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A Thanksgiving Blessing (In Lieu of Prayer)

A Thanksgiving Blessing (In Lieu of Prayer)

Last updated on: November 26, 2015 at 10:47 am by Reba Riley

A Thanksgiving Blessing (In Lieu of Prayer) 2015-11-26T10:47:43-04:00 Reba Riley

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This is the blessing I wrote for today’s Thanksgiving meal at our home. I share it here because I know holidays can be difficult for families of different faiths, or no faith, because we want to acknowledge the sacredness of togetherness, but often we aren’t sure how to do so.

Enter this blessing, which may be read aloud as you would read a prayer.

May it be offered with peace and joy in your home.

Happy Thanksgiving– Love, Reba

A Thanksgiving Blessing

By: Reba Riley

We come together this day

Gathered in gratitude

For all the beauty in our lives.

And when we count our blessings—as we should–

We look to our left [reader does all indicated actions to lead others to do the same], and to our right, and across the table, and we see the faces of those who love us.

We close our eyes and we think of dear ones near and far, of old and new friends, of loved ones who are gone, but are never forgotten, for they have forever changed our lives.

We think of our freedom, the peace with which we gather, the meal awaiting us, the safe and warm beds to which we will return tonight, and we remember that it is not so for many around the world.

For all those souls we offer a moment of silence. [reader takes beat of silence]

And then we open our eyes and think of the sight we have to enjoy sunsets, the ears we have to hear music, the voice we have to sing along with the radio, the skin we’ve been given to experience this one wild, precious life.

With all our blessings, it is tempting to mention only the things of joy when we give thanks

But the difficulties we face are a blessing, too.

For it is only when we are lonely that we understand what it is to be together here

It is our sadness that makes room in our hearts for the joy of this day.

So we give thanks for the darkness and for the light

For the things we lack, and for our bounty

For the things we have lost, and for those we have found.

We count all these things as blessings, for they create this complicated, messy, utterly beautiful life that we share.

And now we join hands [everyone joins hands] and take a moment to savor this very moment, for it is only in moments that we live.

And together, we give thanks.

[*Amen optional…Alternately: Let’s eat!]

More about Post-Traumatic Church Syndrome, a humorous, inspirational memoir about Reba’s transformational journey through 30 religions before her 30th birthday

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Interfath; Reba Riley; Post-Traumatic Church Syndrome; PTCS

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