Thanksgiving Can Come from Confession

Nov. 21, 2008-- The Spiritual Leadership Committee at Unity Christian High School led a special chapel service in 2005 in which prayers of thanksgiving were coupled with confession. It was a way of linking gratitude with willingness to admit one's shortcomings before God.

This year, confession remains part of the program, but they have also added a theme of joy, says Sharon Veltema, a teacher for spiritual growth and Chapel Coordinator at the high school in Hudsonville, Mich.

"It's been a difficult year. We have had some tragedies and decided to focus on joy, and on the difference between joy and happiness," says Veltema. "We can have joy that comes in the form of peace and comfort, knowing that we are thankful because of God's faithfulness."

This week, they will have a chapel service that focuses on the joy and thankfulness of God making each person special. "God created each one of us and this is a way for students to remember that," says Veltema.

Confession, however, remains part of the thanksgiving theme at this time of year at the school in West Michigan. "We pay serious attention to this. Corporately, it is important to spend time in confession. Through confession, we come to realize an awesome thing – that we are forgiven,'" she says.

Although the first Thanksgiving service that focused on confession took place in 2005, it can still serve as an example of how to blend different approaches as a way to celebrate the holiday.

The Calvin Institute of Christian Worship includes a story about the 2005 service on its latest Calvin Institute of Christian Worship Web Highlighter. The Web Highlighter was sent out Friday. It features a range of stories, including one about the special Unity Christian High School service.

Veltema first considered the notion of adding the dimension of confession to their chapel service after being inspired by a conversation she had with others who had been brought together by the institute.

First, she says, she brought the idea to her Spiritual Leadership Committee, which is made up of 12 seniors at the school. They tried it out. When it worked there, they took it to the school-wide chapel service.

This is how it went, says Veltema.

Starting by listing things they were thankful for, such as their families, the outdoors and sports, the leadership committee asked students to move on to a time of confession, expanding on the typical gratitude list that many people describe before or on the holiday. By entering into confession, the hope was to make the holiday more personal and meaningful.

The leader said: "I would ask you to join me in a prayer of confession, and as you do so, I would like to invite you to simply hold your hands open on your laps … This shows that we are open to God and what he has to show us in prayer."

A prayer of confession was then said. After that, members of the leadership team went around and asked students what they were thankful for – but thankful for something they couldn't touch or see. Many said they were thankful for God's willingness to forgive and one person was thankful for "God's incredible grace."

"We realized that we can come to thankfulness after confession and experiencing our own brokenness," says Veltema.

As part of its mission, the Calvin Institute trains students and others to lead different types of worship in different settings. Unity Christian personnel underwent some of the training. For a more in-depth look at what the Calvin Institute for Christian Worship has to offer, visit: http://www.calvin.edu/worship. To read the most recent issue of the Web Highlighter, visit: http://www.calvin.edu/worship/web_highlighter/08_1121.php

—Chris Meehan/ CRC Communications

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