My Blog

Tag: Thanksgiving

  • It is good for us to gather around the table.

    Many of us have just spent some time gathered around the table with families and close friends for a Thanksgiving feast. This may be a teachable moment, when we can connect the dots that form a picture of family life and family identity.
     
    Families seem busier now than when I was a child. It's easy to understand, particularly with more two-career households, more activities for children and youth, and significant shifts in cultural values. When something has to give, family meals may fall by the wayside. And yet, family meals are not only a time for strengthening family ties and keeping track of your children's lives, they can actually lead to better physical and mental health for your children and for the entire family.
     
    Studies in recent years have concluded that family meals are a central feature in better nutrition, mental health, academic achievement, vocabulary, parenting, and family life in general. Many of us can recall how we learned the story of our family and came to an understanding of our place in that family while sitting at the table with our families.
     
    Have you noticed that as the trend away from family dining has increased, worship patterns on Sundays have also changed? I suspect the same factors that make it more difficult to gather the family around the dinner table also make it more difficult for Christians to gather around the Holy Table. I invite you to consider that the health and well-being of the Church is impacted by regular worship in ways that are similar to ways our families are impacted by regular family meals. When God calls us together to recall the family story and share in the family meal, we are nourished and formed as Christians. We remember who and whose we are.
     
    Maybe the adage, "The Family That Prays Together Stays Together," is not so trite after all. I do understand that many people do not have good memories of family and home. Many have not found the church family all that wonderful either. However, there is universal hunger for a sense of belonging and identity that we might call "family feeling." Those who have found surrogate families will tell you how much it means. Those who have returned to their church families or found new ones will tell you how it has impacted their spiritual journey.
     
    Now is a good time to pause and reflect on the busyness of our lives and consider what valuable times with our families and our church family have been crowded out. If we are too busy to gather around the table – at home or at church – maybe we are just too busy for our own good and the good of those whose lives are closely linked with ours. At home and at church, we need that time together
     
    I'll see you in Church!

    Ron Short Blue Sig Cropped

     

     

     

     

    The Very Reverend Ron Pogue
    Interim Dean
    St. Andrew's Cathedral
    Jackson, Mississippi

     

  • Thanksgiving 2018

    Our Thanksgiving Day service at Saint Andrew's Cathedral will be at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, November 22. If you are in the vicinity, please attend. Come as you are, bring family, friends, or neighbors to this beautiful, inspiring place dedicated to the glory of our bountiful Creator.

    Also, I want to encourage you to make your meal a true feast of Thanksgiving for those who gather with you around the table. The Book of Common Prayer of The Episcopal Church provides many resources to help us join together in expressing our gratitude to God on our national day of thanksgiving. Our Hymnal also is filled with words and music to express our gratitude. I commend these worship resources to you and pray that you and those you love will enjoy a truly Happy Thanksgiving!

    The Collect for Thanksgiving Day

    Almighty and gracious Father, we give you thanks for the fruits of the earth in their season and for the labors of those who harvest them. Make us, we pray, faithful stewards of your great bounty, for the provision of our necessities and the relief of all who are in need, to the glory of your Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

    Prayers for Our Country

    Almighty God, you have given us this good land for our heritage: We humbly beseech you that we may always prove ourselves a people mindful of your favor and glad to do your will. Bless our land with honorable industry, sound learning, and pure manners. Save us from violence, discord, and confusion; from pride and arrogance, and from every evil way. Defend our liberties, and fashion into one united people the multitudes brought here out of many kindreds and tongues. Endue with the spirit of wisdom those to whom in your Name we entrust the authority of government, that there may be justice and peace at home, and that, through obedience to your law, we may show forth your praise among the nations of the earth. In the time of prosperity, fill our hearts with thankfulness, and in the day of trouble, suffer not our trust in you to fail; all which we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

    Lord God Almighty, you have made all the peoples of the earth for your glory, to serve you in freedom and in peace: Give to the people of our country a zeal for justice and the strength of forbearance, that we may use our liberty in accordance with your gracious will; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

    A Litany of Thanksgiving

    Let us give thanks to God our Father for all his gifts so freely bestowed upon us.

    For the beauty and wonder of your creation, in earth and sky and sea.

    We thank you, Lord.

    For all that is gracious in the lives of men and women, revealing the image of Christ,

    We thank you, Lord.

    For our daily food and drink, our homes and families, and our friends,

    We thank you, Lord.

