A Service of Prayer and Song for Thanksgiving

O give thanks to the God of heaven, f

or his steadfast love endures forever.

Psalm 136:26

Due to the pandemic, there will be no in-house Thanksgiving service. So, instead of preparing a A Service of Prayer for the Beginning of Day, I offer you A Service of Prayer and Song forThanksgiving (Wednesday/Thursday, November 25/26.

Introduction

At harvest time we join the psalmist in offering thanksgiving to God: “You crown the year with your goodness, and your paths overflow with plenty.” We are grateful for the abundance of the good things of God’s creation. Paul reminds us that our thanksgiving overflows into generosity. As the body of Christ in the world, we give ourselves away as bread for the hungry.

Gathering

Opening Hymn
Come, Ye Thankful People, Come

1. Come, ye thankful people, come;
raise the song of harvest home.
All be safely gathered in
ere the winter storms begin.
God, our maker, doth provide
for our wants to be supplied.
Come to God's own temple, come,
raise the song of harvest home.

2. All the world is God's own field,
fruit unto his praise to yield;
wheat and tares together sown,      
unto joy or sorrow grown.
First the blade, and then the ear,
then the full corn shall appear.
Lord of harvest, grant that we
wholesome grain and pure may be.

3. For the Lord our God shall come
and shall take his harvest home;
from his field shall in that day
all offenses purge away;
give his angels charge at last
in the fire the tares to cast,
but the fruitful ears to store
in his garner evermore.

4. Even so, Lord, quickly come
to thy final harvest home.
Gather then thy people in,
free from sorrow, free from sin,
there, forever purified,
in thy garner to abide.
Come, with all thine angels, come,
raise the glorious harvest home!

Text: Henry Alford, 1810-1871, alt. 

Call toWorship

O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
for his steadfast love endures forever.
O give thanks to the God of gods,
for his steadfast love endures forever.
O give thanks to the Lord of lords,
for his steadfast love endures forever;

who alone does great wonders,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
who by understanding made the heavens,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
who spread out the earth on the waters,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
who made the great lights,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
the sun to rule over the day,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
the moon and stars to rule over the night,
for his steadfast love endures forever;

It is he who remembered us in our low estate,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
and rescued us from our foes,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
who gives food to all flesh,
for his steadfast love endures forever.

  O give thanks to the God of heaven,
for his steadfast love endures forever.
Psalm 136:1-9, 23-26

Prayer of the Day

Let us pray, Almighty God our Father, your generous goodness comes to us new every day. By the work of your Spirit lead us to acknowledge your goodness, give thanks for your benefits, and serve you in willing obedience, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.
Amen.

Word

First Reading: Deuteronomy 8:7-18

Times of abundance tempt us to forget God and rely on our own power and resources. But God is the one who took Israel out of Egypt, led and fed them in the wilderness, brought them into the land, and gave them power to be productive. To thank this God is to remember and proclaim God’s deeds.

7For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land, a land with flowing streams, with springs and underground waters welling up in valleys and hills, 8a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive trees and honey, 9a land where you may eat bread without scarcity, where you will lack nothing, a land whose stones are iron and from whose hills you may mine copper. 10You shall eat your fill and bless the Lord your God for the good land that he has given you.

11Take care that you do not forget the Lord your God, by failing to keep his commandments, his ordinances, and his statutes, which I am commanding you today. 12When you have eaten your fill and have built fine houses and live in them, 13and when your herds and flocks have multiplied, and your silver and gold is multiplied, and all that you have is multiplied, 14then do not exalt yourself, forgetting the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, 15who led you through the great and terrible wilderness, an arid wasteland with poisonous snakes and scorpions. He made water flow for you from flint rock, 16and fed you in the wilderness with manna that your ancestors did not know, to humble you and to test you, and in the end to do you good. 17Do not say to yourself, “My power and the might of my own hand have gotten me this wealth.” 18But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, so that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your ancestors, as he is doing today.

The Word of. the Lord,
Thanks be to God.

Hymn
For the Beauty of the Earth (verses 1-2, 4)

1. For the beauty of the earth,
for the beauty of the skies
for the love which from our birth
over and around us lies:

Refrain
Lord of all to Thee we raise
this our hymn of grateful of  praise.

2. For the wonder of each hour
of the day and of the night,
hill and vale and tree and flow'r,
sun and moon and stars of light:  Refrain

4. For the joy of human love,
brother, sister, parent, child,
friends on earth and friends above;
for all gentle thoughts and mild:  Refrain

(Words vary slightly from our hymnal.)

Psalm: Psalm 65

You crown the year with your goodness, and your paths overflow with plenty. (Ps. 65:11)

You are to be praised, O God, in Zion;
to you shall vows be fulfilled.
To you, the one who answers prayer,
 to you all flesh shall come.

Our sins are stronger than we are,
but you blot out our transgressions.
 Happy are they whom you choose and draw to your courts to dwell there!
They will be satisfied by the beauty of your house, by the holiness of your temple. 

