The Thanksgivings

We who are here present thank the Great Spirit that we are here to praise Him. 

We thank Him that He has created men and women, and ordered that these beings shall always be living to multiply the earth. 

We thank Him for making the earth and giving these beings its products to live on. 

We thank Him for the water that comes out of the earth and runs for our lands. 

We thank Him for all the animals on the earth. 

We thank Him for certain timbers that grow and have fluids coming from them for us all. 

We thank Him for the branches of the trees that grow shadows for our shelter. 

We thank Him for the beings that come from the west, the thunder and lightning that water the earth. We thank Him for the light which we call our oldest brother, the sun that works for our good. 

We thank Him for all the fruits that grow on the trees and vines. 

We thank Him for his goodness in making the forests, and thank all its trees. 

We thank Him for the darkness that gives us rest, and for the kind Being of the darkness that gives us light, the moon. 

We thank Him for the bright spots in the skies that give us signs, the stars. 

We give Him thanks for our supporters, who had charge of our harvests. 

We give thanks that the voice of the Great Spirit can still be heard through the words of Ga-ne-o-di-o. We thank the Great Spirit that we have the privilege of this pleasant occasion. 

We give thanks for the persons who can sing the Great Spirit’s music, and hope they will be privileged to continue in his faith. 

We thank the Great Spirit for all the persons who perform the ceremonies on this occasion.

Translated from a traditional Iroquois prayer

By Harriet Maxwell Converse

Outdoor Object Lesson 76: Joy Not Fear

Key Text

“For God didn’t give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-control.”

2 Timothy 1:7 (WEB)

Lesson

Pumpkins are almost synonymous with fall and especially Halloween. Have you ever wondered why we carve pumpkins for Halloween? Some can be pretty scary. Halloween is an old holiday that was originally celebrated by pagan people in the British islands. Those people believed that on Halloween or Samhain (pronounced ‘sow wan’) as it was called in Irish, spirits of the dead and evil spirits came to wander the earth. 

Out of fear, some people carved scary, ugly faces into gords, turnips, and other pumpkin like food. They put hot coals or candles inside to make them glow to be seen at night. They believed these ugly carvings could scare away evil spirits and protect them on Halloween.1 This is where we get the term jack-o’-lantern.2

In modern times people still carve pumpkins at Halloween. Most people don’t do it to scare away evil spirits. They may carve ugly faces in pumpkins to scare other people. As children of God we no longer need to fear evil spirits. Not at Halloween or any other time of year. Jesus came and defeated Satan and his evil spirits long ago. When we pray and ask for him to protect us he will. We also don’t need to be scared of what other people do (Romans 8:38-39). They may try to scare us with carved pumpkins or other decorations at Halloween. They may try to do other things to scare us too. But Paul said in the Key Text that God did not give us a spirit of fear, but of love. No matter what we face we can trust God instead and give him our fear. 

God’s love comes from the light of joy that Jesus places inside us when we accept him into our hearts. It can turn our fear into joy. This Halloween, let other people see what it looks like when you have God’s light inside. Carve a pumpkin with a happy, smiling face or perhaps a cross or message of joy on it. Put a candle inside and set it outside to let everyone know that you have joy instead of fear on Halloween and every other night.

Questions

What is your favorite Halloween candy?

Is Halloween a holiday Christians should celebrate? Does how we celebrate it matter?

What do we do if we ask Jesus to take our fear but still feel scared?

Did Jesus ever feel scared? Why or why not?

Written by David F. Garner

Photo Credit: www.pixabay.com

Sources:

1. “HISTORY OF PUMPKIN CARVING AND HALLOWEEN (SAMHAIN).” (10/28/2017). Stair na hÉireann/History of Ireland online. Accessed October 19, 2018 from https://stairnaheireann.net/2017/10/28/history-of-pumpkin-carving-and-halloween-samhain-2/.

2. “The History of 'Jack-O'-Lantern'.” (2018). Merriam-Webster.com. Accessed October 19, 2018 from https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/the-history-of-jack-o-lantern.

Christian Outdoor Object Lesson 57: Keep The Flame Burning

Key Verse

“So then, my beloved, even as you have always obeyed, not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” Philippians 2:12 WEB

Lesson

The Protestant Reformation was about telling people about salvation by faith alone. John 3:16 clearly states that whoever believes in Jesus will be saved. So why is there a verse in Philippians talking about working out your own salvation? We can not earn salvation, right? This is true, but there is more to it.

If you have ever built a fire, or seen one built then you know it takes some work. First you need a safe place to build a fire such as a fire ring. Next you need to gather all the materials. You will need to gather several different sizes of wood, some tinder, and a fire source such as a match. Once you gather all the wood you need to separate it into different sizes and make sure it is dry. Once this is done you are ready to begin building your fire.

First put the tinder down in the center. Tinder can be things such as lint, wood shavings, or dry grass. Next add the kindling. Kindling are small twigs and sticks that will catch fire quickly. Finally, you can position the fuel wood around the kindling. This is the big pieces that will keep the fire going for a long time. Now you can strike the match and light the fire. But as you probably already know, your job is still not done. Once the tinder is lit, you must blow and fan the flame so it can grow. You must constantly tend the fire to keep it alive or it will go out. Once you have a roaring fire you must still stoke it and add more fuel.

Following Christ is a lot like building a fire. We receive salvation in an instant and we can do nothing to earn that gift. It is a spark that sets a spiritual fire in our hearts. But as Paul says in Philippians 2:12 we must work to keep the flame alive. We must fight against the temptations of our sinful nature. We must make it a priority to spend time with Jesus. We cannot earn God’s forgiveness. It is free. But we must work to live the way God asks us after we receive salvation to keep the fire in our hearts alive as long as we live. The best part is God will freely give us the strength to do so!

Questions

What did Jesus mean when he said, “take up your cross and follow me” in Matt. 16:24?

How do we receive God’s free gift of salvation?

What is the spark that sets a spiritual fire in our hearts?

What happens if we die before we have a chance to work on living the way God expects?



Written by David F. Garner

Photo Credit: Alexas_Fotos via www.pixabay.com