Pilgrims

In just a few days, we will celebrate the American holiday, Thanksgiving. There are so many things that mark Thanksgiving or are traditions as part of the holiday celebrations. Whether it is the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade, the pounds of turkey consumed, football games that are watched, or long afternoon naps, we have many traditions that are part of the Thanksgiving holiday. When we think of Thanksgiving, many of these things jump to the front of our minds. Maybe other parts of the holiday or the traditions that surround it, jump to our minds. Pilgrims and the people that came across the ocean on the Mayflower are part of the thoughts that might come to our minds, when we think of Thanksgiving.

Pilgrims and their first Thanksgiving with the Native Americans are part of the Thanksgiving holiday, both in the history of it and in the American traditions that surround it. Earlier this year, we celebrated the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. This was a celebration of the event where Martin Luther posted his 95 problems with the church. What we might not know is that the Pilgrims are connected to Martin Luther and the Reformation. Let me explain the connection so we can understand how a Thanksgiving celebration can also be a celebration of God bringing reform to His church.

On October 31st 1517, Martin Luther posted his 95 problems and call for reform to the church, on the church door in Wittenburg, Germany. This event was a match that sparked a fire all across Europe. This action by Martin Luther led to reform and the Reformation event. The church from this date forward was changed. Many different men (John Calvin, John Knox) and people groups (Huguenots, Puritans), joined Luther in calling for and bringing reform to the church. One of the men involved in reform was King Henry VIII of England. King Henry wanted to divorce his wife, Catherine, but the Pope would not allow it. So as a response to the Pope and in joining with Luther and Calvin, Henry broke away from the church and began his own church in England as part of the Reformation. This event began the Church of England (Anglican).

But the church of England was not much different than the church of Rome. The Anglican church under Henry still practiced many of the same actions as the church of Rome and believed much of the same doctrines as the church of Rome. This caused a problem for many people in England who were aligning themselves with Luther, Calvin, and Knox. There were many people all across England who called for a greater reform to the church than Henry brought with the Church of England. These individuals were called Puritans and Separatist. These people began their own churches in England and for many decades the church of England and the Puritan/Separatist church existed side by side with not many problems. But then in the 17th century, the church of England began to persecute and punish the Puritan/Separatist churches.

This persecution and punishment by the Church of England against those calling for more reform resulted in many people leaving England. During the 17th century, many Puritans and Separatist left England for mainland Europe. But as the New World was being discovered, more opportunity came for the Puritans and Separatist (Pilgrims) to venture across the ocean to the New World to find their religious freedom. One of the very first trips of the Pilgrims escaping persecution in England was the trip of the Mayflower across the Atlantic Ocean. The Pilgrims set sail from Plymouth, England to find religious freedom in the New World and created it in their new colony, Plymouth, Massachusetts. Thus, the Pilgrims that landed in the New World and celebrated the first Thanksgiving a year later, were reformers in England calling both for reform like Luther against the Catholic church and calling for reform against the Church of England. These Pilgrims were reformers who fled England for the safety and religious freedom they desired in the New World.

This means, things you will not hear about the Pilgrims, but are very important to know. The Pilgrims were Calvinist. They believed in the sovereignty of God. In fact, the first Thanksgiving was a celebration of the sovereignty of God with those He alone provided (the Native Americans) to keep them safe and healthy and carry them through the first winter. The Pilgrims started the colony of Plymouth becasue they wanted a place where they could have the freedom to worship God under the teaching of Calvin and Luther without fear of persecution from other Christians. The Pilgrims were grounded in the authority of Scripture alone and celebrated that first Thanksgiving becasue the Scriptures taught them to be thankful in all things. The Pilgrims believed in salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone for the glory of God alone told by Scripture alone. Yes, the Pilgrims had the first thanksgiving and we have all heard and know this. But we will never hear, the first Thanksgiving was founded to celebrate and be thankful for the sovereign nature of God in the working of His children. Yet that is what true thanksgiving is.

So as we celebrate together on Thursday and as we hear or see the Pilgrims pointed to in commercials or a Charlie Brown cartoon or in a book. Let us join the Pilgrims in being thankful for the provision of God alone in the salvation and security of His people grounded in His sovereign nature. That is how the Pilgrims are connected to Martin Luther and that is how the Pilgrims point us to the nature of an amazing God and a true faith filled thankful response.