With Song, We Offer Thanks to God
Pastor Tan Thai · Nov 26, 2011
This sermon, based on Psalm 28:6-7, calls the congregation to offer God thanksgiving through song during the Thanksgiving season. Drawing on the history of the Pilgrims and President Lincoln's proclamations, it reminds believers that gratitude must be expressed even in the darkest of times.
The sermon opens by drawing on Vietnamese cultural values of gratitude and indebtedness, expressed through proverbs such as 'Drinking water, remember its source.' The pastor emphasizes that thankfulness is not a natural human instinct but must be taught and cultivated. This cultural reflection provides the foundation for the central theme: giving thanks to God during the Thanksgiving season.
The historical section recounts the arduous journey of the Pilgrims from England across the Atlantic in 1620, enduring storms, starvation, and death. By autumn 1621, aided by the Native American Squanto, they harvested an abundant crop and held the first Thanksgiving feast, giving thanks to God for His protection and provision. The pastor also quotes President Abraham Lincoln's 1863 proclamations, issued in the midst of the bloody Civil War, calling the entire nation to repent, pray, and give thanks to God.
The theological section focuses on the role of music in worship. The pastor argues that music is God's gift to humanity as a means of expressing gratitude and glorifying Him. Numerous biblical examples are cited: Moses and the Israelites singing after crossing the Red Sea, King David setting apart singers for worship, Jesus and His disciples singing a hymn before going to Gethsemane, and Paul encouraging the churches in Ephesus and Colossae to worship through psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs.
The sermon closes with a practical call to action: the congregation is invited to offer God sincere songs from the depths of their hearts, not only during Thanksgiving or Christmas, but every day of their lives. The sermon emphasizes that just as Americans gave thanks in the midst of civil war, believers can also sing praises to God even in the most difficult circumstances.