A Liturgy of Thanksgiving and Praise for the Thanksgiving Meal

Our gracious Father,

By your Word you have commanded us

to give thanks in all things,

And by your goodness,

You have compelled us to honor this responsibility.

The lives we live by faith testify

To your great faithfulness,

And so whether our earthly circumstances seem bleak or bountiful,

We give you thanks.

As we gather to share this meal,

We thank you for the labor that provided for it,

The hands that skillfully prepared it,

And the mouths that will now joyfully receive it,

For in tasting it we see that you are good.

We rejoice that in your Providence,

You have brought us together today,

And we pray that our love for one another

Might abound more and more

when we go from this place.

We remember your many blessings to us,

So many of which are evidenced around this table as we sit now to eat.

Above all, we praise you for the supreme gift

of our salvation in Christ,

For without Him,

Our greatest earthly enjoyments are paltry and momentary,

But with Him,

Our deepest earthly sufferings are light and temporal,

For they will by your redemption be turned ultimately to our good.

May the fellowship and nourishment we delight in today

Remind us of the sweeter and richer feast to come.

In your presence, we are grateful,

And in our hearts, we bless your name.

Amen.