Thanksgiving Eve/Day
Worship
Lectionary Worship Workbook
Series II, Cycle C Gospel Texts
Liturgical Color: White/Red
Epistle: 1 Thessalonians 5:12-22
Older Covenant: Psalm 95
Theme: Diverse Exhortations: Give Thanks in All Situations. If we are to give thanks in everything, we will need to give thanks in anything.
The Community Thanks-givers Gather To Celebrate
Music for Preparation
"Pilgrim's Song," Tschaikowsky.
Choral Invitation
"Glory to God," words and music by Jim Strathdee, from New Wine. (See Appendix I for address.) Change "him" to "God"aas you sing.
Pastoral Invitation
Pastor and Ministers
In the name of our reason for giving thanks, welcome. We meet to praise, in a sense, to "cheer for God." The "amen" literally means, "Hip, Hip, Hurray!" I invite you to call out some praise words; after each, the congregation will respond, reverently shouting, "Hip, Hip, Hurray!" After several moments, conclude with Iranaeus' (one of the early church fathers who lived around 200 A.D.) statement: "The Glory of God is man/woman (add boy/girl), fully alive!"
P:
God has given us life! Are we grateful?
M: We are grateful!
P:
God has given us purpose! Are we grateful?
M: We are grateful!
P:
God has given us responsibility! Are we grateful?
M: We are grateful!
P:
Because we are grateful for all of these gifts, and many more, we offer what God has given us to God's amazing world.
All: So be it. We agree. Yes, indeed!
Hymn of Praise
"Come, Ye (You) Thankful People, Come," Henry Alford, 1844; alt.; George Job Elvey, 1859.
Prayer of Praise
In this prayer, include the aspect of repentance before thanksgiving. Without repentance, we will only reflect the prayer of the Pharisee, "I thank God that I'm not like others."
Response
Invite the people to sing Mallott's version of the Lord's Prayer.
The Community Of Thanks-givers Takes Responsibility For Itself
Introduction to the Act of Recognizing Our Humanity
Do we think that God owes us something for our obedience/faithfulness, which is mediocre at best, except for the martyrs? To believe that God does owe us something, we quote from Micah 4:4, rather than heeding Jesus' life and his call to us. If we really took Jesus' call seriously, we would find ourselves in hot water continuously, and in hot water for the right reasons. Thanksgiving is not so much counting our blessings (if we do that, we may sound no different from the Pharisee who thanked God he was different from the Publican on the corner) but, rather, making our blessings count. Karl Barth wrote, "If there is no great agony in your heart, there will be no great words on your lips," and I add, "There will be no great deeds in your life." Keep remembering that we will not experience resurrection without crucifixion, no Easter without Good Friday, no life without death.
Prayer
(Two minutes of silence, while the people read the following prayer.) We confess to you, Lord, what we are. We are not the people that we want others to think we are. We are afraid to admit, even to ourselves, what lies in the depth of our spirits. And even though we try our best to hide our true selves from you, we believe that you know us as we are. And you continue to love us. By your Spirit, inspire our self-knowledge; teach us to respect ourselves for your sake; give us courage to put our trust in your guidance and power. We also confess to you, Lord, the unrest of the world, to which we contribute and in which we share. Forgive us that we are so indifferent to the needs of our fellow earthlings. Forgive our reliance on human adequacy, our discrimination against people who are different, and our preoccupation with material standards. Forgive us Christians for being so unsure of your Good News, and so reluctant to share it. Raise us out of the paralysis of guilt into the freedom and energy of forgiven people. And for those who through long habit find forgiveness hard to accept, we ask you to break their bondage, and set them free. (One minute of silence.)
Response
"Kum ba Yah," African-American spiritual. Ask the people to look at one another as they sing.
Introduction to the Act of Receiving New Life
Pastor and Ministers
Repentance and forgiveness are virtues which we do not hug to ourselves, but which result in new thinking and behavior on behalf of others. So, when I think about thanking God for my home, I remember the homeless; when I am grateful for health, I remember the sick. For friends, I remember the lonely. For beauty, I remember those living in ugly places. For faith, I remember those impelled by tragic lives to doubt. So, when I make the disasters of others my own, and hear the overtones of their unfulfilled desires, my heart sings, "God, accept my thanks for the blessing of the unfinished work in your world" (idea suggested by Percy Hayword).
P:
Allow the Spirit of Christ to transform your routines, attitudes, fears, conformities, and behavior. Allow the Christ to remove your masks, no matter what they hide, in order to be yourself. Be joyful. God has given you your life and your new life.
