The
Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance of Jersey City and Vicinity
Pre-Thanksgiving
Service
New Redeemer Reformed
Episcopal Church, Jersey City NJ
November 24, 2013
Deuteronomy 8:1-3,
6-10
Mark 10:41-45
The War on Thanksgiving
“May
the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your
sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.”
Over
the past few weeks, if you’ve been watching TV or if you’ve been in a mall, or
in a store, or even if you’ve just been breathing, you know that once again
America has moved into what it calls the Christmas Season or the holiday season.
The
cheery music is playing, the colorful lights are blinking, and the tinsel and
garland are hanging – all in an attempt to get us into the “holiday spirit.” All
in an attempt to get us into the holiday spirit so we’ll buy stuff – and the
more stuff the better. All in an attempt to get us to buy stuff – stuff often made
by exploited workers in faraway lands.
Over
the past decade or so, some people, including some pretty loud voices in the
media, and maybe including some of us here today, have taken to call all of this
materialism and secularization, “The War on Christmas.”
We’ve
been desperate for effective strategies and tactics to use in this war against
much-better funded opponents. So, what have we done?
Well,
some have us have slapped bumper stickers on our cars with slogans like, “Keep
Christ in Christmas.”
What
else? There are a lot of clergy here today, and I’m sure many of us – and I
include myself – have railed from the pulpit about how we’re losing the true
meaning of Christmas – how we’re losing to Frosty the Snowman, Rudolph (the
Red-Nosed Reindeer, not Daniels!), Elf on a Shelf, Santa, and all that junk
that we buy during the so-called Christmas Season.
And
maybe some of us - when we’re shopping and a sales clerk or cashier flashes a
dutiful smile and wishes us “Happy Holidays!” or “Season’s Greetings!” – maybe
some of us instead sneer back, “Merry Christmas!”
(But,
let’s be honest that there’s nothing particularly Christian or even merry in
taking that kind of approach to a store employee who’s more than likely
completely exhausted from working long hours and trying to get by on a minimum
wage salary.)
Anyway,
despite our feeble opposition, what the world calls the Christmas season is
well underway. But it won’t really kick into high gear until what the media
have taught us to call “Black Friday,” the day after Thanksgiving.
I’m
not going to ask for a show of hands. Maybe we’ve been out there. Or, maybe not.
But, we’ve all seen pictures of determined and dedicated - and often freezing -
shoppers camped out overnight in front of stores – eager to get the first crack
at buying some of that stuff made by exploited workers in faraway lands.
As
I’m sure you’ve noticed, each year “Black Friday” starts earlier and earlier – it’s
gotten so early, in fact, that it’s now intruding on the holiday we are here to
celebrate today, Thanksgiving.
Doing
something that was once unthinkable, more and more stores are opening on
Thanksgiving Day. Some workers are happy for the additional income while I’m
sure others are sorry to miss precious time with family and friends, not to
mention the turkey and stuffing and cranberry sauce.
First
there was the “War on Christmas” and now, it seems, there’s a… “War on
Thanksgiving.”
So,
over the past few weeks, getting ready to be with you here today, I’ve been
thinking a lot about this War on Thanksgiving.
And,
I’ve come to the conclusion that this war has been going on for a lot longer
than we may have realized.
In
some ways, Thanksgiving is the most American of holidays – with its roots in
the Pilgrims’ gratitude to God for their survival (though they should’ve also been
thankful for the know-how and help of the Indians, too.)
In
some ways, Thanksgiving is the most American of holidays – made official by
Abraham Lincoln in 1863 in the midst of our bloodiest war, in the midst of our
greatest liberation struggle.
But,
in other ways, Thanksgiving is the least American holiday, too.
As
a people, we tend to believe in self-reliance – we tend to assume that somehow
our achievements are ours alone, that somehow we don’t need to extend a word of
thanks to anyone, let alone to God, the Source of all good gifts.
Instead
of Thanksgiving being about gratitude to God, it’s often become about gluttony
– feasting at tables groaning under the weight of turkeys and all the rest.
Instead
of Thanksgiving being about gratitude to God, it’s often become about football
- and now, in our super-materialistic culture, Thanksgiving is in danger of
being swallowed up by an ever-expanding “Black Friday.”
So,
what are we, as people of faith - what are we Christians - to do?
How
do we fight the good fight in the War on Christmas and the War on Thanksgiving?
Well,
I’m pretty sure the answer isn’t preaching fiery sermons to the
proverbial choir who gather in our churches each week, hungry for the Good News.
I’m pretty sure the answer isn’t more bumper stickers, or sneering
“Merry Christmas!” at underpaid cashiers, or even in boycotting stores that
open on Thanksgiving Day.
But,
what are we, as people of faith - what are we Christians - to do?
The
answer is found where it’s always found, in the Word of God.
In
the passage we heard from Deuteronomy, God reminds the Israelites of the great
gifts that God has given. God reminds the Israelites that God has led them,
protected them on their long forty-year wilderness journey. God reminds the
Israelites of the bread from heaven – the bread that filled their stomachs and
filled their hearts.
And,
in today’s reading from the Gospel of Mark, Jesus reminds us that those who
want to lead must be servants of all. We are all called to live lives of loving
service to God and to each other.
Yes,
there are wars going on. And our Enemy is the same as always: our enemy is the
temptation to reject God, to forget God, to depend on ourselves alone.
Yes,
there are wars going on. And our Enemy is the same as always: our enemy is the
temptation to think that what’s most important, all that’s important, is what
we can see and touch and taste.
But,
what are we, as people of faith, to do?
How
do we fight the good fight in the War on Christmas and the War on Thanksgiving?
We
fight the good fight in the War on Christmas and Thanksgiving by showing the
world a better way, a more excellent way, by showing the world the Way, the Truth
and the Life.
By
God’s grace, we fight the good fight by living faithful and prayerful lives.
We
fight the good fight by not being like everybody else, by not being like the
world.
We
fight the good fight by really being who we say we are – by being faithful
followers of Jesus Christ – faithful disciples of Jesus Christ – Jesus Christ
who teaches us that true joy is found in risking everything for Him, giving
away our lives for Him, by serving those who are the least among us.
We
fight the good fight by really being who we say we are – by being faithful
followers of Jesus Christ – faithful disciples of Jesus Christ – Jesus Christ
who teaches us to love everyone - especially our enemies, to embrace everyone -
especially the most despised, to give and give and give and not to count the
cost.
We
fight the good fight by living lives of Thanksgiving – by living lives
of profound, bottomless gratitude – gratitude to God for all the good gifts God
has given us: gratitude for our very lives, for our families and friends, for the
privilege of serving others, for our churches and for the Church, and, most of
all, gratitude for Jesus, the King born in humility and coming in glory.
We
fight the good fight in the War on Christmas and Thanksgiving by not being like
everybody else, by not being like the world, by showing the world through our
lives, by our example, a better way, a more excellent way, by showing the world
the Way, the Truth and the Life.
So,
yes, there’s a war going on.
There’s
a war on Thanksgiving and a war on Christmas.
The
world wants us to fill ourselves with food and to fill our homes and our lives
with stuff made in faraway lands by exploited workers. And we are surely
tempted.
Meanwhile,
God calls us just as God has always called us.
God
calls us to remember all the good gifts – all the manna – that God has given
us.
God
calls us to serve God – and to serve one another.
And
God calls us to live Christ-like lives of love.
There
are wars going on.
Which
side are we on?
Amen.
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