    For minds to think, and hearts to love, and hands to serve,

    We thank you, Lord.

    For health and strength to work, and leisure to rest and play,

    We thank you, Lord.

    For the brave and courageous, who are patient in suffering and faithful in adversity,

    We thank you, Lord.

    For all valiant seekers after truth, liberty, and justice,

    We thank you, Lord.

    For the communion of saints, in all times and places,

    We thank you, Lord.

    Above all, we give you thanks for the great mercies and promises given to us in Christ Jesus our Lord;

    To him be praise and glory, with you, O Father, and the Holy Spirit, now and for ever. Amen.

     

    Hymn 397 – Now Thank We All Our God 

    DOWNLOAD LYRICS FOR NOW THANK WE ALL OUR GOD

     

    I’ll see you in Church!

    Ron Short Blue Sig Cropped

     

     

     

     

    The Very Reverend Ron Pogue
    Interim Dean
    St. Andrew's Cathedral
    Jackson, Mississippi

     

  • Epiphanies at a Barbeque

     

    The Rector of St. John’s Episcopal Church in Jackson Hole, Wyoming also has responsibility for The Chapel of the Transfiguration in Grand Teton National Park and The Chapel of St. Hubert the Hunter in Bondurant, Wyoming. Following an outdoor service on the last Sunday in June each year, the folks at St. Hubert's host a barbeque, to which people come for miles around. Gay and I were privileged to participate in one of those during my interim appointment in Wyoming.

    In the service of worship, at which I presided and preached, and in the crowd at the barbeque, I was conscious that I was there on a mission from God. I didn’t just happen by or show up. I was sent there on a mission and equipped by God with “good news” of the kingdom of heaven for all sorts and conditions of people. But when I started out that morning I did not realize that, in the midst of that mission to others, I would experience God’s reign myself.

    At the barbeque, seated at one end of our table were two young men from Israel. They were driving along, saw the sign, and turned in to enjoy some genuine western barbecue beside an Episcopal Church. They asked about lodging and things to see on their way to Yellowstone. We took delight in suggesting things we’d seen and done during our brief time in the area. Having been welcomed in their country when we traveled there, we were glad to have an opportunity to extend hospitality to them as they traveled through ours. When they started to leave, we wished each other “Shalom.” In the exchange of that ancient word of peace, our eyes met. We understood one another in some new way. Strangers became friends as our kinship with our Creator was acknowledged. I experienced God’s reign on earth, transcending time and space and even barbecue.

    At the other end of the table was a couple from a neighboring state. They have been riding their motorcycles to Bondurant for years to participate in this annual event. After a short conversation, one of them raised the subject of the Church’s view of homosexuality. Gay gently expressed the inclusive view one finds in The Episcopal Church and what that means for so many people whom we cherish. Silence. Then, they opened up and talked about what it means for them, their daughter and her partner. Our eyes met. We understood one another in some new way. Strangers became friends as our kinship with our Creator was acknowledged. I experienced God’s reign on earth, transcending time and space and even barbecue.

    On my way to the car, a member of the band that played for both the service of worship and the barbecue approached me. She thanked me for the service and told me that although she was Baptized at an early age, this was the first time she’d ever received Holy Communion. She said that her decision to come forward on this occasion was made when she heard me say, “Whoever you are, wherever you’re from, and wherever you may be on your spiritual journey, you are welcome here.” In that moment in time, in that particular location, she knew that she is included in God’s love and hospitality. Our eyes met. We understood one another in some new way. Strangers became friends as our kinship with our Creator was acknowledged. I experienced God’s reign on earth, transcending time and space and even barbecue.

    Our recent readings from Mark’s Gospel concern Jesus during his Galilean ministry, crossing back and forth between Jewish and Gentile territories. God’s reign became evident in the encounters between Jesus and the people to whom he was sent. You and I are called to recognize the signs of God’s reign when we see them in our encounters with others. Even more, we are privileged to be heralds of God’s reign wherever we may be to help others recognize God’s reign for themselves.

    Let us pray.

    O heavenly Father, you have filled the world with beauty: Open our eyes to behold your gracious hand in all your works; that, rejoicing in your whole creation, we may learn to serve you with gladness; for the sake of him through whom all things were made, your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.                  

    (Book of Common Prayer)

    I’ll see you in Church!

