Here’s a litany of thanksgiving written by Debra and Ron Rienstra, and posted on the Reformed Worship website. For more information about the recurring refrain, see the Litany on that website.
Give Thanks to God, All the Earth
Litany for Thanksgiving
Let us give thanks to God for ballot boxes,
newspaper editorials, and open borders.
For all the freedoms we enjoy.
Let us give thanks for diplomats, treaties, and compromise.
For peace in a world of war.
For police officers, streetlights, and concerned neighbors.
For safety from fear and harm.
Refrain
Let us give thanks to God for St. Paul and Priscilla,
St. Francis and St. Claire, Martin Luther, Martin Luther King,
and Mother Theresa.
For all the Christians who ran the race before us.
Let us give thanks to God for the Scriptures,
for creeds and confessions,
for the songs and hymns of God’s people.
For all good things in our heritage of faith.
Let us give thanks to God for a good creation,
a redeeming Son, and a transforming Spirit.
For all the benefits of our salvation.
Refrain
Let us give thanks to God for purple and orange sunsets,
bright red flowers, great gray elephants,
and the vast blackness of space.
For all the wonders, God, of your creative mind.
Let us give thanks to God for Mozart, Michelangelo, and Milton,
for pianos, paint brushes, and pencils.
For all the wonders of our creative minds,
made in your image, O Lord.
Refrain
Let us give thanks to God for Thanksgiving turkey,
mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie.
For the abundance of food that sustains our bodies.
Let us give thanks to God for soft beds, warm fires,
familiar chairs, and open windows.
For the abundant comfort of our homes.
Let us give thanks to God for cars that run,
brand-new sneakers, and long, hot showers.
For God’s goodness that flows above and beyond our needs.
Refrain
Let us give thanks to God for aggressive immune systems,
for running cross-country, and for sound sleep,
For the strength and health of our bodies.
Let us give thanks to God for crossword puzzles,
learning foreign languages, and plane geometry.
For healthy, strong minds.
Refrain
Let us give thanks to God for pesky little brothers,
wise grandmothers, favorite uncles, loving parents, and fresh fiancées.
For the families that shaped our lives.
Let us give thanks to God for surprise phone calls,
funny birthday gifts, and long talks late at night.
For friends who stick with us as the years go by.
Let us give thanks to God for men and women
with dark skin and light skin,
freckles and curls,
pug noses and beards,
graceful limbs and ample laps.
For all the beautiful diversity of people,
all over the world, who make up the one family of God, b
ound together in Jesus Christ.
Refrain (sung twice)
—written by Debra and Ron Rienstra, and posted on the Reformed Worship website.
For more creative worship resources for Thanksgiving Sunday or Harvest celebrations, click on Thanksgiving Sunday in the list of “Labels” at the lower right side of the page, or see this Thanksgiving Day Resources index.
For more litanies, click on Litanies in the list of “Labels” at the lower right side of the page. For other prayers and prayer resources on this blog, see this Prayer index.
