Thanksgiving Day
Worship
Lectionary Worship Workbook
Series IV, Cycle A
Hymns
We Plow The Fields And Scatter (CBH96, PH560)
Sing To The Lord Of Harvest (CBH98)
Creating God, Your Fingers Trace (CBH168, NCH462, UM109, PH134)
For The Fruit Of All Creation (CBH90, NCH425, UM97, PH553)
God, Whose Giving Knows No Ending (CBH383 NCH565, PH422)
The Church Of Christ In Every Age (CBH403, NCH306, UM589, PH421)
Amazing Grace, How Sweet The Sound (PH280, UM378, NCH547--548, CBH143)
Come, Ye Thankful People, Come (PH551, UM694, NCH422, CBH94, LBW407)
Let All Things Now Living (PH554)
Anthems
Sing To The Lord Of The Harvest, Healey Willan, Concordia, SATB
O Sing The Glories Of The Lord, H. K. Andrews, Oxford, SATB
Sing Thankful Songs/Cantad cancion de gratitude, arr. Gay, CGA, Unison/2--part, optional flute, handbells
Let All Things Now Living, arr. Cherwien, CGA, Unison/2--part, congregation, optional flute
Often Thanksgiving Day services are shared services between congregations. If you haven't done this, you might invite some nearby churches to worship together either on Thanksgiving Eve or Thanksgiving morning. The different choirs could offer anthems. The scripture passages lend themselves well to a modified service of scripture and hymns. The scripture passages speak well for themselves; therefore a sermon may not be necessary. If you decide not to have a sermon, an extended time of prayer might be appropriate. You might have slips of paper cut into pumpkin (or some other shape showing God's bounty) shapes in each bulletin. There could be a time of silence in which people could write their own prayers of thanksgiving and then either put them in an offering plate or on a bulletin board as they leave.
Call to Worship (based on Psalm 65)
Leader: Praise is due to you, O God, in Zion; and to you shall vows be performed.
People: Happy are those whom you choose and bring near to live in your courts. We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house, your holy temple.
Leader: By awesome deeds you answer us with deliverance, O God of our salvation; you are the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas.
People: By your strength you established the mountains; you are girded with might.
Leader: You silence the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, the tumult of the peoples.
People: Those who live at earth's farthest bounds are awed by your signs;
All: You make the gateways of the morning and the evening shout for joy.
Opening Hymn
Let All Things Now Living
Prayer of Adoration
Bountiful God, we gather for a service of thanksgiving to give honor for all you have given us. We live in a world that you have created for us, and we are grateful. We have so much and it is because of you. You are a great and awesome God, filled with compassion and love for your created order. Thank you for your steadfastness even as we continue to fall short of your expectations. Give us fortitude, God, so that we may know what you would have us do and the courage to do it always. Amen.
Service of Scripture and Hymns (Deuteronomy 8:7--18 and the hymn God Whose Giving Knows No Ending)
Liturgist: For 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, a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive trees and honey, a 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. You shall eat your fill and bless the Lord your God for the good land that he has given you.
(Congregation sings verse 1 of the hymn)
Liturgist: Take 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. When you have eaten your fill and have built fine houses and live in them, and when your herds and flocks have multiplied, and your silver and gold is multiplied, and all that you have is multiplied, then do not exalt yourself, forgetting the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, who 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, and 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.
(Choir sings verse 2 of the hymn)
Liturgist: Do not say to yourself, "My power and the might of my own hand have gotten me this wealth." But 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.
(Congregation and choir sing verse 3 together)
2 Corinthians 9:6--15: This passage would be well done by a storyteller. If none of the congregations has one, perhaps one could be hired for this service. They could also read the Deuteronomy passage, if needed.
Hymn
We Plow The Fields And Scatter
Luke 17:11--19: Use a choral speaking choir.
L L L L
Jesus HL L L
Narrator L L L
Narrator: 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,
Lepers: Jesus, Jesus, Master, Master (Coming at different times from different people - then say together), have mercy on us!
Narrator: When he saw them, he said to them,
Jesus: Go and show yourselves to the priests. (Lepers turn facing away from Jesus)
Narrator: And as they went, they were made clean. Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back (Healed Leper turns back toward Jesus), praising God with a loud voice.
Healed Leper: Praise God, praise God! I'm healed. Thank you, Jesus.
Narrator: He prostrated himself at Jesus' feet and thanked him, and he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus asked,
Jesus: 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? Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well.
Hymn
Amazing Grace
Time of Prayer
Bidding Prayers offered by the Pastor and Congregation
Silence for writing personal prayers
Prayers collected as offering
The Doxology
Closing Hymn
For The Fruit Of All Creation
Benediction (based on Deuteronomy 8)
Leader: Take care that you do not forget your God by failing to keep the commandments and statutes.
People: When we return to our fine houses and have eaten our fill, and when all we have has been multiplied, we will remember our God and all God's goodness.
Leader: It is God who gives you the ability to gather in your bounty. Confirm the covenant God gave to your ancestors, as God continues to covenant with us today.
People: Praise to the God of harvest. May we share what we have with those who need it.