    Ron Short Blue Sig Cropped

     

     

     

     

    The Very Reverend Ronald D. Pogue
    Interim Dean
    St. Andrew’s Cathedral
    Jackson, Mississippi

    P.S. The theme of our fall stewardship season is drawn from this prayer. “Open our eyes to behold your gracious hand in all your works.” Consecration Sunday, with one great morning worship service and a complimentary brunch celebrating our life together is October 14. Please make plans to join us!

     

  • Thanks Be To God!

    Our Thanksgiving Day service at St. Andrew's Cathedral will be at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, November 23. The Reverend Canon Jennifer Deaton will preside. If you are in the vicinity, please come. Come as you are, bring family, friends, or neighbors to this beautiful, inspiring place dedicated to the glory of our bountiful Creator.

    Also, I want to encourage you to make your meal a true feast of Thanksgiving for those who gather with you around the table. The Book of Common Prayer of The Episcopal Church provides many resources to help us join together in giving thanks on our national day of thanksgiving. Our Hymnal also is filled with words and music to express our gratitude. I commend these worship resources to you and pray that you and those you love will enjoy a truly Happy Thanksgiving!

     

    The Collect for Thanksgiving Day

    Almighty and gracious Father, we give you thanks for the fruits of the earth in their season and for the labors of those who harvest them. Make us, we pray, faithful stewards of your great bounty, for the provision of our necessities and the relief of all who are in need, to the glory of your Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

     

    Prayers for Our Country

    Almighty God, you have given us this good land for our heritage: We humbly beseech you that we may always prove ourselves a people mindful of your favor and glad to do your will. Bless our land with honorable industry, sound learning, and pure manners. Save us from violence, discord, and confusion; from pride and arrogance, and from every evil way. Defend our liberties, and fashion into one united people the multitudes brought here out of many kindreds and tongues. Endue with the spirit of wisdom those to whom in your Name we entrust the authority of government, that there may be justice and peace at home, and that, through obedience to your law, we may show forth your praise among the nations of the earth. In the time of prosperity, fill our hearts with thankfulness, and in the day of trouble, suffer not our trust in you to fail; all which we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

    Lord God Almighty, you have made all the peoples of the earth for your glory, to serve you in freedom and in peace: Give to the people of our country a zeal for justice and the strength of forbearance, that we may use our liberty in accordance with your gracious will; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

     

    A Litany of Thanksgiving

    Let us give thanks to God our Father for all his gifts so freely bestowed upon us.

    For the beauty and wonder of your creation, in earth and sky and sea.

    We thank you, Lord.

    For all that is gracious in the lives of men and women, revealing the image of Christ,

    We thank you, Lord.

    For our daily food and drink, our homes and families, and our friends,

    We thank you, Lord.

    For minds to think, and hearts to love, and hands to serve,

    We thank you, Lord.

    For health and strength to work, and leisure to rest and play,

    We thank you, Lord.

    For the brave and courageous, who are patient in suffering and faithful in adversity,

    We thank you, Lord.

    For all valiant seekers after truth, liberty, and justice,

    We thank you, Lord.

    For the communion of saints, in all times and places,

    We thank you, Lord.

    Above all, we give you thanks for the great mercies and promises given to us in Christ Jesus our Lord;

    To him be praise and glory, with you, O Father, and the Holy Spirit, now and for ever. Amen.

     

    Hymn 397 “Now Thank We All Our God”

     

     

    John Rutter's setting of “Now Thank We All Our God” performed by the Cambridge Singers

    Words: Martin Rinckart (1586-1649); tr. Catherine Winkworth (1827-1878)

    Music: Nun danket alle Gott, melody Johann Cruger (1589-1662); arr. John Rutter (1945-)

     

    I'll see you in Church!

    Ron Short Blue Sig Cropped 28

     

     

     

     

    The Very Reverend Ronald D. Pogue
    Interim Dean
    St. Andrew’s Cathedral
    Jackson, Mississippi

  • Give Thanks to God

    Our Thanksgiving Day service at Saint John's Cathedral will be at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, November 24. If you are in the vicinity, please join us. Come as you are, bring family, friends, or neighbors to this beautiful, inspiring place dedicated to the glory of our bountiful Creator.

    Also, I want to encourage you to make your meal a true feast of Thanksgiving for those who gather with you around the table. The Book of Common Prayer of The Episcopal Church provides many resources to help us join together in giving thanks on our national day of thanksgiving. Our Hymnal also is filled with words and music to express our gratitude. I commend these worship resources to you and pray that you and those you love will enjoy a truly Happy Thanksgiving!

