Peace be with you, my friends.
Do you have your Turkeys ready? Stuffing? Cranberry sauce? All the other items for Thursday? In case you have forgotten, this Thursday is Thanksgiving! The holiday finds its origins in the 17th century CE, where 102 English separatists (known as the “pilgrims”) traveled from England to the USA. When they arrived in the USA, they landed on Plymouth Rock on Dec. 16, 1620. What they faced, however, was not a warm welcome by Mother Nature, but rather a very cold and deleterious winter. The pilgrims attempted to build a colony on Plymouth Rock during the foregoing months.
Unfortunately, it was not very successful. Many of them refused to work, opting to remain on the ship, as they were unprepared to fight against the winter exposure. Others suffered from scurvy, malnutrition, and other diseases. Historical records teach us that at least (if not more) half of the crew died due to these conditions. The pilgrims had left Europe, immigrating to the USA in search for a better life and a better future. Instead, all they found was suffering, death, ignorance, and a darkness that beset upon the light of their hope.
Yet, in the midst of it, God was Present. The following March, when Spring blossomed into being, the remaining pilgrims were approached by an Abenaki Native American and by Squanto, a Native American from the Pawtuxet tribe. Both of these Native Americans taught the pilgrims how to prepare for the yearly winters and how to survive them. Such preparation and planning included teaching the pilgrims how to farm and harvest the land. The following Fall, due to the teaching of the Native Americans, the pilgrims enjoyed a bountiful harvest. In thanks for such a blessing, the Governor William Bradford instituted a celebratory feast and invited the Native Americans, who had helped them, to share in the festivities.
In the midst of their suffering, God was Present. During that first Thanksgiving, they thanked God. For survival. For life. For a feast. For new friends.
Such a story is not new. History is full of stories where God’s Providence, although in the moment might be unseen, is present in the midst of suffering, death, and survival. One such story is present in the first book of the Bible, Genesis, where Joseph suffers the evil and malice of his brothers. Yet, in the midst of his story….in the midst of his suffering….God is Present….
You can prepare for this upcoming Sunday Worship Service,
Nov. 19, 2023, by reading Genesis 50: 15-20.
Naples Trinity Federated Church is located at 123 N. Main Street, Naples, NY, 14512;
And you can live stream the service at 9am, https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064568507595
Dansville United Methodist Church is located at 5 Chestnut Ave., Dansville, NY, 14437;
And you can live stream the service at 11am,
https://www.facebook.com/DvilleUMC/
OR DUMC website @ www.dansvilleumc.org
