Thanksgiving

Psalm 100

• 102 Pilgrims set sail to America in 1620. Contrary to popular opinion they dressed in colorful clothing.
• The Pilgrims came to America, was so that they could have freedom to worship God as they saw fit.
• Their voyage was extremely difficult with almost constant storms and near disaster.
• God brought the Pilgrims to an area that had been inhabited by a fierce tribe, but they had all died of sickness a couple of years before so the land was available.
• Massasoit, was the chief of the Indians nearest to Plymouth, and Squanto was an Indian used by God to help the Pilgrims learn to survive.
• In their first year in America 46 of their number died, 13 of 18 of the wives died, the children fared the best.
• For the first Thanksgiving, the Pilgrims invited Massasoit to join them in giving thanks to God. To their surprise Massasoit brought 90 braves along, the celebration lasted three days. They feasted on deer, turkey, hoecakes, pudding, vegetables, corn including popcorn pies and sweet wine.
• In the summer of 1623 the Pilgrims had planted much, and they were confident that they would have enough. But a drought hit and it looked like there would be a total failure of their crops, so they proclaimed a day of prayer and fasting, a day of seeking God and repentance. The sky was clear in the morning when they entered their place of worship and indeed when they came out that evening there was only a little cloud, but that cloud grew and for the next 14 days there was a gentle sweet rain without wind or thunder that transformed their crops. The harvest was abundant! The Indians were amazed, they employed rain dances to their god’s and sometimes it seemed that they were answered, but with thunder and lightning and when the rain came it left the crops flattened. But here was a God who knew what would bless and did just that!