Thanksgiving with Theological Horizons 2024

a collection of Scripture, poetry & prayers

“O Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; Let us shout joyfully to the rock of our salvation.
Let us come into God’s presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to God with songs of praise!
For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods.”  Psalm 95:1-3

O Lord, that lends me life, lend me a heart replete with thankfulness. 
William Shakespeare (1564-1616)

Do not let the empty cup be your first teacher of the blessings you had when it was full…
Seek, as a plain duty, to cultivate a buoyant, joyous sense of the crowded kindnesses of God 
in your daily life.  Alexander Maclaren (1826-1910)

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. Colossians 2:6-7 

For the infinite variety of your creative expression, we praise you, O God.
You have made even the necessary act of eating a nurturing comfort and a perpetual delight. 
Douglas Kaine McKelvey (contemporary)

"Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, God’s love endures forever." Psalm 118:29

Thou that hast given so much to me,
Give one thing more, a grateful heart….
Not thankful, when it pleaseth me;
As if thy blessings had spare days:
But such a heart, whose pulse may be Thy praise.
George Herbert (1593-1633)

"I will give thanks to you, LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.” Psalm 9:1

One of the oldest anthems of the church is ‘Alleluia’.  It means simply ‘All hail to the One who is.’ It is the arch-hymn of praise, the ultimate expression of thanksgiving, the pinnacle of triumph, the acme of human joy. Alleluia says ‘God is good — and we know it.’ Life itself is an exercise in learning to sing ‘alleluia’ here in order to recognize the face of God hidden in the recesses of time.  ‘Alleluia’ in life means dealing with moments that don’t feel like ‘alleluia moments’ at all. Alleluia is not a substitute for reality.  It is simply the awareness of another whole kind of reality—beyond the immediate, beyond the delusional, beyond the instant perception of things. In the Hebrew Scriptures, ‘Alleluia’ is an injunction to praise, a call to the people to summon up praise in themselves.  It is a challenge to see in life more than is seeable in any single moment…and to trust the One who is. Adapted from Joan Chittister & Rowan Williams (contemporary)

"And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; 
and be thankful." Colossians 3:15

A PRAYER BEFORE FEASTING

Leader:  

To gather joyfully is indeed a serious affair, 

for feasting & all enjoyments gratefully taken are, at their heart, acts of resistance.

All: 

In celebrating this feast we declare that evil & death, suffering & loss, sorrow & tears, will not have the final word.

But the joy of fellowship, and the welcome & comfort of friends new & old,

& the celebration of these blessings of food & drink & conversation & laughter are the true evidence 

of things eternal, and are the first fruits of  that great glad joy that is to come and that will be unending.

So let our feast this day be joined to those whose sure victories are secured by Christ,

Let it be to us now a delight, and a glad foretaste of his eternal kingdom.

Bless us, O Lord, in this feast.

Bless us, O Lord, as we linger over our cups, and over this table laden with good things,

As we relish the delights of varied texture and flavor, of aromas and savory spices, 

of dishes prepared as acts of love and blessing, of sweet delights made sweeter by the communion of saints.

May this shared meal and our pleasures in it stir our imaginations, 

focus our vision on the kingdom of heaven that is to come, 

on the kingdom that is promised, on the kingdom that is already, indeed among us.

The resurrection of all good things has already joyfully begun.

May this feast be an echo of that great Supper of the Lamb, the great celebration that awaits the children of God.

Where two or more of us are gathered, O Lord, there you have promised to be. And here we are.  And so, here are You.  Take joy, O King, in this, our feast.
In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, take seat, take feast, take delight! Amen.

(from Every Moment Holy by Douglas Kaine McKelvey)

As you gather this Thanksgiving, please pray for Theological Horizons – as we support believers and seekers by providing a welcoming community for engaging faith, thought and life.

We are grateful for YOU!