Pause for Prayer: THANKSGIVING

 

Two prayers this morning...

 

The first is a Grace Before Thanksgiving Day Dinner, should you or someone else need a little help in offering a prayer before today's dinner... 

 

The second is my annual Prayer at an Empty Chair for those whose hearts are burdened with some measure of grief at the Thanksgiving Day table. 

 

I'll post a few more prayers during the course of the day... 

Grace Before Thanksgiving Day Dinner

Blessed are you, Lord, God of all creation!   

Through your goodness  we have so much
    for which to give you thanks and praise...

Make us grateful for all you've given us;
    may our desire for having more (and more)
    not blind us to all we have...

Make us grateful for all who love us:
    may no grudge or anger keep us distant
    from family and friends,
    neighbors and colleagues... 

Make us grateful for those who are with us:
    may no resentment isolate us
    from their loving embrace...

Make us grateful for the good work we've done:
    may our mistakes and failures
    not weigh us down or blind us to your mercy... 

Make us grateful for the freedom we enjoy:
    may we never take it for granted...

Make us grateful for the peace we find in you:
    let no other cause or victory take its place...

Make us grateful for our dreams:
    let no disappointment keep us from hope... 

Make us grateful for our faith in you:
    let no doubt cloud our trusting in your love...

Make us grateful
    for the meal we are about to share
and mindful
    of any and all who have so much less... 

Nourish and strengthen us
    to change what keeps so many hungry
while others, like ourselves,
    have much more than we'll ever need...

Give us grateful hearts, O God,
to praise and thank you:
    in good times and in bad,
    in sickness and in health,
    in plenty and in want,
    in sorrow and in joy...

This is the day that you made, Lord:
    let us be glad and rejoice in it
    and give you thanks and praise! 

Amen.

 Prayer at an empty chair...

This Thanksgiving, Lord,

there’ll be an empty chair at our table, 

an ache in our hearts 

and tears upon our faces...

We might try, we might even succeed
in shielding our grief from others 

but, Lord, we can't hide our hearts from you...

So, today we pray for (name your loved ones) 
whose loving presence we sorely miss
in these days of homecoming cheer....

Help us remember and tell again  

the stories of times we shared together,

the history of how we lived and loved...

 

Open our hearts to memories, Lord,

of blessings and burdens, sorrows and joys,

bundled together with ribbons of grace...

And with your ever-so-gentle touch
smooth and mend what brokenness
still stands in need of healing...

May the bonds you forged between us, Lord,

grow stronger as we remember

and grieve the ones we've lost...

 

Help us trust, as we believe, Lord,

that those who've now gone home to you

are seated at your table...

 

And refresh our hope in your promise
to gather us all together again

in your mercy, peace and joy... 

And help us lean on each other now 
for the strength we often need
to lift our drooping spirits...

Lord, open wide our hearts and souls
to your presence, warmth and comfort
all around, within and among us...

As you embrace the ones we miss 

hold us along with them, Lord,

in your everlasting arms... 

 

May we give thanks for all your gifts

especially for the peace we know

in family, friends  and faith...

 

We thank you for those with us now

and all whom we commend, Lord,

to your mercy and your love... 

 

In all things, Lord, in joy and sadness,

help us to remember:

because today's day you've made

we give you thanks and praise...

Amen.

  

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