Expressions of Unity in the Body of Christ: Part 2. Thanksgiving Services

Part 1 of this series[1] briefly described times the body of Christ of Idaho Falls met together in worship services during Holy Week and/or on Resurrection Sunday, from 1899 to 2006.  Joint worship services have been held in Idaho Falls on or near Thanksgiving most years from 1898 to the present.

In 1898, “Thanksgiving services were held at the Methodist Church in a union meeting of all the churches.  Every chair in the fine building was occupied.  Reverends White, McClelland, Kyle and Hardman presided, the latter eloquently preaching a very appropriate sermon. Rev. White announced that a collection would be taken up for the needy poor of the town, which was responded to liberally by the congregation. Rev. White also announce that a committee of one from each of the four churches, namely the Episcopal, Baptist, Methodist and Presbyterian churches, had been selected for the purpose of receiving donations of anything which might add to the comfort of the needy.”[2]

In 1904, the Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian and Lutheran churches held a union service on Thanksgiving Day in the Lutheran Church, which recently had been remodeled to accommodate more people.[3]

In 1907, the Idaho Falls Times encouraged “all the people of our city” to attend the union service, which that year was held in the Methodist church with the Rev. H. W. Jones of the Presbyterian church preaching the sermon.[4]

In 1918, a community service of thanksgiving, praise and song was planned for the third week of November, but because of the Spanish flu epidemic, it was postponed until health conditions of the community improved.[5] That year U.S. President Warren Harding issued a proclamation that designated Thursday, November 28^th as a day of thanksgiving and prayer and encouraged citizens to render thanks to God in their places of worship.[6]

Idaho Falls churches joining in the 1920 Thanksgiving Service included First Baptist, Trinity Methodist Episcopal, First Presbyterian, First Christian, Swedish Lutheran, Swedish Evangelical, St. Paul’s Episcopal and the Salvation Army.[7] The Times-Register article prior to the Thanksgiving service of 1922 quoted from the Psalms and concluded, "Let the Christians of Idaho Falls together make an effort this year to recover the day in our city to its original purpose and observance.  Simply to eat more is a poor indication of any real spirit of thanksgiving to God.  May it be a holiday indeed; but Christian people, let’s put Christ at the center.  All will be cordially welcome at this service.”[8]

Pastors of five Idaho Falls churches led parts of the union service on Thanksgiving Day, 1933, and the announcement of the service invited “pastors and members of all churches and all residents of the city to join in the observance.”[9] Similar articles reported on union Thanksgiving services all through the 1930’s and 1940’s.

In 1940, Rev. Samuel Bailey of the Baptist church presided over the service, which began by an organ prelude, “Come, Ye Thankful People, Come.”  Following a call to worship taken from Psalm 95 and the congregation singing the hymn, “We Gather Together to Ask the Lord’s Blessing,” an invocation was then given by Capt. Dueill of the Salvation Army and the Thanksgiving Scripture read by Rev. Cook of St. John’s Episcopal Church.  This was followed by “Thanks to God” sung by a quartet from the Swedish Mission, a prayer by Rev. Carl Davidson, the Methodist pastor, and an offertory prayer by Rev. Crofford of the Nazarene church, taking the offering which went for “local inter-church needs and world relief.”   James Wakeman of the Presbyterian Church then sang a solo, Rev. Carter of First Christian Church delivered the sermon, the hymn “Come, Ye Thankful People, Come” was sung by the congregation, then Rev. Enoch Sandeen of First Lutheran Church gave the benediction.[10]

In 1941, Idaho Governor Chase Clark, speaking in Idaho Falls where he lived, asked Idaho citizens to give thanks at a time when most of the world was at war. “This is the most significant Thanksgiving since the World War days,” said the governor, “and I hope every Idaho citizen will pause today to give thanks for all the many blessings which we enjoy.”[11]  All Protestant churches in Idaho Falls joined in a Thanksgiving service, to which a “huge crowd” was expected and pastors from nine churches participated.[12]

As in previous years, all Protestant churches of Idaho Falls participated in the Thanksgiving service in 1946, in which an offering was taken for the China Relief fund.[13]  A separate morning service of poetry, singing, prayer and a Thanksgiving meditation was held at St. John’s Episcopal Church for the youth of Idaho Falls.¹³

In 1949 the union Thanksgiving service was broadcast over KID radio,[14] as were some subsequent community Thanksgiving services.

Starting in 1975,[15] the Regional Council for Christian Ministry (RCCM) organized community services on Thanksgiving Day. In 2000, the offering given at the Thanksgiving service was divided between the City of Refuge, Shepherd’s Inn and Big Brothers/Big Sisters program.[16] In 2014 the RCCM Community Thanksgiving service was held in the evening on Wednesday, November 26, at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church.

Because of the coronavirus epidemic in 2020, a community Thanksgiving service that year was accessible online only.

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[1] https://jiif140yrs.blogspot.com/2023/04/unity-of-body-of-christ-in-idaho-falls.html

[2] Idaho Falls Times, November 24, 1898, p. 4.

[3] Idaho Falls Times, November 18, 1904, p. 3.

[4] Idaho Falls Times, November 19, 1907, p. 2.

[5] The Idaho Register, November 19, 1918 & Idaho Falls Daily Post, November 18, 1918, p. 5.

[6] Idaho Falls Times, November 21, 1918, p. 1.  National Days of Prayer and Thanksgiving in November go back to President George Washington, who on October 3, 1789 called for a national day of prayer and thanksgiving to be observed on Thursday, November 26, 1789.  Presidential proclamations regarding Thanksgiving Day retained “prayer” until 1928; see https://pilgrimhall.org/thanksgiving_proclamations.htm.

[7] Idaho Falls Daily Post, November 21, 1920, p. 4.

[8] Times-Register, November 10, 1922, p. 5.

[9] Post Register, November 29, 1933, p. 1

[10] Post Register, November 14, 1940, p. 3.

[11] Post Register, November 20, 1941, p. 1.

[12] Post Register, November 18, 1941, p. 6.

[13] Post Register, November 27, 1946, p. 11.

[14] Post Register, November 23, 1949, p. 9.

[15] Based on a Post Register announcement on November 22, 1996 of the 22^nd annual Community Thanksgiving worship service.

[16] Post Register, November 17, 2000.