Gracious God,
This is the season of gratitude.
And we gather together in a spirit of Thanksgiving–
aware of our giftedness
and the source of all things given.
As we celebrate your overflowing
grace and love for us,
help us to also remember
when we’ve had enough.
Enough…
that your grace is sufficient…
that we don’t, under your grace,
live out of an economy of scarcity;
that your grace teaches us
how to be satisfied.
And our satisfaction results in divine generosity.
Teach us to rejoice in the divine “Enough!”.
And open our hearts
to those who aren’t experiencing “enough”–
those in need of divine generosity.
Both our expressions of satisfaction and need
can be heard through our congregational prayers.
So we lift them up to you:
[read aloud the prayers of the congregation]
We lift them up to you.
And we acknowledge the unspoken prayers which linger in our hearts.
[pause for silent prayer]
Hear us in our silence, too–
in those gaps which express need and satisfaction.
We are reminded of your abundance
renewed each morning with the light of day.
All day long you are working for good in the world.
Let your abundance spark within us
the divine “enough” so that we’ll have
the desire to serve and live peaceably.
Devote our ways to the living traditions of Jesus
to welcome the excluded
and care for those in need;
to allow your grace to be sufficient
to live out of divine generosity.
Blessed Be!
Prayers of the People 