    The Collect for Thanksgiving Day

    Almighty and gracious Father, we give you thanks for the fruits of the earth in their season and for the labors of those who harvest them. Make us, we pray, faithful stewards of your great bounty, for the provision of our necessities and the relief of all who are in need, to the glory of your Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

    Prayers for Our Country

    Almighty God, you have given us this good land for our heritage: We humbly beseech you that we may always prove ourselves a people mindful of your favor and glad to do your will. Bless our land with honorable industry, sound learning, and pure manners. Save us from violence, discord, and confusion; from pride and arrogance, and from every evil way. Defend our liberties, and fashion into one united people the multitudes brought here out of many kindreds and tongues. Endue with the spirit of wisdom those to whom in your Name we entrust the authority of government, that there may be justice and peace at home, and that, through obedience to your law, we may show forth your praise among the nations of the earth. In the time of prosperity, fill our hearts with thankfulness, and in the day of trouble, suffer not our trust in you to fail; all which we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

    Lord God Almighty, you have made all the peoples of the earth for your glory, to serve you in freedom and in peace: Give to the people of our country a zeal for justice and the strength of forbearance, that we may use our liberty in accordance with your gracious will; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

    A Litany of Thanksgiving

    Let us give thanks to God our Father for all his gifts so freely bestowed upon us.

    For the beauty and wonder of your creation, in earth and sky and sea.

    We thank you, Lord.

    For all that is gracious in the lives of men and women, revealing the image of Christ,

    We thank you, Lord.

    For our daily food and drink, our homes and families, and our friends,

    We thank you, Lord.

    For minds to think, and hearts to love, and hands to serve,

    We thank you, Lord.

    For health and strength to work, and leisure to rest and play,

    We thank you, Lord.

    For the brave and courageous, who are patient in suffering and faithful in adversity,

    We thank you, Lord.

    For all valiant seekers after truth, liberty, and justice,

    We thank you, Lord.

    For the communion of saints, in all times and places,

    We thank you, Lord.

    Above all, we give you thanks for the great mercies and promises given to us in Christ Jesus our Lord;

    To him be praise and glory, with you, O Father, and the Holy Spirit, now and for ever. Amen.

     

    Hymn 397

     

     

    John Rutter's setting of Now Thank We All Our God performed by the Cambridge Singers

    Words: Martin Rinckart (1586-1649); tr. Catherine Winkworth (1827-1878)

    Music: Nun danket alle Gott, melody Johann Cruger (1589-1662); arr. John Rutter (1945-)

     

  • Let us give thanks to God!

    The Book of Common Prayer of The Episcopal Church provides many resources to help us join together in giving thanks on our national day of thanksgiving. Our Hymnal also is filled with words and music to express our gratitude. I commend these worship resources to you and pray that you and those you love will enjoy a truly Happy Thanksgiving!

    Ron Short Sig Blue

     

     

     

     

    The Collect for Thanksgiving Day

    Almighty and gracious Father, we give you thanks for the fruits of the earth in their season and for the labors of those who harvest them. Make us, we pray, faithful stewards of your great bounty, for the provision of our necessities and the relief of all who are in need, to the glory of your Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

    Prayers for Our Country

    Almighty God, you have given us this good land for our heritage: We humbly beseech you that we may always prove ourselves a people mindful of your favor and glad to do your will. Bless our land with honorable industry, sound learning, and pure manners. Save us from violence, discord, and confusion; from pride and arrogance, and from every evil way. Defend our liberties, and fashion into one united people the multitudes brought here out of many kindreds and tongues. Endue with the spirit of wisdom those to whom in your Name we entrust the authority of government, that there may be justice and peace at home, and that, through obedience to your law, we may show forth your praise among the nations of the earth. In the time of prosperity, fill our hearts with thankfulness, and in the day of trouble, suffer not our trust in you to fail; all which we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

    Lord God Almighty, you have made all the peoples of the earth for your glory, to serve you in freedom and in peace: Give to the people of our country a zeal for justice and the strength of forbearance, that we may use our liberty in accordance with your gracious will; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

    A Litany of Thanksgiving

    Let us give thanks to God our Father for all his gifts so freely bestowed upon us.

    For the beauty and wonder of your creation, in earth and sky and sea.
    We thank you, Lord.

