by Ali Newell
O God, for your love for us, warm and brooding,
which has brought us to birth and opened our eyes
to the wonder of creation … We give you thanks.
For your love for us, compassionate and gentle,
which has carried us through our pain,
wept beside us in our sin,
and waited with us in our confusion … We give you thanks.
For your love for us, strong and challenging,
which has called us to risk for you,
asked for the best in us,
and shown us how to serve … We give you thanks.
O God, we come to celebrate
that your Holy Spirit is present deep within us,
and at the heart of all life.
Forgive us when we forget your gift of love
made known to us in Jesus,
and draw us into your presence … Amen.
Thanksgiving offers us an opportunity to focus anew on gratitude for the many ways that God blesses us in our lives. Certainly, the greatest blessing God gives us is God’s love, deeper than we can imagine and always available to us. Ms. Newell’s prayer reminds us of the many ways that we experience God’s love, always steadfast and forever faithful. Thanks be to God!