Don't run over Thanksgiving in your hurry to get to Christmas!

(originally published in The Daily Press - Religion Section 11-8-14)

Once upon a time in Christendom there used to be a reverenced holy day called Christmas, celebrating the birth of Christ.  (Holiday comes from the Old English word hāligdæg meaning holy day). Hundreds of years ago, Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day became holiday bookends of this holy and miraculous day.  

But what has happened to Thanksgiving? The traditional Thanksgiving Holiday appears to be evolving with the culture and postmodernity. You may have noticed the morning after Halloween several movie channels began their two-month long Christmas movie marathon and many commercials started ringing with jingle bell ads.

This reminds me of John Grisham’s novel, “Skipping Christmas.” Just change the holiday to Thanksgiving.

For many today, Thanksgiving seems to be the starting block for Black Friday, pulling Frosty, Santa, and the reindeer down from the attic - a holiday season speed bump that includes football and a parade.

Have we run over Thanksgiving in our hurry to get to Christmas? This may be a good metaphor for our relationship with God.  Forget being thankful - let’s move on to the goods and gifts!  

Examine your heart - do you primarily come before God with prayers of need and want more than a heart of thankfulness in the true meaning of things?  An attitude of thankfulness in our relationship with God is like finding true north on a compass. It brings integrity of direction toward everything else.

In 1621 the Pilgrims celebrated in a three day feast of “Thanksgiving to God” after the first harvest in the New World. In recognition and gratitude of God’s provision, family, friends and neighboring Indians gathered in thanksgiving.

While nationally we have set aside one day to commemorate Thanksgiving, the true meaning behind Thanksgiving is directed toward God and encompasses more than a single day’s event.

Over the next couple of weeks, consider this holiday a preparatory season of the heart - a time to reflect with gratitude and thankfulness in all God has done for you. 

Giving focus this way will not only bring us into a deeper relationship with God, but sets the heart right and frees us from the deception and trappings of Christmas consumerism.  

A thankful heart toward God can then enter into the season of Christmas with clearer perspective and deeper meaning, and honestly celebrate with holy reverence the joy of our Savior’s birth.

The Rev. Heidi Summers is affiliated with Freedom in Christ Ministries, is a board certified pastoral counselor, board certified life coach and is currently completing her doctorate at Fuller Theological Seminary.