Thanksgiving and Theology: Like Mashed Potatoes and Gravy

On Thursday of this week, many in America will take time to celebrate Thanksgiving.  While the "fixin's" of Thanksgiving (family/fellowship, food, and football) are good and to be enjoyed, the "main dish" is always gratitude - acknowledging the blessings we've been given and for which we should express thanks.

And it's important to remember the ultimate Giver is God, the one to whom, ultimately, we should direct our thanks.  In this sense, Thanksgiving is an opportunity to practice theology as we remember who God is and the things God has done for which we are thankful, and as we express our gratitude to God.  (Check out Psalm 136:1-26; 1 Thessalonians 5:18; James 1:17)

To help us reflect on how Thanksgiving and theology can go together (like mashed potatoes and gravy!), I've included a few brief quotes from David Pao's book, Thanksgiving: An Investigation of a Pauline Theme.  The following quotes are all from his first chapter, importantly titled "Thanksgiving as God-centeredness."

• "...in [the Apostle Paul's writings] thanksgiving is always a response to God's saving activity in creation and redemption" (p. 19).
• "...thanksgiving is not simply a reaction to random acts of kindness, it is a way to affirm the supremacy of God the Creator and the mighty acts he has done on our behalf" (p. 25).
• "When God is acknowledged as the Lord of all, thanksgiving becomes a humbling act admitting the dependency of human existence" (p. 35).
• "In biblical theology, the failure to acknowledge one's dependency upon the Creator is the root of all sins.  In the Old Testament, the connection between human insufficiency and thanksgiving is always assumed though not always made explicit" (p. 35).
• "God, and not his gifts, is the primary focus of Pauline thanksgiving.  In the constant act of thanksgiving, the relationship with God is nurtured.  Through thanksgiving, [God's] gracious acts are remembered and the life of the person is thereby changed.  Thanksgiving then becomes an act of submission when the performance of such an act is not aimed at coercing God to act, but is a way to acknowledge him to be Lord of all" (p. 37).