not out of a sense of obligation or mindless ritual,
not out of a sense of guilt for what we have,
not out of a sense of shame for what we have not done—
rather, we give thanks for the sake of giving thanks,
as a natural response to gifts freely given and received.
We give thanks as a way of connecting to our own lives
and to the life of the world around us.
We give thanks in order to bring ourselves closer
to the people who matter most to us
and to bring us closer to the selves we long to be.
We pause now for moment of silence in which to give thanks.
May thanks rise up and flow out of us naturally each day.
May thanks become for us a way of living.
And may our thanks help us transform our lives
as we work for healing and compassion
in a world often marked by woundedness and despair. Amen!
