Give Thanks!

Do you know how Thanksgiving Day became a national holiday in our country? Here is an interesting history lesson (credit: Edwin R. Anderson and other sources).

Thanksgiving Day: A national holiday in the United States commemorating the harvest of the Plymouth Colony in 1621, following a winter of great hardship.

Did you know that it was not always thus? When it was first inaugurated, it was a rather insignificant event with only a few Eastern states participating. Did you know, also, that the change was effected largely through the determined crusade of one woman, who was fired with the determination of having the whole nation joined together in setting apart a national day for giving thanks unto Him from whom all blessings flow?

Sarah Josepha Buell Hale (1788-1879) was an American writer, activist, and editor of the most widely circulated magazine in the period before the Civil War, Godey’s Lady’s Book. She is also the author of the nursery rhyme “Mary Had a Little Lamb”. Hale is credited as the individual most responsible for making Thanksgiving a national holiday in the United States. Each state scheduled its own holiday, some as early as October & others as late as January, and it was largely unknown in the American South.

Hale’s push for the national holiday began in 1846 and lasted 17 years before it was successful. She resolutely set herself with an endless flow of articles and letters to the various newspapers and journals of her time. In addition, she pleaded long and earnestly with Presidents Zachary Taylor, Millard Filmore, Franklin Pierce, and James Buchanan. A small measure of triumph was granted in the year 1852, when her campaign succeeded in uniting twenty-nine states in marking the last Thursday of November as Thanksgiving Day.

Then came the dark days of the Civil War. Who would listen to a lone woman with her persistent plea for “just one day of peace amidst the blood and strife”? One man did, for her entreaty won the ear of a great American, and in 1863 President Abraham Lincoln officially proclaimed the last Thursday of November as the day set apart for a national giving of thanks unto Almighty God.

Note: The new national holiday was considered a unifying day after the stress of the American Civil War. Prior to the addition of Thanksgiving, the only national holidays celebrated in the United States were Washington’s Birthday and Independence Day.

By the tireless efforts of one person the observance of Thanksgiving Day became a reality. For the most precious meaning of thanksgiving, we look likewise to one person, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Because of Him, Thanksgiving can be more than a day on a calendar with deeper significance than “turkey and trimmings.” Because of Him we can cry out in praise and worship: “Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift” (2 Corinthians 9:15).

HAVE A BLESSED THANKSGIVING!

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Our 2025 Thanksgiving Celebration takes place this Sunday, November 23, and everyone is invited. Please invite someone to join you in the building or online for the Live broadcast on either Facebook (Honolulu AG) or our YouTube channel (Honolulu Assembly of God). We Livestream every Sunday to both locations and would love to have you join us! Immediately after the worship service, we will share in an ono-licious Thanksgiving Lunch. Turkeys are provided by the church, so bring your favorite side dishes (mashed potatoes, stuffing, salad, dessert, and more) to add to the table. Come with a heart filled with gratitude to the Lord; He deserves all our thanks and praise!

The John Mark Allen family, AG missionaries to Micronesia (including Pohnpei and the Marshall Islands), will be with us on Sunday, November 30, in both the 9:30am Adult Bible Class and 10:35am Worship service. Immediately after the service that day, we will “Deck the Halls” by decorating the building for Christmas and then together enjoy a delicious lunch together. (Lunch is provided, so you don’t need to bring anything that day.)

Our 14^th annual Christmas Lunch and Treasure Trade for women and children is Saturday, December 6, at 11:30am. Tickets are available at Sunday services or by calling the church office. (Tickets are free and help us know how many to welcome.) Our December Drive-Through Prayer outreach in the parking lot happens that same day from 11am-1pm.

Aloha ke Akua!