Being Thankful

Opening Reflections:

This is the day the Lord has made,
let us rejoice and be glad in it. (Bible, Psalm 118:24)
I do not cease to give thanks for you, 
for his steadfast love endures forever. (Bible, Ep. 1:16)
Let us rise up and be thankful, for if we didn't
learn a lot today, at least we learned a little,
and if we didn't learn a little, at least we didn't get sick,
and if we got sick, at least we didn't die; 
so let us be thankful. (Buddhist quote).

Scripture Reading:

Treat all men alike. Give them all the same law.
Give them all an even chance
to live and grow. All men were made by
the same Great Spirit Chief.
They are all brothers. The Earth is the mother
of all people, and people should have
equal rights upon it...
Let me be a free man, free to travel,
free to stop, free to work, free to trade where 
I choose my own teachers,
free to follow the religion of my fathers, 
free to think, and talk, and act
for myself, and I will obey every law,
or submit to the penalty.
-Chief Joseph, Nez Perce Leader(1)

  

Moment of Reflection: 

(moment of quiet reflection)

Scripture Reading:

And let the peace of Christ 
rule in your hearts, to which indeed
you were called in one body.
And be thankful. Let the word of
Christ dwell in you richly,
teaching and admonishing one another
in all wisdom, singing psalms
and hymns and spiritual songs,
with thankfulness in your hearts to God.
And whatever you do, in word or deed,
do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus,
giving thanks to God the Father
through him.
-Bible, Colossians 3:15-20 (2)

Moment of Reflection

(moment of quiet reflection)

Sermon

Whenever the Prophet Muhammad- peace be upon him-
experienced any joy, he used to prostrate 
before God to express his gratitude. 
When he felt incapable of expressing 
thankfulness in words, he used to pray,
"I cannot count the praises that are due to You!"
Once, someone asked him, "Since you are
the chosen Prophet of God, and the 
religion has successfully spread among the people,
why do you still stay up
half the night praying?
There's no more adversity!" He replied,
"How can I not be grateful toward my Lord?"
-Ibrahim Gamard (3)

Memory Verse for Today:

The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful,
to be honorable, to be compassionate, 
to have it make some
difference that you have lived, and lived well.
-Ralph Waldo Emerson

Closing Prayer:

O' Great Spirit,

Who's voice I hear in the winds, and whose breath

gives life, life to all the world, hear me!

I am small and weak, I need your strength and wisdom.

Let me walk in beauty and make my eyes

ever behold the re and purple sunset.

Make my hands respect the things you have made 

and my ears sharp to hear your voice.

Make me wise so that I may understand

the things you have taught my people.

Let me learn the lessons you have hidden in every 

rock and leaf.

I seek strength, not to be greater than my

brother, but to fight my greatest enemy

which is myself.

Make me always ready to come to you 

with clean hands and straight eyes.

So, when life fades as the falling sunset,

my spirit may come to you

without shame.

-Native American Prayer

Biddulph, Desmond and Flynn, Darcy. Teachings of the Buddha: The Wisdom of the Dharma, From the Pali Canon to the Sutras. London: Duncan Baird Publishers, 1988.

(2) The Holy Bible(NIV). Colorado Springs, CO: The International Bible Society, 1984.

Dalai Lama and Cutler, Howard. The Art of Happiness. New York: The Penguin Group, 1998.

(1) "Pearls of Wisdom." Last modified 2012. Accessed November 19, 2012. http://www.sapphyr.net/natam/quotes-nativeamerican.htm.

(3) Gammard, Ibrahim. Dar-Al-Masnavi, "Thanksgiving from the Islamic Perspective." Last modified 2002. Accessed November 19, 2012. http://www.dar-al-masnavi.org/thanksgiving.html.