Come, Ye thankful people come, Raise the song of harvest home.
Creator of all seasons, Giver of autumn: with grateful hearts we offer our thanks for the gift of life itself, for each of the earth’s seasons, for each day, for each hour, for each breath we take.
All is safely gathered in, Ere the winter storm begins.
O Holy One, You invite us to a life of paradox. In this season we both gather up what has been planted and we are called to let go, to release our need for control. Thank You for the farmers harvesting their crops and for the trees losing their leaves ~ both which invite us to this paradox of faith.
God our Maker, doth provide, For our wants to be supplied.
God of Abundance, indeed You provide in familiar and mysterious ways. We offer these words of gratitude for Your provisions…
Come to God’s own temple come, Raise the song of harvest home.
In all times, in all places, with all people, You are present. Wherever we are, we are in Your temple and for this we offer our thanks.
All the world is God’s own field, Fruit unto his praise to yield.
We marvel at the ways You bring us together, the stories we each bring from places near and far, the experiences that have shaped our lives and now add fragrance to our lives. We praise You for Your fields everywhere and offer our prayers for all Your people living and working in each corner of the world, seeking to share the message of Your love and grace.
Wheat and tares together sown, Unto joy or sorrow grown.
It is by Your grace that wheat and tares grow side by side, both the joys and sorrows filling our lives. In this season of Thanksgiving, with an emphasis on family, we name those who live in times of despair and sorrow right now, asking for Your abiding love and comforting grace to be present with them…
First the blade, and then the ear, Then the full corn shall appear.
Over and over the natural world reminds us of Your wondrous ways. Quiet our hearts, O God, when we are anxious about the future. Give us pause to wonder at the miracle of the seasons and the cycle of growth of all living things.
Lord of harvest, grant that we Wholesome grain and pure may be.
You call us Your beloved and desire that we draw closer to You. This day we ask Your blessing on our fellowship, our sharing, our seeking, our desires that we may grow in our likeness of You. This, and all prayers, we offer in the name of the One who fully lived Your love. Amen.
(Adapted from the one of my favorite Thanksgiving hymns, “Come, Ye Thankful People, Come.”)
Back Road Journey 