A Litany of Thanksgiving

Spectrum Website
#1

Every year at Thanksgiving dinner, before the prayer is said, it’s become a tradition in my family to go around the table and say what we have been thankful for this year. Perhaps your family has a similar custom. It seems the ritual has been around for much longer than you or me – as The Book of Common Prayer’s beautiful litany holds true as much today as it did when originally published in 1549.

In celebration of this Thanksgiving Day and the season of giving on which we are about to embark, I’d like to share this Litany of Thanksgiving:

Let us give thanks to God our Father for all his gifts so freely bestowed upon us.

For the beauty and wonder of your creation, in earth and sky and sea. We thank you, Lord.

For all that is gracious in the lives of men and women, revealing the image of Christ, We thank you, Lord.

For our daily food and drink, our homes and families, and our friends, We thank you, Lord.

For minds to think, and hearts to love, and hands to serve, We thank you, Lord.

For health and strength to work, and leisure to rest and play, We thank you, Lord.

For the brave and courageous, who are patient in suffering and faithful in adversity, We thank you, Lord.

For all valiant seekers after truth, liberty, and justice, We thank you, Lord.

For the communion of saints, in all times and places, We thank you, Lord.

Above all, we give you thanks for the great mercies and promises given to us in Christ Jesus our Lord; To him be praise and glory, with you, O Father, and the Holy Spirit, now and for ever. Amen.

-The Book of Common Prayer

Truly, we worship an infinite God who has given us much to be thankful for today and every day.

Alisa Williams is Spirituality Editor at spectrummagazine.org.

Photo Credit: GraphicStock.com

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3 Likes
#2

Happy Thanksgiving everybody!

Thank you Spectrum for being here. (But I’m still mad at you for creating the Lounge.) :smile:

6 Likes
#3

Wonderful words that we can put into action daily. While I am here…wishing you all a blessed Christmastime. Whatever our beliefs about this celebration, we can use this time to show the love of Jesus by caring and sharing our time, energy and material blessings with others. Rene G.

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#4

A beautiful prayer, Alisa. Perfect for the day. Thanks.

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#5

At least here on Spectrum, it is still appropriate, at times, to borrow some great literature of Spirituality from our Sunday Keeping friends.
The reader would read the words.
The congregation would answer, We Thank You, Lord.
And if used in the Prayers of the People section of service, one of the congregation would stand in the center of the church, read the words, and “The People” answer, We thank you, Lord.

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