Thanksgiving | Thursday, 25 November 2021

---

November 25, 2021, Thanksgiving   
Have a Blessed Day from Doug & Judy
Psalm 65 CEB (assigned for Thanksgiving Day)
“God of Zion, to you even silence is praise. Promises made to you are kept—you listen to prayer—and all living things come to you.  3 When wrongdoings become too much for me, you forgive our sins.  4 How happy is the one you choose to bring close, the one who lives in your courtyards! We are filled full by the goodness of your house, by the holiness of your temple.  5 In righteousness you answer us, by your awesome deeds, God of our salvation—you, who are the security of all the far edges of the earth, even the distant seas.  6You establish the mountains by your strength; you are dressed in raw power.  7You calm the roaring seas; calm the roaring waves, calm the noise of the nations.  8 Those who dwell on the far edges stand in awe of your acts.  You make the gateways of morning and evening sing for joy.  9 You visit the earth and make it abundant, enriching it greatly by God’s stream, full of water.  You provide people with grain because that is what you’ve decided.  10 Drenching the earth’s furrows, leveling its ridges, you soften it with rain showers; you bless its growth.  11 You crown the year with your goodness; your paths overflow with rich food.  12 Even the desert pastures drip with it, and the hills are dressed in pure joy.  13 The meadowlands are covered with flocks, the valleys decked out in grain—they shout for joy; they break out in song!”
A Beginning
“Give thanks to God, for God's creation is amazing.  The sun warms our day, the moon lights our nighttime way. The earth is filled with bounty, a cornucopia of plenty.  Give thanks to God, for God's love is everlasting, a constant source of comfort, a companion in hard times.  God is my strength and song, so my heart is filled with praise.”
 A Prayer of Confession for Thanksgiving
“Wondrous and generous God, you have blessed us with gentle rains, glorious sunsets and sun-warmed days. You bless us with loving families, kind friends and caring churches. Let us receive these gifts with thankfulness and humility.  We cannot earn nor do we deserve such generosity, but we graciously open our hearts and hands to receive.
Forgive us when we are hardhearted and tight handed, when we don't let your goodness flow through us, when we hide our talents and turn away from the needs of the world.
Release us, Holy One, from fear, and create a contagious spirit of giving that touches the world with hope. Amen.”
 A Prayer for Thanksgiving Day
“God of peace and plenty, with awe and wonder we thank you for the beauty and abundance of our land and its people. Our ancestors came from many lands, for many reasons, but by your mercy they found grace in the wilderness. Your grace has supplied Our Daily Bread without fail. We thank you. Your grace has provided the raw materials of success, as well as the wit and will to use them. Thank you. By your sheer grace we can indulge ourselves in loveliness, steep ourselves in learning, renew ourselves in leisure and rest in safety. Thank you, Lord.
“You have freely blessed us with more than we could ever earn. You have sustained us in bounty we do not deserve. Our people have abused the land, robbed the heritage of indigenous peoples and imagined ourselves to be the source of our own blessings. Despite all this, you have promised to love your people with an everlasting love, and so we are bold to seek your mercy.
Help us respond to your infinite grace through generosity to those in need, understanding for those in dismay, courtesy toward those who oppose us, forgiveness for those who wrong us and compassion toward all who need us. As we gather with family and friends (perhaps not this year), help us speak freely and naturally of your gracious love so that our holiday table may abound with thanks as well as with food. Through this time of Thanksgiving and rest, lead us to continue in thankful living and giving, for the sake of him who gave himself for us, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen”