Faith and thanksgiving
Ever since I can remember, Thanksgiving has been my favorite annual holiday. We were a typical New England family that would prepare a typical New England Thanksgiving feast, and as we sat around the table everyone would express one thing they were thankful for. As a young boy I thought it was pretty cool that a federal government would set aside one day each year for its citizens to stop their busy lives and gather with family to give thanks for the blessings bestowed upon us. This led to a lifelong infatuation with Plymouth Rock, the Mayflower and these courageous folks that travelled across the Atlantic Ocean in the fall of 1620.
The faith of the pilgrims
What was it that led these people to risk all and travel to this new world? Before they disembarked the ship, the 41 male passengers signed a covenant called “The Mayflower Compact” that would set the founding principles for this group to govern themselves by. The first words are “In the Name of God,” and the second sentence begins, “Having undertaken for the glory of God and advancement of the Christian faith…”
Having landed in November, that first winter was extremely difficult, and by springtime about half of the 102 passengers had perished. The ship’s captain pleaded with the passengers to return to England with him, but they refused because they said the Divine Hand of Providence (God’s favor) was upon them. As a young Christian boy reading this, I was in awe of the steadfastness of these men and women of faith. Learning how they befriended the local native people and built a community that grew in faith and in commerce made me feel proud to be a New Englander.
Hard work in hard times
Every year at this time I try to learn something new about these courageous servants of God. This year I was reading excerpts of Governor William Bradford’s writings and came upon his rendering of the first few annual harvest feasts (Thanksgiving) that were held in this new world.
I learned that the first gardens in the settlement were communal in nature. They consisted of one big plot that everyone was to help tend, and then everyone would share in the harvest equally. The first crop of beans, corn and squash in the fall of 1621 was not sufficient to make it through the winter, nor was the crop of 1622.
In Bradford’s writing of April of 1623 he made the decision that each family would have their own plot for a garden, and family would be responsible for their own provisions for the winter. Being very well acquainted with God’s Word, they understood Proverbs 6:6-8. The outcome far surpassed Governor Bradford’s greatest expectations. He wrote, “I have never seen families work so hard as I have on their own land.”
God’s providence and provision
The Pilgrims’ concept of freedom continued to flow and flourish in this new land and became the American Dream. The Fall Feast held in 1623 was truly a Thanksgiving feast that set the tone of the abundance of God’s provision. I am so thankful for this steadfast flock that God sent on this once-in-a-lifetime mission trip. The results of their trusting in the Lord with all their souls has made an eternal impact on so many lives.
During this Thanksgiving season, I encourage you to read the Mayflower Compact, or a Thanksgiving Day address from President Washington or Lincoln. Look up the National Monument to our Forefathers on Allerton Street in Plymouth, Massachusetts, and visit it. But above all, thank God for His providential hand of provision over our lives, both now and forevermore.
Russ Rathier serves as the Vermont regional coordinator for the Baptist Convention of New England.