OCTOBER 9, 2023
Psalm 100; 116:12, 17
Serve the Lord with gladness!
Come into his presence with singing!
For all the times we laughed till our sides ached;
for all the times we were troubled
and friends we didn’t know we had
sprang up from nowhere and ministered to us;
for all the times we could have chosen evil over good, but didn’t;
for all the times we could have been hurt, but weren’t;
O Lord, we thank you.
Know that the Lord is God!
It is he that made us, and we are his;
we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
For the sheer wonder of our creation, preservation, and redemption;
for the privilege of prayer, the gift of the Spirit, and the gifts of the Spirit;
for the everlasting arms beneath us,
the watchful eye above us,
the friends around us,
and the trust within us;
O Lord, we thank you.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
and his courts with praise!
Give thanks to him, bless his name!
For our churches,
and all things good and godly they have done and been;
for all their saints whom we have laid to rest;
and for their little children,
who shall one day lay our bodies to rest
and carry on in our stead;
O Lord, we thank you.
For the Lord is good.
For seedtime and harvest and food enough;
for every good night’s sleep and every good day’s work;
for every good friend and every grand sunset;
for warm memories of the past
and the promise of an eternal tomorrow;
for eyes to see beauty,
ears to hear a bird’s songs,
hands to hold someone else’s hands,
and someone else’s hands to hold;
O Lord, we thank you.
His steadfast love endures forever
and his faithfulness to all generations.
For all persons whose love for us is unconditional,
and in whose presence we can drop all pretense,
be ourselves,
and know that we shall be accepted;
for the one who calls us long distance
and the one who calls us darling,
and the one who calls us Dad or Mom;
O Lord, we thank you.
What shall we render to the Lord for all his bounty to us?
We will offer to him the sacrifice of thanksgiving.
Know that the Lord is God!
It is he that made us, and we are his;
we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
For the sheer wonder of our creation, preservation, and redemption;
for the privilege of prayer, the gift of the Spirit, and the gifts of the Spirit;
for the everlasting arms beneath us,
the watchful eye above us,
the friends around us,
and the trust within us;
O Lord, we thank you.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
and his courts with praise!
Give thanks to him, bless his name!
For our churches,
and all things good and godly they have done and been;
for all their saints whom we have laid to rest;
and for their little children,
who shall one day lay our bodies to rest
and carry on in our stead;
O Lord, we thank you.
For the Lord is good.
For seedtime and harvest and food enough;
for every good night’s sleep and every good day’s work;
for every good friend and every grand sunset;
for warm memories of the past
and the promise of an eternal tomorrow;
for eyes to see beauty,
ears to hear a bird’s songs,
hands to hold someone else’s hands,
and someone else’s hands to hold;
O Lord, we thank you.
His steadfast love endures forever
and his faithfulness to all generations.
For all persons whose love for us is unconditional,
and in whose presence we can drop all pretense,
be ourselves,
and know that we shall be accepted;
for the one who calls us long distance
and the one who calls us darling,
and the one who calls us Dad or Mom;
O Lord, we thank you.
What shall we render to the Lord for all his bounty to us?
We will offer to him the sacrifice of thanksgiving.
Amen.
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