For many people, Thanksgiving is the most truly American of our national holidays, encompassing in its simple and beautiful traditions the highest ideals and greatest aspirations of our country. We believe that these ideals include the need to give thanks to our Creator and so we pray:

O gracious God, from You have come a flood of gifts to us. With grateful hearts we thank You this Thanksgiving Week for the many ways You sustain and nourish us, through the gift of life itself, our faith, family, friends and the fruits of the earth. We thank You for showing us how to return thanks by lives of service, by deeds of hospitality, by kindness to the stranger and by concern for each other. May we always be grateful for Your coming into our lives with surprises of joy, growth and unconditional love. We make this prayer through Jesus your Son and the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.