Thanksgiving, Year C | Deuteronomy 26:1-11
St. James’ Episcopal Church
November 27, 2025
the Rev. Jonathan Hanneman
“Then you…shall celebrate with all the bounty that the Lord your God has given to you and to your house.” – Deuteronomy 26:11[1]
When we think of religion, “fun” is rarely the first thing that comes to mind. Rules and responsibilities, yes. Seeking a right relationship with God, yes. Church services and other forms of worship, yes. But “fun”? No, not really.
Maybe it’s the West’s long history of Christendom—Church as State, with all the legislative and judicial powers thereof. For us Americans, the many Puritan influences involved in our nation’s founding are almost certainly a factor. It could just be something about human nature that does it. But somehow, unfortunately, we Christians often seem to associate pleasure with sin, like if we’re enjoying ourselves, we must be doing something suspect in God’s eyes. But that’s not the case at all.
In the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, the word “rejoice” appears 178 times. “Celebrate” officially occurs 31 times with “joy” coming in at 217. “Thanksgiving” grabs 42 mentions while “thanks” (without the “giving”) shows up an additional 219 times. So just based on the numbers, it appears neither the Bible nor God particularly want us to embody the dour reputation Christianity has long brought upon itself.
As Christians, gratitude is actually one of our primary “responsibilities” before God! In our Epistle this morning, the Apostle Paul calls us to “Rejoice in the Lord always.”[2] The author of Hebrews encourages us to “continually offer a sacrifice of praise to God.”[3] Even our own Eucharistic prayers call us to “celebrate the memorial of our redemption” [4] by offering our “sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving!”[5]
If you think about it, it does make some sense for God to call us into thanksgiving. After all, gratitude, appreciation, and adoration each require at least two parties: one to give and one to receive. That being the case, they’re among the only things that God can’t simply make for themself—we humans are more or less required!
The lives God has given us may not always be easy, but they were never intended to be a constant burden. So as you gather today with friends and family or maybe even strangers, whether you head directly to the Parish Hall after our service or find some other place to go, remember: it’s okay to have fun! Laugh and feast—grab a second helping of your favorite holiday dish. Like a parent at a child’s birthday party, God wants you to enjoy yourself. In fact, joy may just be the point! Just like with ancient Israel, God continues to bring good things into our lives so we too can each
“…celebrate with all the bounty that the Lord your God has given to you and to your house.”
[1] All Bible quotations are from the NRSVue unless otherwise noted.
[2] Philippians 4:4
[3] Hebrews 13:15
[4] Book of Common Prayer, 1979; pg. 363
[5] Ibid. | pg. 335, 342, 363, 369, & 371 (var)