Awesome things will you show us in your righteousness, O God of our salvation,
O hope of all the ends of the earth and of the oceans far away.
 You make firm the mountains by your power;
you are girded about with might.

You still the roaring of the seas,
the roaring of their waves, and the clamor of the peoples.
 Those who dwell at the ends of the earth will tremble at your marvelous signs;
 you make the dawn and the dusk to sing for joy.

You visit the earth and water it abundantly; you make it very plenteous; the river of God is full of water.
You prepare the grain, for so you provide for the earth.
 You drench the furrows and smooth out the ridges;
 with heavy rain you soften the ground and bless its increase.

You crown the year with your goodness,
and your paths overflow with plenty.
 May the fields of the wilderness be rich for grazing,
 and the hills be | clothed with joy.

May the meadows cover themselves with flocks, and the valleys cloak themselves with grain;
let them shout for joy and sing. 

Hymn
Sing to the Lord of Harvest

1.  Sing to the Lord of harvest
  your songs of love and praise;
     with joyful hearts and voices
     your alleluias raise;
by him the rolling seasons
in fruitful order move;
sing to the Lord of harvest
a joyous song of love.

2. God makes the clouds drop fatness,
the deserts bloom and spring,
the hills leap up in gladness,
the valleys laugh and sing.
God fills them with his fullness,
all things with large increase
and crowns the year with goodness,
with plenty and with peace.

3. Bring to this sacred altar
the gifts his goodness gave,
the golden sheaves of harvest,
      the souls Christ died to save.
Your hearts lay down before him
when at his feet you fall,
and with your lives adore him
who gave his life for all

Text: John S. B. Monsell, 1811-1875, alt.

(Words vary slightly from our hymnal.)

A Prayer of Thanksgiving

Almighty God, Father of all mercies, we humbly thank you for your goodness to us and to all that you have made. We praise you for your creation, for keeping us and all things in your care, and for all the blessings of life [here specific occasions may be named, for example, graduation, anniversary, birthday]. Above all we bless you for your immeasurable love in redeeming the world by our Lord Jesus Christ, for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory. And, we pray, give us such an awareness of your mercies that with thankful hearts we praise you, not only with our lips but in our lives, by giving ourselves to your service and by living in your gifts of holiness and righteousness all our days; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be all worship and praise, now and forever.
Amen.

Second Reading: 2 Corinthians 9:6-15

Christian fellowship involves sharing with those in need. Here Paul is gathering a collection for the church in Jerusalem from all the Gentile churches he helped found. We can be extravagant in our giving because God is extravagant in providing for our lives.

The point is this: the one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that by always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work. As it is written,
 “He scatters abroad, he gives to the poor;
  his righteousness endures forever.”

He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way for your great generosity, which will produce thanksgiving to God through us; for the rendering of this ministry not only supplies the needs of the saints but also overflows with many thanksgivings to God. Through the testing of this ministry you glorify God by your obedience to the confession of the gospel of Christ and by the generosity of your sharing with them and with all others, while they long for you and pray for you because of the surpassing grace of God that he has given you. Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!

The Word of. the Lord,
Thanks be to God.

Gospel Acclamation

Alleluia. 

God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that by always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work. Alleluia. (2 Cor. 9:8)

Gospel: Luke 17:11-19

The holy gospel according to Luke.
Glory to you, O Lord.

A Samaritan leper becomes a model for thanksgiving. He does not take for granted the kindness shown to him but takes time to thank Jesus and to glorify God.

On the way to Jerusalem Jesus was going through the region between Samaria and Galilee. As he entered a village, ten lepers approached him. Keeping their distance, they called out, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” When he saw them, he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were made clean. Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice. He prostrated himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him. And he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus asked, “Were not ten made clean? But the other nine, where are they? Was none of them found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” Then he said to him, “Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well.”

The Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, O Christ.

Message
Life-Giving Faith Despite Adversity

This has been a difficult year, indeed. We may not suffer from leprosy, but we are dealing with coronavirus all over our nation. There are some who believe wearing a mask is an infringement on their freedom while others choose to wear a mask, not only to protect themselves, but to protect others. Our children are dealing with all sorts of educational challenges—some are home schooled, others are in-school, still others are dealing with a hybrid model of some days in school and some days virtually at home. Many have lost their jobs while others are fortunately able to work from home. We have had many natural disasters within our country—wild fires, floods, and tornadoes. We have also experienced much civil unrest, protests, and a difficult political campaign season and contentious election. Furthermore, I am astounded at the enormous food lines all across America. And yes, churches are struggling to find ways to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ at a time when it is risky to hold in-church services and even when we do, many choose to stay home. How can we keep faith in times such as these?

In our gospel lesson, there were ten lepers who approached Jesus. Afflicted with leprosy, they suffered more than just the physical effects of a dermatological ailment. They were considered ritually impure and were therefore unable to enter the temple. In some instances they were quarantined or isolated from the larger Jewish community and suffered from loneliness. Exiled, they experienced rejection and alienation that gradually eroded the soul. If someone were cured of the affliction, the first step would be to go to the priests to be examined. If the priests found the disease truly cured, then the person could undertake rituals and make sacrifices in order to become ritually clean again. Remarkably, only one out of ten healed lepers stooped at Jesus feet and thanked him. He was a Samaritan, an outsider.