M:
We are leaving our old, worn-out, nonproductive ways. Our masks are coming off, for Christ's sake, for the world's sake, for our sake.
Response
A Song for Rejoicing: "Sometimes," by Richard Avery and Don Marsh, from The Avery and Marsh Songbook. (See Appendix I for address.)
The Community of Thanks-givers Experiences God's Word
Message with the Children of All Ages
Tell your favorite thanksgiving story. Then, ask the children to offer prayers of thanks.
Response
"Thank You, Lord," by Richard Avery and Don Marsh, from The Avery and Marsh Songbook. (See Appendix I for address.)
Reading from the Scripture
Well in advance, assign a single verse to a variety of people. Ask them to stand where they are and to read slowly and deliberately. Pick out certain verses to read a second time.
Proclamation of the Good News
One possibility is to exposit the theme, "In everything, give thanks." Another possibility is to use "The Gift Is Forever" (chapter 28) from Margaret Applegarth's amazing book, Twelve Baskets Full. Have someone who reads well read the chapter. Ask the congregation to make notes during the reading. At the end, ask three or four to share their insights.
Response
"Give Thanks, O Christian People," Mary Jackson Cathey, 1984; Memmingen ms., seventeenth century; harm. George Ratcliffe Woodward, 1904.
The Community Of Thanks-givers Responds To The Good News
Stewardship Challenge
The Bible says, "It is better to give than receive." True. However, it is more difficult for many of us to receive than give. Yet the faith begins, continues, with thousands of acts of receiving. Until we receive for the right reason, we will fail to give for the right reason. (One minute of silence.) Now that we are aware of our receiving, are we ready to give?
Response
"ËCon Que Pagaremos?/O What Shall I Render?" Latin American hymn; trans. George P. Simmonds, 1968; arr. Ethen Winn, 1964.
Charge to the Congregation
A. H. Glasow has said, "If we can't (won't) be thankful for what we receive, then surely we can (will) be thankful for what we escape." So, I invite you, encourage you, and urge you, in the name of the living God, to live lives of thanks, to be lives of thanks, even when you don't feel like it, for Christ's sake, for the world's sake, for your sake.
Meditation
One day a reporter, interviewing the English author, Rudyard Kipling, stated, "Your words are worth 100 dollars each." "I never calculated," Kipling replied. The reporter then handed Kipling a 100-dollar bill with this challenge: "Give me one of your 100-dollar words." Kipling is said to have taken the bill, looked at it, folded it carefully, put it into his pocket, gazed into me reporter's eyes, and said simply, "Thanks." (Reported by Thomas Tate.)
Music Possibilities In Addition To Those Already Suggested
Music for Preparation: "Now Thank We All Our God," Karg-Elert, or J. S. Bach.
Choral Invitation: "The Lord Is King," Conder.
Hymn of Praise: "Now Thank We All Our God," Martin Rinkart, c. 1636; trans. Catherine Winkworth, 1858; alt. Stanza 3 from Rejoice in the Lord, 1985; Johann CrÙger, 1648; harm. adapt. Lobegesang, Felix Mendelssohn, 1840.
Response to the Assurance of Pardon: "Put Your Hand in the Hand," words and music by Gene MacLellan, from Folk Encounter. (See Appendix I for address.)
Response to the Older Covenant: (Adult Choir) "Sing Praises, Ye Faithful," J. S. Bach.
Response to the Newer Covenant: (Adult Choir) "Canticle of Celebration," Philip Young.
Response to the Prayers of Thanksgiving: (Adult Choir) "Thanks Be to God," Handel.
Offertory: "Adagio in D," Merkel.
Hymn of Commitment: "For the Fruit of All Creation," Fred Pratt Green, 1970; Francis Jackson, 1957.
Music for Dismissal: "Voluntary in G," Tritant; or, "Fugues of the Kyrie," Couperin.
____________
Additional Possibility: Include a half sheet in each bulletin, with this invitation: What has happened to you recently for which you are thankful? What has not happened to you recently for which you are thankful? In your personal life? In your family life? In our national and international life? In the life of our local congregation? In the life of the Holy Catholic Church? What do you have to celebrate, or want to celebrate? If you are thankful for something today, you are invited to make a note of it at the bottom of this page. Please make it brief and legible. Do this before the end of the sermon. Following the sermon, please pass it to the center aisle. Those prayers will be used as our prayer of thanksgiving. No need for embarrassment.
