Prayers for Thanksgiving Day
+ Land Recognition +
The Church of St. Martin in the Fields is located on the occupied ancestral and contemporary territory of the Lenape and Delaware peoples whose continued presence and stewardship of the land predates the colonial settlement and foundation of the United States.
With gratitude and humility, the Church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields recognizes Philadelphia as part of Lënapehòkink, the ancestral homelands of the Lenape peoples. A long history of broken treaties, forced migrations, and fraudulent agreements such as the Walking Purchase of 1737 displaced many of the Lenape from this land. This church community strives to understand our place within the legacy of colonization and to act as allies to Lenape people and their vibrant communities today. (Adapted from the Philadelphia Museum of Art).
Litany of Thanksgiving
Leader Let us give thanks to God our Father for all his gifts so freely bestowed upon us.
For the beauty and wonders of your creation, in earth and sky and sea,
People we thank you, Lord.
Leader For all that is gracious in the lives of men and women, revealing the image of Christ,
People we thank you, Lord.
Leader For our daily food and drink, our homes and families, and our friends,
People we thank you, Lord.
Leader For minds to think, and hearts to love, and hands to serve,
People we thank you, Lord.
Leader For health and strength to work, and leisure to rest and play,
People we thank you, Lord.
Leader For the brave and courageous, who are patient in suffering and faithful in adversity,
People we thank you, Lord.
Leader For all valiant seekers after truth, liberty, and justice,
People we thank you, Lord.
Leader For the communion of saints, in all times and places,
People we thank you, Lord.
Leader Above all, we give you thanks for the great mercies and promises given to us in Christ Jesus our Lord;
People To him be praise and glory, with you, O Father, and the Holy Spirit, now and for ever.
Leader Remembering that Jesus taught us “blessed are those who mourn,” we pray and lament today with the descendents of the original inhabitants of this land who mark this day as the beginning of the end; a day of dispossession, invasion and the beginning of genocide. May God’s mercy lead us in a new path of healing and repair, reminding us that we are all related as kin. (Lakota: mitakuye oyasin). Amen.
Tags: Worship
