Grace Before Thanksgiving Day Dinner
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.
Praying with an empty chair at the table…
 |
Lord,
chair at our table,
an ache in our hearts
We might try – and even
succeed –
in shielding our
grief from others
– but we cannot hide from
you…
So, we pray for (name
your loved ones)
whose loving presence
we’ll miss
at this homecoming
time…
Help us remember and
tell again the stories
of all we
shared with the one(s)
so much…
Open our hearts to
joyful memories
of the times and love
we knew
with those who’ve
gone before us…
And with your gentle touch, Lord,
smooth and mend any ragged, broken edges
still in need of your merciful healing…
May the bonds you
forged grow stronger
in our remembering
those
who’ve now gone home
to you…
Help us trust, in
faith,
now have a place in your
heart
and a seat at your
table in heaven…
Deepen and strengthen
our hope
that one day we’ll see
them once again
and enjoy their
company and love…
Teach us, Lord, to
lean on those around us
for the help and
support we need
when our spirits flag
and fail us…
Open our hearts and
souls, Lord,
to the warmth of your
presence,
within us and among
us…
Be with us to console
us and,
just as you embrace
the ones we miss,
hold us, too, along
with them,
in your everlasting
arms…
Give each of us some quiet time today,
time to share with
you,
to share our memories and our
losses,
our feelings, thoughts, and tears…
Even in our grief help us remember, Lord,
this is
the day that you have made!
Help us find and rejoice
the peace you’ve promised us,
the peace we pray you
share even now
with those who’ve
gone before us…
We pray then, Lord,
for all who know
the burdens this day
brings:
we trust you’ll hear
and answer us
who give you thanks
and praise…
Amen.
