During my pastor years I dreaded Thanksgiving. It was SO OBVIOUSLY an American observation unique to this country which had no significance for other cultures, no historical significance in the Christian Church, and no Scriptural mandate. It really didn’t even begin with the Pilgrims! President Lincoln declared it a holiday in 1863 during the Civil war after the union victory at Gettysburg that preserved the nation. In the ensuing years it took on the significance in the minds of most Christians as a high church holiday. Lutherans were not exempt from this faith fallacy. My former parishioners insisted on celebrating with a service that was void of solemnity or the sacred and filled instead with services and decoration that were schmaltzy and sentimental. The altar guild would decorate with a cornucopia, small corn stalks and ceramic pumpkins and even figurines of pilgrims. There would be a food collection to distribute to the local food bank—not from our own church probably due to the fact that we weren’t comfortable with “those” homeless people darkening our doors, so we kept them at a safe distance. At my last congregation half of the people wanted a Thanksgiving eve service, and half a Thanksgiving day service. So I’d end up doing two! One year I had the audacity to cancel the one on Thanksgiving Day. You’d think I’d cancelled Easter or Christmas. One person told me that they would be attending another “real church” that celebrated on the actual day. Ugh! That’s the kind of shit that not only reveals well-intentioned ignorance fueled by protestant pietism, but also chips away at the fabric of a pastors spiritual sanity. So anyway . . .

This year I went to the Wednesday evening service at the church I now attend, St. Columba Orthodox. I was curious to see how they’d “do” Thanksgiving. Guess what? They didn’t!! Hardly anyone was in attendance—seven people total counting the deacon and the assistant. The altar and chancel area was the same as always—no pilgrims or canned food items. There weren’t any “Thanksgiving Hymns” sung, in fact there were no hymns at all. In fact, the focus of the mid-week mass (Yes, there was communion), was on the Presentation of Mary. WHAT?

The Presentation of Mary which falls on November 21st, IS an historical occasion based on the apocryphal account of James. Mary, at the age of three, is taken to the temple by her parents. There’s a marvelous painting by Pietras Testas which depicts it. It is this event that “marks” Mary, if you will, as the one who would be revered as “Theotokos”, which means “God-bearer”. (Historical note: Nestorius, who had served as bishop of Constantinople lost his position and nearly his life for calling her “Christotokos” and not “Theotokos”. Heresy!!). Back to the point I’m making: Not only was I relieved that the Lord in his mercy had delivered me from one of “those” Thanksgiving services, He had actually presented (pun intended) me with something far richer: The figure in the Gospels who is the example par excellent of what it means to be truly thankful. Mary in her humility was thankful for having been chosen to be the one who carried and gave birth to God’s son. She was unique in that vocation.

As I contemplated her it occurred to me that I can and should be thankful for the same: for the opportunity to carry Christ in me. Isn’t that what we’re told in the Gospels? Isn’t that what the title “Immanuel” means? Isn’t that what Jesus says and does? God comes to dwell in us. Not just in a generic way, but in a very personal one as well. We are called “Christians”, little Christ’s, who are joined with Him and He with us first in baptism and then daily thereafter through the mysterious and inexplicable working of His Spirit. Paul speaks of this marvelous mystery of “Christ in You” over and over in his epistles. Here’s one of my favorites from Colossians 1: “God willed to make known to you this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”

That is something rich!
That is something to contemplate in humility.
That is something to truly give Thanks for. “Thanksgiving Theotokos”