And yet, believe it or not, this story is not about healing. It is about faith. It teaches us that healing often occurs as we respond faithfully as children of God. The text that precedes this story describes some of the ways we live out the faith of Christ as we live as Jesus would have us live—practicing forgiveness, managing to transcend our limitations in order to serve others, and discovering some form of healing and wholeness amidst adversity. Sometimes it is in busying ourselves with the work of God and the needs of others that we find release from our afflictions. The human spirit is amazing and when we realize God is working through us, it becomes even more amazing. 

We can find ways to bless others—FaceTiming a friend who is sad or ill, collecting food and clothing for those in need, using our gifts of music and song to create videos that are used to uplift spirits, creating virtual services to get the word outside our building, writing cards, contributing to the ministry of Good Shepherd, holding events in the park or even in our parking lot that bring us together even if we must socially distance. The list is endless. And I have to say I am so grateful to all of you, and there are many, who are responding to Jesus call and living out your faith. 

Right now things are difficult, but they will not stay that way. There is hope and  help will come in the future. In the meantime, I leave you with two thoughts: one from Luther who said, “I believe that God has created me together with all that exists. God has given me and still preserves my body and soul: eyes, ears, and all limbs and senses; reason and all mental faculties. In addition, God daily and abundantly provides shoes and clothing, food and drink, house and farm, spouse and children, fields, livestock, and all property—along with all the necessities and nourishment for this body and life. God protects me against all danger and shields and preserves me from all evil. And all this is done out of pure, fatherly, and divine goodness and mercy, without any merit or worthiness of mine at all! For all of this I owe it to God to thank and praise, serve and obey him. This is most certainly true.

And the second is from the book, Living Jesus, the chapter entitled, “Paul’s Witness to Jesus” by Luke Timothy Johnson. Johnson says, “It is the ‘pattern’ of Jesus’ story that the Spirit can reshape, again and again in countless lives; the ‘image’ of Jesus that can be formed in all humans with that freedom that comes from the Lord who is Spirit. This does not make the humanity of Jesus less but more significant, for the ‘way’ Jesus was human—the way he responded to God in faithful obedience and gave his life in service to other humans—is the pattern for all authentic humanity renewed by the Spirit of God.” 

May we respond with grateful hearts to the Spirit that is reshaping our lives in the pattern of of Jesus story in faithful love toward God and toward one another  For God has blessed us in many ways.

In Jesus name, Amen.

Hymn of the Day
Now Thank We All Our God

1. Now thank we all our God
with hearts and hands and voices,
who wondrous things has done,
in whom this world rejoices;
who, from our mothers' arms,
has blest us on our way
with countless gifts of love,
and still is ours today.

2. Oh, may this bounteous God
through all our life be near us,
with ever joyful hearts
and blessed peace to cheer us,
and keep us all in grace,
and guide us when perplexed,
and free us from all harm
in this world and the next.

3. All praise and thanks to God
the Father now be given,
the Son, and Spirit blest,
who reign in highest heaven,
the one eternal God,
whom earth and heav'n adore;
for thus it was, is now,
and shall be evermore.

Text: Martin Rinkhart, 1586-1649; tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1827-1878

Prayers of Intercession

Longing for Christ’s reign to come among us, we pray for the outpouring of God’s power on the church, the world, and all in need.

A brief silence.

Gracious God, you send from your abundance the people, talents, and resources needed for all the ministries of your church. We give thanks for the work you have accomplished through your people, and we pray for your continued blessings in our ministry together.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Bountiful God, you feed us through the richness of the land, water, sunlight, and ample crops. Bless all those who cultivate the land to bring forth its bounty, especially farmers and migrant workers.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Merciful God, you order our lives by your providence. We give you thanks for laws, infrastructure, and leadership that structure and support our human endeavors. Align our purposes with your own, that all our undertakings might bring you glory.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Loving God, you open our hearts in compassion for one another. We give you thanks for the care and healing received through the hands and feet of your servants. Send us to love those most in need of your mercy especially . . . 
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Hospitable God, you connect and strengthen us through meals and conversation with family and friends. In this time of thanksgiving, steer us from passive receiving to active response, from old quarrels to reconciliation, and from overconsumption to true gratitude.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Eternal God, we give thanks for the love and care we have received from saints who have gone before us. By their example, enrich the generosity of our witness to others.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Receive our prayers in the name of Jesus Christ our Savior, until that day when you gather all creation around your throne where you will reign forever and ever.
Amen.

Sending

Blessing

May the God of all creation,
in whose image we are made,
who claims us and calls us beloved,
who strengthens us for service,
give you reason to rejoice and be glad!
The blessing of God,
Sovereign, ☩ Savior, and Spirit,
be with you today and always.
Amen.

Dismissal

Beloved of God,
go in peace to love and serve the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

Sending Song
We Praise You, O God

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