Here’s a meditation to be used when gathered with friends and family at the Thanksgiving table. This prayer appears in my book, This Grateful Heart, from CCAR Press. Here’s a link to more Thanksgiving prayers.
Meditation at the Thanksgiving Table
G-d on high,
What an abundance of gifts
Arrayed before us.
Food, family, friends.
Your bounty and grace.
Let us remember those in need,
And those who are also present here in silence:
The fruit and vegetables picked by migrant workers.
The fields planted and picked by underpaid laborers
In the cold rain and blazing sun.
The clothing made by children in factories,
Modern day slaves indentured by poverty.
Let me remember those who suffer daily
Alone and in fear.
Perhaps someone at this table or in a home nearby
Is nursing a broken heart,
Or hiding the secret of addiction, violence, trauma or pain,
Someone whose sorrows and losses are judged and shunned
By our neighbors and our society.
Let this day be the beginning of a deeper love for all beings.
Let this day be the beginning of healing for all creatures.
Let this day be the foundation of service to Your world.
Let this moment be for rejoicing in all Your gifts.
Thank you,
G-d on High,
For the gifts placed before us:
The awareness of suffering and
The opportunity to heal,
The abundance in our lives and
Your call to share these riches
In love.
© 2017 CCAR Press from This Grateful Heart: Psalms and Prayers for a New Day
Postscript: See also “Life as a Banquet,” “An Amazing Life” and “Giving Thanks.” Here’s a link to more Thanksgiving Day prayers.
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