n THE FIRST CHURCH IN WEYMOUTH firstchurchweymouth.webs.com THE PARISH POST November 2020 Newsletter Rev. John Robie, Interim Minister Lisa Snow, Secretary The Pastors Corner November 2020 Dear Members and Friends of The First Church in Weymouth, November brings around a renewed spirit of gratitude which is enlivened by the anticipation of Thanksgiving Day. According to Encyclopedia Britannica’s contributor, David Silverman1, its origin and metamorphosis are as follows: Plymouth’s Thanksgiving began with a few colonists going out “fowling,” possibly for turkeys but more probably for the easier prey of geese and ducks, since they “in one day killed as much as…served the company almost a week.” Next, 90 or so Wampanoag made a surprise appearance at the settlement’s gate, doubtlessly unnerving the 50 or so colonists. Nevertheless, over the next few days the two groups socialized without incident. The Wampanoag contributed venison to the feast, which included the fowl and probably fish, eels, shellfish, stews, vegetables, and beer. Since Plymouth had few buildings and manufactured goods, most people ate outside while sitting on the ground or on barrels with plates on their laps. The men fired guns, ran races, and drank liquor, struggling to speak in broken English and Wampanoag. This was a rather disorderly affair, but it sealed a treaty between the two groups that lasted until King Philip’s War (1675–76), in which hundreds of colonists and thousands of Native Americans lost their lives. The New England colonists were accustomed to regularly celebrating “Thanksgivings,” days of prayer thanking God for blessings such as military victory or the end of a drought. The U.S. Continental Congress proclaimed a national Thanksgiving upon the enactment of the Constitution, for example. Yet, after 1798, the new U.S. Congress left Thanksgiving declarations to the states; some objected to the national government’s involvement in a religious observance, Southerners were slow to adopt a New England custom, and others took offense over the day’s being used to hold partisan speeches and parades. A national Thanksgiving Day seemed more like a lightning rod for controversy than a unifying force. Thanksgiving Day did not become an official holiday until Northerners dominated the federal government. While sectional tensions prevailed in the mid-19th century, the editor of the popular magazine Godey’s Lady’s Book, Sarah Josepha Hale, campaigned for a national Thanksgiving Day to promote unity. She finally won the support of President Abraham Lincoln. On October 3, 1863, during the Civil War, Lincoln proclaimed a national day of thanksgiving to be celebrated on Thursday, November 26. The holiday was annually proclaimed by every president thereafter, and the date chosen, with few exceptions, was the last Thursday in November. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, however, attempted to extend the Christmas shopping season, which generally begins with the Thanksgiving holiday, and to boost the economy by moving the date back a week, to the third week in November. But not all states complied, and, after a joint resolution of Congress in 1941, 1 https://www.britannica.com/contributor/David-J-Silverman/5890 Roosevelt issued a proclamation in 1942 designating the fourth Thursday in November (which is not always the last Thursday) as Thanksgiving Day. As the country became more urban and family members began to live farther apart, Thanksgiving became a time to gather together. The holiday moved away from its religious roots to allow immigrants of every background to participate in a common tradition. Thanksgiving Day football games, beginning with Yale versus Princeton in 1876, enabled fans to add some rowdiness to the holiday. In the late 1800s parades of costumed revelers became common. In 1920 Gimbel’s department store in Philadelphia staged a parade of about 50 people with Santa Claus at the rear of the procession. Since 1924 the annual Macy’s parade in New York City has continued the tradition, with huge balloons since 1927. The holiday associated with Pilgrims and Native Americans has come to symbolize intercultural peace, America’s opportunity for newcomers, and the sanctity of home and family. Days of thanksgiving in Canada also originated in the colonial period, arising from the same European traditions, in gratitude for safe journeys, peace, and bountiful harvests. The earliest celebration was held in 1578, when an expedition led by Martin Frobisher held a ceremony in present-day Nunavut to give thanks for the safety of its fleet. In 1879 Parliament established a national Thanksgiving Day on November 6; the date has varied over the years. Since 1957 Thanksgiving Day has been celebrated in Canada on the second Monday in October. Let us unite to prayerfully reflect on the “hard times” and “losses” associated with the first settlers’ seeking God’s Divine providence as the main course of their celebration of peace and gratitude in their new world. Let us unite in prayer to seek the same in kind for where we are now in this new world. “the sounds of joy and gladness, the voices of bride and bridegroom, and the voices of those who bring thank offerings to the house of the LORD, saying, “Give thanks to the LORD Almighty, for the LORD is good; his love endures forever.” For I will restore the fortunes of the land as they were before,’ says the LORD.” Jeremiah 3:11 May God hear our prayers of thanksgiving even during this exceptionally challenging time. May He guide us with His peace, mercy, grace and love to support our longing to be with our families and friends. May God reach out with tenderness in response to our supplications. We know and understand our God will never abandon His flock. May we be forever held together by God’s sublime chord of unconditional love. Praise God from whom all blessings flow; Praise Him, all creatures here below; Praise Him above, ye heavenly host; Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, Amen. May the peace of Christ be with you, Pastor John Join Us in Celebrating The First Church in Weymouth’s Thanksgiving Benevolence Fair This November we would be preparing for and celebrating our Annual Fair. Typically, we have the fair during the day followed by a dinner and then a raffle of generous baskets and gift bags in the evening. This year is different. However, you can still provide the enthusiasm and excitement of fulfilling the Fair’s intended purpose. We will be devoid of the many personal hours committed to the preparation and set-up along with the joy of coming together in unity to accomplish a much relied upon fundraising effort to support the vitality and missions of The First Church in Weymouth. In an effort to “keep it going” we are offering a similar but different approach that will provide an opportunity to participate in the fair and to maintain our benevolent approach . This year less will be more. Less time in preparation and more thought to your role in the overall outcome of the fair. A Thanksgiving Benevolence Fair! To begin, reflect on your level of participation during the fair. We all support it with our time, talent, energy and monetary contributions. This year continues to have its challenges of gathering in familiar ways and our energies have been allocated towards managing some sense of normalcy. To date we have managed to adapt in a safe and thoughtful way. Please take a moment to consider your role in previous years. What amount of money would you have spent preparing for or shopping at the Fair? What amount of time and energy would you have devoted to preparing or working at the Fair? How much has the Fair meant to you in terms of fellowship and fun? How much did your family and friends enjoy going to the Fair? This is not an easy amount to calculate as your investment of time and energy, your joy and your sacrifice, and above all, your dedication in support the fair is priceless. The truth is, that amount would be too large to expect as a donation. Our mutual goal is to maintain the integrity of the Fair. We ask that you thoughtfully and carefully consider a dollar amount that best reflects your participation from previous years. Even though our fair will be a contactless one, it can unite in its purpose just the same. Sound fair? The history of The First Church in Weymouth supports an abundance of faith and trust in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ and a God who supplies in times of want and in times of plenty. “And going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.” Matthew 2:11 NIV Gifts may be included in your offering or mailed to the Church in the enclosed self-addressed, postage paid envelopes. Please write “Fair 2020” on your check, so we can report our success! November Church Council Update The Church Council hopes that everyone continues to stay safe and healthy during this unprecedented time! We held our first in person Church Council meeting on October 13, 2020, since February. We held a total of seven Zoom Church Council meetings and are hoping to now be able to get back to meeting in person. We continue to be blessed with the active involvement of our Church members. It was great to see the turnout at our outdoor Church and Fall Annual Meeting on October 4th! We appreciate everyone's cooperation in maintaining our common safety by social distancing as we worship.