Thanksgiving Day Worship
November 24, 2011
(You are invited to use this
Thanksgiving Day Worship. The parts in italics are for one participant to lead
and the parts in bold are for all to share together. Happy Thanksgiving! May
you find joy and blessing this day and always!)
CALL TO WORSHIP (Psalm 100:4-5)
Enter God’s gates with
thanksgiving, and God’s courts with praise.
Give thanks to God, bless God’s
name.
For the Lord is good; God’s
steadfast love endures forever,
And God’s faithfulness to all
generations.
PRAYER
God of creation, you have given
us so much for which to be thankful. By your providence we are cared for all
our days. Fill our hearts with generosity, not only for those close to us, but
also the least and the lost, and especially for you, that we may share our
blessings freely, and our thanksgiving without ceasing. Amen.
SCRIPTURE READING Psalm
104:1-30
HYMN: Now Thank We All Our God (Martin Rinkart)
1. Now
thank we all our God
with
hearts and hands and voices,
who
wondrous things has done,
in
whom God's world rejoices;
who,
from our mothers' arms,
has
blest us on our way
with
countless gifts of love,
and
still is ours today.
SCRIPTURE READING Philippians
4:4-7
LITANY OF THANKSGIVING
For life in all its meaning,
full of challenge and potential, growth and decay, we give you thanks, O Lord...Thanks be to God!
For time made more precious by
its passing; for seasons by which to gauge the rhythm of our work; for times of
rest and quiet times; for time spent with others and time spent alone; for
times of celebration and the times of struggle which engage our being, we give
you thanks, O Lord...Thanks be to God!
For the resources that make
living more pleasant––good food, warmth and shelter, clothing––we give you
thanks, O Lord...Thanks be to God!
For wisdom and insight; for the
gifts of learning and of teaching; for books and other media by which we share
ideas; for the joy of a new concept grasped or a new thought understood, we
give you thanks, O Lord...Thanks be to
God!
For family and friends, both
nearby and far away, both living and dead, each of whom brings much to our
lives; for holidays that gladden our hearts and remind us of our losses; for
shared experiences that become tomorrow’s precious memories, we give you
thanks, O Lord...Thanks be to God!
For governments and political
leadership throughout the world, especially those that protect freedom and
promote justice; for reformers and those with the courage to speak out where
all is not what it should be, we give you thanks, O Lord...Thanks be to God!
Especially for the United
States of America, a nation with a foundation of freedom; for peaceful transfer
of power and the orderly election of leaders; for institutions that serve and
protect and for men and women who are willing to die that others might live and
enjoy their freedom, we give you thanks, O Lord...Thanks be to God!
For the places that we live,
the beauty, resources and leadership; for our fellow citizens with whom we work
and live in peace and harmony; for those who will not stand silent while others
suffer or are deprived, we give you thanks, O Lord...Thanks be to God!
For the church, the body of
Christ at work in the world; for all its joyous confusion and colorfulness, its
gifts of the Spirit, its leaders and supporters, all those who give their time
to its mission, we give you thanks, O Lord...Thanks be to God!
Especially for the places where
we worship and the gatherings of God’s people that we have called home; for
their history and heritage that help to show us the way; for those who have
gone before us in the faith and made it what it is today; for the vision you
hold out to it of what it can be and will be tomorrow, we give you thanks, O
Lord...Thanks be to God!
For all the many gifts or our
lives, and for our very lives themselves, we give you thanks, O Lord...Thanks be to God!
And let us pray the prayer that
Christ taught disciples to pray together saying:
Our Father, who art in heaven…
HYMN: Now Thank We All Our God
2. Oh,
may this bounteous God
through
all our life be near us,
with
ever joyful hearts
and
blessed peace to cheer us,
and
keep us in God's grace,
and
guide us when perplexed,
and
free us from all harm
In
this world and the next.
3. All
praise and thanks to God
the
Maker now be given,
the
Son, and him who reigns
with them in highest heaven,
the one eternal God,
whom earth and heav'n adore;
for thus it was, is now,
and shall be evermore.
BLESSING
May the Lord,
who is our peace, give us peace at all times and in every way.
Amen.
Bless the
Lord.
The Lord’s name be praised.
