which still provides thousands of pounds of fresh produce for local food banks and pantries. We’d oftentimes have outdoor services of worship on that property. Every fall as I walked his farm, I’d think about how Thanksgiving was, in a real sense, birthed right there.
The thing about this story that really moves me is why Boudinot pushed for this day of giving thanks to God: because Boudinot saw God’s hand moving in the world around him, especially in the foundation of our new country. He saw it as an act of God, and therefore something to inspire gratitude and thanks.
Ask any group of people what they are thankful for, and the answers that will percolate first will be “family and friends,” “health,” “home,” “employment.” To be sure, these are laudable and wonderful things that, should we be fortunate enough to have, we should be grateful without end. But, as Thanksgiving was originally conceived, it wasn’t just about what God has given to me, but what God has given us.
As we gather around our Thanksgiving tables next week, perhaps we could recall all that God has given to us in the foundational ideals of our country: liberty, justice, and equality; and in the foundational ideals of our faith: hope, love, redemption, and forgiveness.
We have been given so much. Therefore, with grateful hearts, let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
Happy Thanksgiving,
Rick
The Rev. Rick Morley
Rector
PS: If you’d like to share with us the things that you’re thankful for, visit the bulletin board in the Chapel narthex hallway and add your own gratitude message to the board!
Published November 21, 2024