At our Thanksgiving service I was going to start our parish’s sharing of those things for which we are thankful, but a pastoral emergency kept me from attending.  I thought those thanks needed to be expressed somewhere, so here you go.  Without further ado…

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, we pray.  Amen.

We know from Scripture that this all is a blessing—that our work, our food, our shelter is provided for us by God.  That even homeowners are truly renting from God.  In this way, a blanket blessing would be in order.  “Thanks, God for all you bless us with.”  Except that we are asked to be mindful of these blessings and to give thanks to God for them.  So, instead of a typical homily tonight, I’ll kick off our thanks-giving and then invite anyone in the congregation gathered here to come forward to the microphone to name their blessings and give thanks.

Tonight, I thank God for family, friends, and relationships,

For Rose and her ongoing support of me, our family, and our joint ministry together,

For Sophia, whose growth inspires awe in me,

For doctors and physicians that help us get over infections,

For the welcoming spirit of St. Paul’s for sharing their ministry and vocation with me and with my family,

For all of the acts of kindness and generosity shared with my family since we arrived,

For Matt+ who is already a great mentor for me and shares the joy of ministry with me,

For a Georgia Driver’s License that I finally received on Friday after several attempts and frustrations,

For transportation and all of its hassles,

For the end of a humbling college football season,

For a physical home that is comforting and a spiritual home that is nourishing,

For this Monday’s ordination of a close friend and the ongoing discernment of another,

For new births, new opportunities, and new uses for old things,

I give thanks for all this and infinitely more.  Amen.