A Thanksgiving Prayer

For years, I have sat at my dining room table, with food and friends, ready to begin a thanksgiving feast.

Most of my family say grace at every meal, and so why not also on Thanksgiving??

Since Kathleen and I never say grace, we have reluctantly asked a "gracefull" family member to say a prayer (hopefully of thanks).

What we often get is a prayer which in subtle ways attacks our view of the meaning of life, and is actually something of a put-down.

Sitting with some cousins recently for a meal, I was asked to offer the prayer. I deferred to my cousin Joe. But I swore to myself, that next time I would be prepared = preprayed.

Thanks to Google, I now have a suitable godless prayer, provided by Roger Fritts of the Cedar Lane Unitarian Universalist Church in Bethesda, Maryland:

We gather to celebrate our connections and our love for each other. We greet again those with whom we have shared an important part of our life journey. We remember today those who are not with us -- friends and family who for many reasons cannot be here. Their friendship and love remains part of us in spite of distance and time. We especially remember our family and friends who have died. Their love continues within each of us.

We give thanks to those persons who have labored to create this meal. We give thanks to the work of farmers, truck drivers, grocery clerks and many others whose network of labor has made this meal possible. Because of their work, we can enjoy this wonderful food.

May each of us feel deeply the joy we experience in the smiles, the handshakes and the hugs we exchange today. May we breathe deep the spirit of friendship and family. May these connections sustain us and give us strength. Amen.