Eternal God,
We wake to a chill in the morning and this autumn day opens upon a vista of beauty: colorful leaves still falling; joyful reunions of family and gatherings of friends; a 400-year-old Thanksgiving memory of unlikely companions feasting together; and faith in your love by which we know we cannot begin to count our blessings.
We give you thanks today for every sign of hope we see on the horizon: the coming end to this long pandemic season; the arrival of refugees to our church community whom we will welcome and support; the growing interest we share to become more responsible stewards of your good creation; the fellowship of Christian community which celebrates diversity and transcends division amid the rancor of our days.
We pray that you will bless us this Thanksgiving Day with a profound sense of gratitude for all your gifts of life and our abundant blessings. May we respond to your grace with open and generous hearts, deepened commitment to follow Christ into risky places of discipleship, and a renewed desire to love and serve you in all that we say and do. Amen.
