I skipped church this morning for a number of reasons, and have been watching Food Network. It has been an endless stream of Thanksgiving shows. Turkey, green bean casserole, potatoes a million different ways, dressing, cranberries, pumpkin, pecans in every form imaginable. But at the end of each show the one thing they all have in common is friends and/or family gathered around a table being thankful.
I think that's one of the things I love about Thanksgiving. No pressure (unless you're the cook), no presents, no expectations, no fireworks, no flash. Just the food and the fellowship and the thanks. I know it sounds cliche, but when Thanksgiving Day/week finally arrives, when all the extra services are done, before the insanity of Advent fully gears up: take time to get together with friends and/or family. Take time to be quiet in your soul. Take time to enjoy the food and fellowship. Take time to give thanks, and to share from your great abundance with those who need the blessing.
Gracious God, we give you thanks this day for all the blessings that are ours. We give you thanks for food, for shelter, for good friends and family. We give you thanks for challenges that help us grow and for your presence as we face those challenges. We give you thanks for doctors and nurses and others who help us when we can't help ourselves. We give you thanks for warmth when it's cold and coolness when it's too warm, for blankets and fluffy coats and dogs and cats that warm our laps. And in the midst of this we pray you will open to us ways in which we can bring blessings to those who are in need of them, not just in November and December, but throughout the year..................
I think that's one of the things I love about Thanksgiving. No pressure (unless you're the cook), no presents, no expectations, no fireworks, no flash. Just the food and the fellowship and the thanks. I know it sounds cliche, but when Thanksgiving Day/week finally arrives, when all the extra services are done, before the insanity of Advent fully gears up: take time to get together with friends and/or family. Take time to be quiet in your soul. Take time to enjoy the food and fellowship. Take time to give thanks, and to share from your great abundance with those who need the blessing.
Gracious God, we give you thanks this day for all the blessings that are ours. We give you thanks for food, for shelter, for good friends and family. We give you thanks for challenges that help us grow and for your presence as we face those challenges. We give you thanks for doctors and nurses and others who help us when we can't help ourselves. We give you thanks for warmth when it's cold and coolness when it's too warm, for blankets and fluffy coats and dogs and cats that warm our laps. And in the midst of this we pray you will open to us ways in which we can bring blessings to those who are in need of them, not just in November and December, but throughout the year..................
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