    For all that is gracious in the lives of men and women, revealing the image of Christ,
    We thank you, Lord.

    For our daily food and drink, our homes and families, and our friends,
    We thank you, Lord.

    For minds to think, and hearts to love, and hands to serve,
    We thank you, Lord.

    For health and strength to work, and leisure to rest and play,
    We thank you, Lord.

    For the brave and courageous, who are patient in suffering and faithful in adversity,
    We thank you, Lord.

    For all valiant seekers after truth, liberty, and justice,
    We thank you, Lord.

    For the communion of saints, in all times and places,
    We thank you, Lord.

    Above all, we give you thanks for the great mercies and promises given to us in Christ Jesus our Lord;
    To him be praise and glory, with you, O Father, and the Holy Spirit, now and for ever. Amen.

    Hymn 433

     

    We gather together to ask the Lord's blessing;
    he chastens and hastens his will to make known;
    the wicked oppressing now cease from distressing:
    sing praise to his Name, he forgets not his own.

    Beside us to guide us, our God with us joining,
    ordaining, maintaining his kingdom divine;
    so from the beginning the fight we were winning:
    thou, Lord, wast at our side: all glory be thine!

    We all do extol thee, thou leader triumphant,
    and pray that thou still our defender wilt be.
    Let thy congregation escape tribulation:
    thy Name be ever praised! O Lord, make us free!

    Words: Nederlandtsche Gedenckclanck, 1626; trans. Theodore Baker (1851-1934), 1894.
    Music: Kremser (Nederlandtsche Gedenckclank, 1626)

     

     

    Hymn 397

      

    Now thank we all our God,
    with heart and hands and voices,
    who wondrous things hath done,
    in whom his world rejoices;
    who from our mother's arms
    hath blessed us on our way
    with countless gifts of love,
    and still is ours today.

    O 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 his grace,
    and guide us when perplexed,
    and free us from all ills
    in this world and the next.

    All praise and thanks to God
    the Father now be given,
    the Son, and Holy Ghost,
    supreme in highest heaven,
    the one eternal God,
    whom earth and heaven adore;
    for thus it was, is now,
    and shall be evermore.

    Words: Martin Rinkart (1586-1649), 1636 trans. Catherine Winkworth (1827-1878), 1858.
    Music: Nun danket alle Gott (later form of melody by Johann Crüger, 1598-1662) arr. John Rutter.

     

     

     

  • Something to Think About on Thanksgiving Day

    As Americans prepare to celebrate our National Day of Thanksgiving, we are hearing reports from Mali, Beirut, and France about terrorist attacks. For many of us, these reports recall painful memories of our own experience with terrorism on September 11, 2001 and the days, months, and years that followed. 

    It is difficult to give thanks for the blessings of liberty when attacks on the liberties of others make us aware of how vulnerable all humanity is in the hands of terrorists. Right now, we are especially conscious that our lives are connected in the human community and that we are not really as self-sufficient as we might think.

    Theologian Walter Brueggemann points out that the observance of Thanksgiving reminds us that life is a gift.

    Thanksgiving is a contradiction of the values of a market economy that imagines we are self-made and can be self-sufficient. When we give thanks, we commit an act of defiance against the seductions of our society. . . We may sing all kinds of patriotic songs and feast to satiation on Thanksgiving Day. Beyond all of that is our acknowledgement that life is a gift that evokes response. We are never self-starters. The drive for self-sufficiency is an unnecessary and futile idolatry.

    Enjoy family, friends, and a bountiful feast on Thanksgiving Day. Then, sometime during the day, find a place where you can be alone and quiet for half an hour or so. Take a pen, some paper, and this quotation with you. Read it over a few times and then make a list of things that make your life what it is because God and others have blessed you – evidence that you are not self-sufficient. Say a prayer of thanksgiving over that list and think of ways to express your gratitude to whomever else is on the list. Do it right away before the pressures of everyday life make you forget.

    Here is a video meditation for your Thanksgiving on a text by Brian Wren with piano accompaniment arranged and performed by Tom Howard.

    And here is the Collect for Thanksgiving Day from The Book of Common Prayer.

    Almighty and gracious Father, we give you thanks for the fruits of the earth in their season and for the labors of those who harvest them. Make us, we pray, faithful stewards of your great bounty, for the provision of our necessities and the relief of all who are in need, to the glory of your Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

    May your heart be filled with gladness and gratitude as you celebrate Thanksgiving with those whom you love. And please continue to pray that God will comfort the victims of terror and turn the hearts of those who commit such violent acts so that they might become agents of peace.

