envelop spinner search close plus arrow-right arrow-left facebook twitter
The Great Thanksgiving

The Great Thanksgiving

by The Reverend Beth Anne Nelson on November 17, 2021

It is almost Thanksgiving break. There are a lot of activities to focus on over the next few weeks. I am certain that many of you are cooking scrumptious meals for the upcoming occasion. Some friends and I are having a Friendsgiving and I am attempting gluten free vegan dressing. Please pray for me (and maybe those who eat it)! I will also make a non-vegan version of the same recipe because my husband’s favorite Thanksgiving food is traditional dressing. His mother even gave me the family recipe, which makes me feel extra special.

This time of thanksgiving is particularly important as Christians and as Episcopalians. Our Eucharistic Prayers are known as The Great Thanksgiving[i] If you look closely at the Eucharist, you might note that they follow a pattern: Thanks, Thanks, Praise.

In the opening part of our Eucharistic Prayer, the celebrant says, “Let us give thanks to God.” And the people respond, “It is right to give Him thanks and praise.”[ii] This is the first time we say thank you to God within this prayer. Then, we thank God again for making all creation, for creating a system where God gives all of God’s self and we are expected to give nothing in return for God’s infinite love to us. We finish with the praising of God for all God has done. Yet we start with the Thanksgiving. We are grateful people in our hearts. Out of this gratitude can spring forth a great devotion to God.

The Episcopal Church Considers Thanksgiving to be a feast day (and not just the type where we eat pumpkin pie),[iii] the type where we celebrate our heavenly family, Our Heavenly Father. Thanksgiving is a time when we recognize all our gifts come from God. It is the reason we have a Thanksgiving worship service at Saint Dunstan’s. To remember that yes, we are part of God’s family and the greatest reason ever to celebrate is the gift God gave us: His son Jesus Christ.

So, as you are preparing for your thanksgiving feasts, I hope you take time to pray. To thank God for your family around you, to thank God for your brothers and sisters in Christ, and to thank God for creating you. If you need additional prayers, I am including a litany for thanksgiving:

 

Let us give thanks to God our Father for all his gifts so freely bestowed upon us.

For the beauty and wonder of your creation, in earth and sky and sea.

We thank you, Lord.

For all that is gracious in the lives of men and women, revealing the image of Christ,

We thank you, Lord.

For our daily food and drink, our homes and families, and our friends,

We thank you, Lord.

For minds to think, and hearts to love, and hands to serve,

We thank you, Lord.

For health and strength to work, and leisure to rest and play,

We thank you, Lord.

For the brave and courageous, who are patient in suffering and faithful in adversity,

We thank you, Lord.

For all valiant seekers after truth, liberty, and justice,

We thank you, Lord.

For the communion of saints, in all times and places,

We thank you, Lord.

Above all, we give you thanks for the great mercies and promises given to us in Christ Jesus our Lord;

To him be praise and glory, with you, O Father, and the Holy Spirit, now and for ever.  Amen.

 

Today, and always, I am grateful to be your curate. I am grateful that each of you is in my life.

For His Sake,


Deacon Beth Anne Nelson

 


[i] The Diocese of Texas refers to the Eucharistic Prayer as The Great Thanksgiving when saying how we begin our Diocesan Convention. This prayer Jennings (2020) L1310: The Great Thanksgiving.

[ii] For the Complete Eucharistic Prayer that I am referring to see Book of Common Prayer. (1979). New York: Church Publishing. Pp.361-362.

[iii] Book of Common Prayer. (1979). New York: Church Publishing. p.16-17. List all feasts.

 

return to The Rev. Beth Anne