A Concord Pastor Comments: Monday Morning Offering: 5//20

I received many gifts over this past weekend
from folks wishing me well as I leave Concord
and that has led me to offer this prayer of thanksgiving
for all God's gifts to me...

Good morning, good God!

Help me, this Monday morning, Lord,
help me offer you my thanks and praise
for all I have,
all I've received
and all that I've been given...

Help me remember, Lord,
the history of all your gifts to me
over oh-so-many years...

Help me to focus less
on what I want and need
and more on all the ways
your generous hand has blessed me...

And keep me from being jealous
of whatever others have...

I offer you, Lord, my gratitude
for all the gifts you've offered me,
from the simplest to the greatest...

The week ahead, Lord,
is surely your gift to me:
another week to grow in your love,
in your mercy and your grace...

Make me grateful for the week ahead
and for any gifts, for all the gifts
that you may choose to send me...

Give me a generous heart, Lord,
to share with others what you have given me:
remind me that in sharing my gifts
they are not halved but doubled...

And Lord, show me how to use
the gifts already mine
to make peace with others,
to reach out to those in need,
to make things right and just
in my home, in my neighborhood
and wherever my steps may take me...

All good gifts come from your hand, Lord:
I offer you my thanks and praise
for all you've given me...

Amen.

We plow the fields and scatter the good seed on the land
But it is fed and watered by God's almighty hand.
He sends the snow in winter,
the warmth to swell the grain
The breezes and the sunshine, and soft refreshing rain.

All good gifts around us
Are sent from Heaven above.
Then thank the Lord, thank the Lord for all his love.

We thank thee then, O Father,
for all things bright and good:
The seed time and the harvest,
our life our health our food.
No gifts have we to offer for all thy love imparts
But that which thou desirest,
our humble thankful hearts.

All good gifts around us
Are sent from Heaven above.
Then thank the Lord, thank the Lord for all his love.

I really wanna thank you Lord!
All good gifts around us
Are sent from Heaven above.
Then thank the Lord, oh thank the Lord for all his love!

Music by Stephen Schwartz; lyrics from a German hymn written by Matthias Claudius, translated by Jane M. Campbell