AAAA ServiceServiceServiceServiceforforforforThanksgivingThanksgivingThanksgivingThanksgiving

Lighting the Festival LightsLighting the Festival LightsLighting the Festival LightsLighting the Festival LightsMay these lights fill our home with light and love.May we all be blessed at this time of thanksgiving.Let Your face shine on us, O God.Thank you, God, for keeping us aliveand bringing us to this season of joy.Blessing the WineBlessing the WineBlessing the WineBlessing the WineWe bless the wine to remind ourselves of our blessings and bounty.As we raise our full cups, we think of the fullness of our lives.We are grateful for all that we have.As we lift our cups of wine,let us each share a blessing in our lives.QQQQuestionsuestionsuestionsuestions

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for thought, for discussion, for actionfor thought, for discussion, for actionfor thought, for discussion, for actionfor thought, for discussion, for action

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It is a sign of freedom to be able to ask questions.On this night of giving things, we celebrate our freedom as Americans.

Tonight we ask these questions and answer them for ourselves and thosearound the table.

What are we thankful for?What are we thankful for as Americans?What can we bring to the country this year?What can we do to make the world a better place?

Blessing the BreadBlessing the BreadBlessing the BreadBlessing the Bread

The Pilgrims struggled and were hungry, but they kept going and survived. We remember allthose who are hungry even today as we lift andbless the bread.We are grateful for the blessing of food.We are grateful for those who grew and producedthis food that we eat.O God, Source of life, compassion, and justice, grant us wisdom and strength that we may lift our lamps for freedom, justice, and compassion. Amen.

The Festive MealThe Festive MealThe Festive MealThe Festive Meal

*You can tell the Thanksgiving story before the meal,*You can tell the Thanksgiving story before the meal,*You can tell the Thanksgiving story before the meal,*You can tell the Thanksgiving story before the meal,after the meal, or during the mealafter the meal, or during the mealafter the meal, or during the mealafter the meal, or during the meal....

Blessing After EatingBlessing After EatingBlessing After EatingBlessing After Eating

To be thanks-giving, because we can.To be thanks-giving, because of what we have been given.To be thanks-giving, because in giving we are given.

We conclude by saying together:May we be blessed to spendnext Thanksgiving together as well!

Telling The StoryTelling The StoryTelling The StoryTelling The Story

(You can tell the story during the meal, before the meal, or after the meal.You can read it or act it out.)

Four hundred years ago, the king in England did not allow his subjectsto pray to God in the way that they wanted to. The king said: “Youmust pray as I do or you will be thrown into prison.” This made somepeople very sad.“Let’s leave this country,” said the sad English people to each other andso they left their homes and went to Holland. They called themselves“Pilgrims,” which means people who travel to find a safe and happyplace to live.In Holland, things were good for a bit but as time went on, the Pilgrimswere not happy there either. Their children were forgetting howimportant freedom was as they learned to be Dutch.“This is not going to work!” said the Pilgrim mothers and fathers, andso they decided to come to America, a land that was open and wild andfree. So they hired a ship, called the Mayflower, to take them across theocean to America.It was very crowded on the ship because there were one hundredpeople on board. It was cold and uncomfortable. The ship bounced androlled on the rough sea. It took two months to get from Holland toAmerica. Children cried and were sick. Mothers and fathers cried too.When they finally caught sight of the land, it looked to be cold andhard and bare, because it was winter time and there wasn’t muchgreenery to see. Finally, after much searching, the tired Pilgrimslanded at a place we now call Plymouth Rock.That first year was very hard. It was cold and snowy, and they had nohouses except whatever they could build after their long journey.They didn’t have enough food to eat. Many people took sick and manypeople died.