Let us pray* and give thanks.
Source of All Goodness,
from whom comes each good gift of life,
we remember your loving-kindness and uncounted mercies
as we join in gratitude.
For all your gifts to us and to our human race;
for our life and the world in which we live,
we give thanks.
For the order and constancy of nature;
for the beauty and bounty of the world;
for day and night, summer and winter, seed-time and harvest;
for the varied joys which every season brings,
we give thanks.
For the work we are enabled to do,
and the truth we discover;
for whatever good there has been in our past,
for all the hopes which lead us on toward better things,
we give thanks.
For all the joys and comforts of life;
for our homes and families;
for our friends;
for the love, sympathy and goodwill of persons near and far,
we give thanks.
For all cultures, wise government, and just laws which order our common life;
for education and all the treasures of literature, science, and art,
we give thanks.
For the discipline of life;
for the tasks and trials which train us to know ourselves
and which bring us to accept one another,
we give thanks.
For the desire and power to help others;
for every opportunity of serving our generation in ways large or small,
we give thanks.
For the tender ties which bind us to the unseen world;
for the faith which dispels the shadows of earth
and fills the closing years of life with the light of hope,
we give thanks.
We are all the more mindful of these gifts we have received as we lift up to these concerns among many others we must leave unvoiced:
- the people of Israel and the Gaza Strip, as the last Jewish settlements there are closed;
- the uninsured and underinsured;
- those caught in heavy weather;
- the family and friends of La’Toyia Figueroa, and for her boyfriend Stephen Poaches, accused of her murder;
- those who die in forgotten wars, and those who are sure to die in wars without end;
- all those in need.
And still we find reason to give thanks:
- for justice;
- for those drawn together by celebration;
- for wise men who leave the world on their own terms.
So it is that we lift up to you our words of humble thanks and praise:
- Source of all grace and love,
we have praised you with our lips
for all the richness and meaning that life holds for us.
Now send us into the world to praise you with our lives.
who see us at our worst, and still love us.
cross-posting largely the same comment from the thread on dKos.
Tonight I am giving thanks
for Hospice workers. Gifted caretakers – even healers in a fashion.
As I expected, my grandmother is unable to handle rehab – was due to be removed from the room she has – but there was also not space available in the long term care facilities nearby. My Dad contacted hospice, not only has she been accepted – but they have a working arrangement with the current facility – she won’t even have to move rooms.
Many more turns remain on this roller coaster – but the family – and my Grandmother – are in good hands. Bless their work – I marvel.
Giving thanks for a wonderful progressive Church family – and the opportunities they have granted me (though I really do need to learn how to say no 🙂 I’ll never quite get over the feeling of having founding members of this community ask my opinion (or approval) of some repair, upgrade, etc. (I’m chair of Trustees – it’s really odd – and tremendously gratifying.
They have also sense and awoken within me a teacher. I lead a Sunday school class, and have previously led a Disciple class (taking over when the original leader – our Christian Ed director – retired. At her suggestion, the class asked me to…
In September I’ll lead a joint Sunday School (two large classes with many of the older members of the church – asking me to lead them – again – very humbling and gratifying experience.
Anyway, I’ll lead this combined class in several topics – centering around theology and science – we’ll look at Genesis as story (NOT science text or literal history ya ID morons!) We’ll look at other creation stories and we’ll look at what science (REAL science ya ID morons) says about light. It is a particle. It is a wave. Both can be true despite the differences.
After Labor day I begin teaching a new short term Disciple class Tuesday nights – in October we’ll do the same study Sunday mornings.
This place has changed my life – they keep thanking me for the leadership – I should be thanking them for the opportunity and trust.
And in another humbling and very gratifying turn of events – I’ll soon be using the insights gained from all these tasks in a new venture that I’m sure you’ll hear about in this space at the appropriate time.
Looking forward to all of it. Thanks for the space PD.
Namaste.
If you’ve got ant to spare please send light and compassion in the general direction of Sam, my now-former housemate. He is self-destructing rapidly and I had to put him out on the street before he took down the entire household. He’s got someplace to stay but who know how long that will last. I’m hoping Lisa or some other friend can get him to AA. He’s only 27 and won’t live long the way he’s going
Join Mahatma Jane Goodall on the Day of Peace.
It seems she has chosen to join us on 9/24, instead of the original date, (I think it was 9/3).
Fly a dove with Jane at the big peace march on 9/24.
Thank You, Great Spirit
Light That Ignites us
Unworthy, tempestuous, and foolish as we are
You shine on us all
You find in us the spark of compassion
You make us kind
Give us the strength, will and humor to be open to Your Love
To share Your Love with others
To withhold judgement
To be kind
And when we fall short,
Forgive us,
and make us worthy of forgiving others
For in forgiving we come nearer to Your Love
As You Hold us in Your Infinite Compassion,
May we hold others in our own small ways.
Om Mane Padme Hum
Namaste.