Epistle: 1 Thessalonians 5:12-22
Older Covenant: Psalm 95
Theme: Diverse Exhortations: Give Thanks in All Situations. If we are to give thanks in everything, we will need to give thanks in anything.
The Community Thanks-givers Gather To Celebrate
Music for Preparation
"Pilgrim's Song," Tschaikowsky.
Choral Invitation
"Glory to God," words and music by Jim Strathdee, from New Wine. (See Appendix I for address.) Change "him" to "God"aas you sing.
Pastoral Invitation
Pastor and Ministers
In the name of our reason for giving thanks, welcome. We meet to praise, in a sense, to "cheer for God." The "amen" literally means, "Hip, Hip, Hurray!" I invite you to call out some praise words; after each, the congregation will respond, reverently shouting, "Hip, Hip, Hurray!" After several moments, conclude with Iranaeus' (one of the early church fathers who lived around 200 A.D.) statement: "The Glory of God is man/woman (add boy/girl), fully alive!"
P:
God has given us life! Are we grateful?
M: We are grateful!
P:
God has given us purpose! Are we grateful?
M: We are grateful!
P:
God has given us responsibility! Are we grateful?
M: We are grateful!
P:
Because we are grateful for all of these gifts, and many more, we offer what God has given us to God's amazing world.
All: So be it. We agree. Yes, indeed!
Hymn of Praise
"Come, Ye (You) Thankful People, Come," Henry Alford, 1844; alt.; George Job Elvey, 1859.
Prayer of Praise
In this prayer, include the aspect of repentance before thanksgiving. Without repentance, we will only reflect the prayer of the Pharisee, "I thank God that I'm not like others."
Response
Invite the people to sing Mallott's version of the Lord's Prayer.
The Community Of Thanks-givers Takes Responsibility For Itself
Introduction to the Act of Recognizing Our Humanity
Do we think that God owes us something for our obedience/faithfulness, which is mediocre at best, except for the martyrs? To believe that God does owe us something, we quote from Micah 4:4, rather than heeding Jesus' life and his call to us. If we really took Jesus' call seriously, we would find ourselves in hot water continuously, and in hot water for the right reasons. Thanksgiving is not so much counting our blessings (if we do that, we may sound no different from the Pharisee who thanked God he was different from the Publican on the corner) but, rather, making our blessings count. Karl Barth wrote, "If there is no great agony in your heart, there will be no great words on your lips," and I add, "There will be no great deeds in your life." Keep remembering that we will not experience resurrection without crucifixion, no Easter without Good Friday, no life without death.
Prayer
(Two minutes of silence, while the people read the following prayer.) We confess to you, Lord, what we are. We are not the people that we want others to think we are. We are afraid to admit, even to ourselves, what lies in the depth of our spirits. And even though we try our best to hide our true selves from you, we believe that you know us as we are. And you continue to love us. By your Spirit, inspire our self-knowledge; teach us to respect ourselves for your sake; give us courage to put our trust in your guidance and power. We also confess to you, Lord, the unrest of the world, to which we contribute and in which we share. Forgive us that we are so indifferent to the needs of our fellow earthlings. Forgive our reliance on human adequacy, our discrimination against people who are different, and our preoccupation with material standards. Forgive us Christians for being so unsure of your Good News, and so reluctant to share it. Raise us out of the paralysis of guilt into the freedom and energy of forgiven people. And for those who through long habit find forgiveness hard to accept, we ask you to break their bondage, and set them free. (One minute of silence.)
Response
"Kum ba Yah," African-American spiritual. Ask the people to look at one another as they sing.
Introduction to the Act of Receiving New Life
Pastor and Ministers
Repentance and forgiveness are virtues which we do not hug to ourselves, but which result in new thinking and behavior on behalf of others. So, when I think about thanking God for my home, I remember the homeless; when I am grateful for health, I remember the sick. For friends, I remember the lonely. For beauty, I remember those living in ugly places. For faith, I remember those impelled by tragic lives to doubt. So, when I make the disasters of others my own, and hear the overtones of their unfulfilled desires, my heart sings, "God, accept my thanks for the blessing of the unfinished work in your world" (idea suggested by Percy Hayword).
P:
Allow the Spirit of Christ to transform your routines, attitudes, fears, conformities, and behavior. Allow the Christ to remove your masks, no matter what they hide, in order to be yourself. Be joyful. God has given you your life and your new life.