Leader: Go in the name of the God who loves all of us. Amen.
We Plow The Fields And Scatter (CBH96, PH560)
Sing To The Lord Of Harvest (CBH98)
Creating God, Your Fingers Trace (CBH168, NCH462, UM109, PH134)
For The Fruit Of All Creation (CBH90, NCH425, UM97, PH553)
God, Whose Giving Knows No Ending (CBH383 NCH565, PH422)
The Church Of Christ In Every Age (CBH403, NCH306, UM589, PH421)
Amazing Grace, How Sweet The Sound (PH280, UM378, NCH547--548, CBH143)
Come, Ye Thankful People, Come (PH551, UM694, NCH422, CBH94, LBW407)
Let All Things Now Living (PH554)
Anthems
Sing To The Lord Of The Harvest, Healey Willan, Concordia, SATB
O Sing The Glories Of The Lord, H. K. Andrews, Oxford, SATB
Sing Thankful Songs/Cantad cancion de gratitude, arr. Gay, CGA, Unison/2--part, optional flute, handbells
Let All Things Now Living, arr. Cherwien, CGA, Unison/2--part, congregation, optional flute
Often Thanksgiving Day services are shared services between congregations. If you haven't done this, you might invite some nearby churches to worship together either on Thanksgiving Eve or Thanksgiving morning. The different choirs could offer anthems. The scripture passages lend themselves well to a modified service of scripture and hymns. The scripture passages speak well for themselves; therefore a sermon may not be necessary. If you decide not to have a sermon, an extended time of prayer might be appropriate. You might have slips of paper cut into pumpkin (or some other shape showing God's bounty) shapes in each bulletin. There could be a time of silence in which people could write their own prayers of thanksgiving and then either put them in an offering plate or on a bulletin board as they leave.
Call to Worship (based on Psalm 65)
Leader: Praise is due to you, O God, in Zion; and to you shall vows be performed.
People: Happy are those whom you choose and bring near to live in your courts. We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house, your holy temple.
Leader: By awesome deeds you answer us with deliverance, O God of our salvation; you are the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas.
People: By your strength you established the mountains; you are girded with might.
Leader: You silence the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, the tumult of the peoples.
People: Those who live at earth's farthest bounds are awed by your signs;
All: You make the gateways of the morning and the evening shout for joy.
Opening Hymn
Let All Things Now Living
Prayer of Adoration
Bountiful God, we gather for a service of thanksgiving to give honor for all you have given us. We live in a world that you have created for us, and we are grateful. We have so much and it is because of you. You are a great and awesome God, filled with compassion and love for your created order. Thank you for your steadfastness even as we continue to fall short of your expectations. Give us fortitude, God, so that we may know what you would have us do and the courage to do it always. Amen.
Service of Scripture and Hymns (Deuteronomy 8:7--18 and the hymn God Whose Giving Knows No Ending)
Liturgist: For 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, a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive trees and honey, a 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. You shall eat your fill and bless the Lord your God for the good land that he has given you.
(Congregation sings verse 1 of the hymn)
Liturgist: Take 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. When you have eaten your fill and have built fine houses and live in them, and when your herds and flocks have multiplied, and your silver and gold is multiplied, and all that you have is multiplied, then do not exalt yourself, forgetting the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, who 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, and 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.
(Choir sings verse 2 of the hymn)
Liturgist: Do not say to yourself, "My power and the might of my own hand have gotten me this wealth." But 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.
(Congregation and choir sing verse 3 together)
2 Corinthians 9:6--15: This passage would be well done by a storyteller. If none of the congregations has one, perhaps one could be hired for this service. They could also read the Deuteronomy passage, if needed.
Hymn
We Plow The Fields And Scatter
Luke 17:11--19: Use a choral speaking choir.
L L L L
Jesus HL L L
Narrator L L L
Narrator: 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,
Lepers: Jesus, Jesus, Master, Master (Coming at different times from different people - then say together), have mercy on us!
Narrator: When he saw them, he said to them,
Jesus: Go and show yourselves to the priests. (Lepers turn facing away from Jesus)
Narrator: And as they went, they were made clean. Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back (Healed Leper turns back toward Jesus), praising God with a loud voice.
Healed Leper: Praise God, praise God! I'm healed. Thank you, Jesus.
Narrator: He prostrated himself at Jesus' feet and thanked him, and he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus asked,
Jesus: 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? Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well.
Hymn
Amazing Grace
Time of Prayer
Bidding Prayers offered by the Pastor and Congregation
Silence for writing personal prayers
Prayers collected as offering
The Doxology
Closing Hymn
For The Fruit Of All Creation
Benediction (based on Deuteronomy 8)
Leader: Take care that you do not forget your God by failing to keep the commandments and statutes.
People: When we return to our fine houses and have eaten our fill, and when all we have has been multiplied, we will remember our God and all God's goodness.
Leader: It is God who gives you the ability to gather in your bounty. Confirm the covenant God gave to your ancestors, as God continues to covenant with us today.
People: Praise to the God of harvest. May we share what we have with those who need it.
Leader: Go in the name of the God who loves all of us. Amen.
