“National day of Thanksgiving, Praise, Humble Penitence, and Prayer.”
“humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience … in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged”1
- Lincoln 1863

Pequot War picture

“Solemn Thanksgiving and Praise: That at one Time and with one Voice, the good People may express the grateful Feelings of their Hearts, and consecrate themselves to the Service of their Divine Benefactor; and that, together with their sincere Acknowledgments and Offerings, they may join the penitent Confession of their manifold Sins”2 - Samuel Adams, Continental Congress declaration 1777

“.. Unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions ..”3 - George Washington 1789

To take an accounting of the “national perverseness and disobedience” is both patriotic and conservative. Therefore we declare a penitential fast on “Thanksgiving Thursday”, to atone for our habit of thanks taking in previous years", followed by a day of action in making ammends and a communal thanksgiving breakfast on the Friday night of Thanksgiving weekend, in honor of the weekend: the seventh day as a memorial of creation.

We also recommend that every morning upon awakening one should give thanks for the gift of life.

The Continental Congress between 1774 to 1789 proclaimed several “national days of prayer, humiliation, and thanksgiving”,[43] a practice that was continued by presidents Washington and Adams under the Constitution, and has manifested itself in the established American observances of Thanksgiving and the National Day of Prayer today.

Notes and References

  1. “Proclamation of Thanksgiving (October 3, 1863)”. Abraham Lincoln Online. Retrieved November 24, 2010. ".. No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Highest God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy.

    It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and voice by the whole American people. I do therefore invite my fellow-citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to his tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquility and Union."↩

  2. It is therefore recommended to the legislative or executive Powers of these United States to set apart Thursday, the eighteenth Day of December next, for Solemn Thanksgiving and Praise: That at one Time and with one Voice, the good People may express the grateful Feelings of their Hearts, and consecrate themselves to the Service of their Divine Benefactor; and that, together with their sincere Acknowledgments and Offerings, they may join the penitent Confession of their manifold Sins, whereby they had forfeited every Favor; and their humble and earnest Supplication that .."Citation needed↩

  3. “Thanksgiving Proclamation, 3 October 1789”. George Washington Papers. Library of Congress. Retrieved January 26, 2008. “Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor .. Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be. That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks, for his kind care and protection … And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions, to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually, to render our national government a blessing to all the people, by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed …”↩