M:
We are leaving our old, worn-out, nonproductive ways. Our masks are coming off, for Christ's sake, for the world's sake, for our sake.
Response
A Song for Rejoicing: "Sometimes," by Richard Avery and Don Marsh, from The Avery and Marsh Songbook. (See Appendix I for address.)
The Community of Thanks-givers Experiences God's Word
Message with the Children of All Ages
Tell your favorite thanksgiving story. Then, ask the children to offer prayers of thanks.
Response
"Thank You, Lord," by Richard Avery and Don Marsh, from The Avery and Marsh Songbook. (See Appendix I for address.)
Reading from the Scripture
Well in advance, assign a single verse to a variety of people. Ask them to stand where they are and to read slowly and deliberately. Pick out certain verses to read a second time.
Proclamation of the Good News
One possibility is to exposit the theme, "In everything, give thanks." Another possibility is to use "The Gift Is Forever" (chapter 28) from Margaret Applegarth's amazing book, Twelve Baskets Full. Have someone who reads well read the chapter. Ask the congregation to make notes during the reading. At the end, ask three or four to share their insights.
Response
"Give Thanks, O Christian People," Mary Jackson Cathey, 1984; Memmingen ms., seventeenth century; harm. George Ratcliffe Woodward, 1904.
The Community Of Thanks-givers Responds To The Good News
Stewardship Challenge
The Bible says, "It is better to give than receive." True. However, it is more difficult for many of us to receive than give. Yet the faith begins, continues, with thousands of acts of receiving. Until we receive for the right reason, we will fail to give for the right reason. (One minute of silence.) Now that we are aware of our receiving, are we ready to give?
Response
"ËCon Que Pagaremos?/O What Shall I Render?" Latin American hymn; trans. George P. Simmonds, 1968; arr. Ethen Winn, 1964.
Charge to the Congregation
A. H. Glasow has said, "If we can't (won't) be thankful for what we receive, then surely we can (will) be thankful for what we escape." So, I invite you, encourage you, and urge you, in the name of the living God, to live lives of thanks, to be lives of thanks, even when you don't feel like it, for Christ's sake, for the world's sake, for your sake.
Meditation
One day a reporter, interviewing the English author, Rudyard Kipling, stated, "Your words are worth 100 dollars each." "I never calculated," Kipling replied. The reporter then handed Kipling a 100-dollar bill with this challenge: "Give me one of your 100-dollar words." Kipling is said to have taken the bill, looked at it, folded it carefully, put it into his pocket, gazed into me reporter's eyes, and said simply, "Thanks." (Reported by Thomas Tate.)
Music Possibilities In Addition To Those Already Suggested
Music for Preparation: "Now Thank We All Our God," Karg-Elert, or J. S. Bach.
Choral Invitation: "The Lord Is King," Conder.
Hymn of Praise: "Now Thank We All Our God," Martin Rinkart, c. 1636; trans. Catherine Winkworth, 1858; alt. Stanza 3 from Rejoice in the Lord, 1985; Johann CrÙger, 1648; harm. adapt. Lobegesang, Felix Mendelssohn, 1840.
Response to the Assurance of Pardon: "Put Your Hand in the Hand," words and music by Gene MacLellan, from Folk Encounter. (See Appendix I for address.)
Response to the Older Covenant: (Adult Choir) "Sing Praises, Ye Faithful," J. S. Bach.
Response to the Newer Covenant: (Adult Choir) "Canticle of Celebration," Philip Young.
Response to the Prayers of Thanksgiving: (Adult Choir) "Thanks Be to God," Handel.
Offertory: "Adagio in D," Merkel.
Hymn of Commitment: "For the Fruit of All Creation," Fred Pratt Green, 1970; Francis Jackson, 1957.
Music for Dismissal: "Voluntary in G," Tritant; or, "Fugues of the Kyrie," Couperin.
____________
Additional Possibility: Include a half sheet in each bulletin, with this invitation: What has happened to you recently for which you are thankful? What has not happened to you recently for which you are thankful? In your personal life? In your family life? In our national and international life? In the life of our local congregation? In the life of the Holy Catholic Church? What do you have to celebrate, or want to celebrate? If you are thankful for something today, you are invited to make a note of it at the bottom of this page. Please make it brief and legible. Do this before the end of the sermon. Following the sermon, please pass it to the center aisle. Those prayers will be used as our prayer of thanksgiving. No need for embarrassment.
