One Thanksgiving tradition that we almost always observe is watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade on TV. A couple of times we have been traveling or vacationing and have not been able to do this, but most of the time, that's where you can find us on Thanksgiving morning. In front of the TV, watching the parade. I leave between commercial breaks to stir a pot, or baste the bird. It is just a wonderful, lovely tradition that we have of being together on parade morning.
A few years ago, we went to NYC the days before Thanksgiving and left on Thanksgiving morning before the big event. We were flying out of town as the parade was beginning. But the night before we went up to the area of Manhattan where the parade workers begin inflating the balloons and took a good close up look at some of them. That was certainly an interesting take on our yearly tradition.
This week's epistle lesson speaks of tradition in this way:
But we must always give thanks to God for you, brothers and sisters beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the first fruits for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and through belief in the truth. For this purpose he called you through our proclamation of the good news, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by word of mouth or by our letter.
We are chosen by God to offer 'first fruits' (the best we have) as we work in tangent with God to save the world. We have been called to share the good news. One way we do that is by remembering all we have learned and holding fast to the traditions that bind us together. The traditions we learned will carry us into the next generation and spread the good news to a new people.
There is a lot of talk in the church these days about 'the dying church' and the need to remodel or refashion the existing church. Some of that talk is accurate and some of it is, frankly, alarmist. The church of tomorrow will likely be smaller than the church of today. Its numbers are contracting, that's true. But the traditions that have held us steadfast for generations will continue to hold us tomorrow.
Like our turkey day traditions. Just because we all have ereaders and tablets and iPhones nowadays doesn't mean that there isn't something strong and valuable and beautiful about gathering in front of a TV to watch a parade. Just because you can virtually play football on your Xbox doesn't mean you won't watch the big game. You know? We owe it to our future to hold fast to the traditions of of our past.
What traditions are important in your family? Why are they so valuable to you and yours?
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