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NATIONAL DAY OF THANKSGIVING Saturday, 29th May, 2004 The initiative to hold a National Day of Thanksgiving calls for a day of thanksgiving, held every Pentecost weekend on an annual basis, to become part of our national calendar. This year it is Saturday, 29th May 2004. The Canberra Churches will host a breakfast to thank many leaders of organisations that serve the community. It will be hosted by the Governor General. The National Day of Thanksgiving was birthed by one of the Southland's early explorers who called this land 'Terra Australis del Espirtu Santo' or, 'The Southern Land of the Holy Spirit'. This proclamation was declared by De Quiros on the day of Pentecost 14th of May 1606. After the muskets were fired the men shouted with joy 'Long live the faith of Christ'. The National Day of Thanksgiving is a celebration of the joy of that moment. The first message preached on Australian soil by Rev Richard Johnson, chaplain to the First Fleet on 3rd February 1788 was on the theme of thanksgiving, using Psalm 116:12 as the text. For thousands of years the Aboriginal people, the original inhabitants of this land, have worshipped one creator spirit. Their dreamtime stories had a tale of a man riding out a great flood in a boat with animals. Other stories include a man and a woman in a garden with a snake. For the Aboriginal people, the Bible was a fulfilment of their tribal law and dreamtime. Aboriginal Christian leaders are among the strongest supporters of the National Day of Thanksgiving. In more recent years there have been several times when the Nation has been called to pray. On the 2nd of November 1838, Governor George Gipps proclaimed a day of fasting and humility because of a severe drought. Within two days heavy rain began to fall. Fifty seven years later, 1895, another day of prayer was called in similar circumstances and three weeks later a day of thanksgiving was called to thank God for the breaking of the drought. During the Second World War several days of prayer were called. Now is the time for Australians to once again be called to a National Day of Thanksgiving. The preamble of Australia's constitution says, 'Humbly relying on the blessings of Almighty God'. The National Day of Thanksgiving will be a day to give expression to these words found in our constitution. Even the words of our national song, 'Our land abounds in nature's gifts of beauty rich and rare', give inspiration for this day. The central focus of the day will come from the church. They will rise up and give thanks to God for all he has given us. This example will encourage other Australians to do the same. The National Day of Thanksgiving will be shaped and run at a local level by each and every community. Local churches in discussion with the local community will arrange celebrations appropriate to their town, city or region. The National Day of Thanksgiving will be expressed differently in each part of the Nation. The National Day of Thanksgiving was launched by his Excellency, the Governor General, Major General Michael Jeffrey on the 11th of February 2004 at Government House Canberra. The excitement about the concept is growing day by day. More and more TV stations are running the community service announcements People are recognising the many practical opportunities for thanksgiving which are before them. Every Australian can take part in the National Day of Thanksgiving on Saturday 29th May, 2004. Included below are some suggestions for your consideration. Families could be encouraged to see the National Day of Thanksgiving as an opportunity to express love and thanks to each other for what each means and contributes to family life as a whole. Husbands and wives could use the day to reinforce their appreciation of each other and value their relationship. * Children could thank their parents, teachers and friends. * The church could invite Government, civic and community leaders to meet together for prayer breakfasts to thank them for their service to our communities and our nation. * The church could organize family fun festival days to be organized to bring people and the nation together to celebrate all we share in common and to bring hope and renew our community spirit. * The church could serve the community in unique and creative ways through random acts of kindness. * Aboriginal Christian leaders have suggested it could be a day when Aboriginal people express thanks to God for those who have come to share their land with them, thus incorporating reconciliation as part of the concept of the day. * An opportunity for people to appreciate and thank our parents and grandparents. * For employers to express thanks to their employees for their efforts in the workplace and employees to do the same for their employers. * Individuals will be enriched by thanking and appreciating those around them. The above ideas are meant to be only a starting point for the National Day of Thanksgiving. Talk with members of your community and your family to come up with fresh creative ways to say thank you to God and man. The National Day of Thanksgiving will be what you make it. Go for it! For more information concerning the National Day of Thanksgiving please contact the following people & organisations. Brian Pickering - Australian Prayer Network Ph: 02 9876 2419 Mob: 0409 779 870 Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Warwick Marsh - Fatherhood Foundation Ph: 02 4272 9100 Mob: 0418 225 212 Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ------------------------------------------------------ - You are subscribed to the mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] - To unsubscribe, email [EMAIL PROTECTED] and put in the message body 'unsubscribe insights-l' (ell, not one (1)) See: http://nsw.uca.org.au/insights-l-information.htm ------------------------------------------------------