    I'll see you in Church!

    310857311_80_80

     

     

     

  • Taking Time for Thanksgiving

    Thanksgiving may be a teachable moment, when we can connect the dots that form a picture of family life and family identity.

    Families seem busier now than when I was a child.  It's easy to understand, particularly with more two-career households, more activities for children and youth, and significant shifts in cultural values.  When something has to give, family meals may fall by the wayside. And yet, family meals are not only a time for strengthening family ties and keeping track of your children's lives, they can actually lead to better physical and mental health for your children and for the entire family.

    Studies in recent years have concluded that family meals are a central feature in better nutrition, mental health, academic achievement, vocabulary, parenting, and family life in general.  Many of us can recall how we learned the story of our family and came to an understanding of our place in that family while sitting at the table with our families.

    Have you noticed that as the trend away from family dining has increased, worship patterns on Sundays have also changed?  I suspect the same factors that make it more difficult to gather the family around the dinner table also make it more difficult for Christians to gather around the Lord's Table.  I invite you to consider that the health and well-being of the Church is impacted by regular worship in ways that are similar to ways our families are impacted by regular family meals.  When God calls us together to recall the family story and share in the family meal, we are nourished and formed as Christians.  We remember who and whose we are.

    Maybe the adage, "The Family That Prays Together Stays Together," is not so trite after all. I do understand that many people do not have good memories of family and home.  Many have not found the church family all that wonderful either.  However, there is universal hunger for a sense of belonging and identity that we might call "family feeling."  Those who have found surrogate families will tell you how much it means.  Those who have returned to their church families or found new ones will tell you how it has impacted their spiritual journey.

    Now is a good time to pause and reflect on the busyness of our lives and consider what valuable times with our families and our church family have been crowded out.  And, it is a good time to recall and give thanks for the good things that have not been crowded out. It is easy to focus on what we lack.  Occasions of thanksgiving help us focus on the abundance of our lives.

    If we are too busy to gather around the table – at home or at church – maybe we are just too busy for our own good and the good of those whose lives are closely linked with ours.  At home and at church, we need that time together!

    Here's a prayer and a selection of music to share with those whom you care about this Thanksgiving: 

    • The Collect for Thanksgiving Day from the Book of Common Prayer

    Almighty and gracious Father, we give you thanks for the
    fruits of the earth in their season and for the labors of those
    who harvest them.  Make us, we pray, faithful stewards of
    your great bounty, for the provision of our necessities and
    the relief of all who are in need, to the glory of your Name;
    through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with
    you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.  Amen.

     

    • The hymn Now Thank We All Our God, performed by The Cambridge Singers and the City of London Sinfonia, conducted by John Rutter.

     

      Ron Short Sig Blue

  • Something to Think About on Thanksgiving Day

    Theologian Walter Brueggemann points out that the observance of Thanksgiving reminds us that life is a gift.

    Thanksgiving is a contradiction of the values of a market economy that imagines we are self-made and can be self-sufficient. When we give thanks, we commit an act of defiance against the seductions of our society. . . We may sing all kinds of patriotic songs and feast to satiation on Thanksgiving Day. Beyond all of that is our acknowledgement that life is a gift that evokes response. We are never self-starters. The drive for self-sufficiency is an unnecessary and futile idolatry.

    Enjoy family, friends, and a bountiful feast on Thanksgiving.  Then, sometime during the day, find a place where you can be alone and quiet for half and hour or so.  Take a pen, some paper, and this quotation with you.  Read it over a few times and then make a list of things that make your life what it is because God and others have blessed you – evidence that you are not self-sufficient.  Say a prayer of thanksgiving over that list and think of ways to express your gratitude to whomever else is on the list.  Do it right away before the pressures of everyday life make you forget.

    Here is a video meditation for your Thanksgiving on a text by Brian Wren with piano accompaniment arranged and performed by Tom Howard.

    And here is the Collect for Thanksgiving Day from The Book of Common Prayer.

    Almighty and gracious Father, we give you thanks for the fruits of the earth in their season and for the labors of those who harvest them. Make us, we pray, faithful stewards of your great bounty, for the provision of our necessities and the relief of all who are in need, to the glory of your Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

    Ron Short Signature