Saying Thanks... - Reflection by Dean Sue

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Saying thank you should be an easy thing to do, but the older I get I realise that being thankful should be about more than verbalising the words. I now understand that being grateful should come from the depths of our being. When I was newly ordained we used to use ‘A General Prayer of Thanksgiving’ after the collects at Evening Prayer (https://www.churchofengland.org/prayer-and-worship/worship-texts-and-resources/book-common-prayer/prayers-and-thanksgivings).

This prayer from The Book of Common Prayer helps us to offer thanks to God for all God’s goodness and loving kindness. The prayer gives thanks to God for our existence and everything God has done for us. The prayer, however, takes us a step further and it also prays that God would give us a ‘due sense of all God’s mercies.’ So thankfulness should not just be words on our lips, but thankfulness should be a true expression of what is in our hearts so influencing the way we live.

On Sunday we are being encouraged by the Churches in Britain and Ireland (CTBI) to support a National Thank You Day.

According to the National Thank You Day website (www.thankyouday.org.uk):

"Over 16 million Brits are planning to take part in the country’s first ever national thank you day on Sunday the 4th of July.
 
"The idea of Thank You Day came from a grassroots campaign to hold the country’s biggest ever thank you party  in our local communities as a way of thanking each other and of building on the community spirit that so many felt during lock down. 
 
"From the idea being launched just a month ago the campaign has won huge support from hundreds of organisations ranging from the NHS to the Scouts and from high profile individuals including Gary Lineker, Michael Sheen, Dame Judi Dench, Raheem Sterling and many more. All events will be in line with current government guidance."

As a Christian community, here in Liverpool, ‘our party’ will be the Eucharist. The work Eucharist means thanksgiving and each week and each day in the Cathedral we have the opportunity to step back from the busy routine of life and say thank you to God for the many good things God gives us.

Being thankful is so much more than words on our lips it about an inner feeling that shows itself in the way will live and the praise we offer. So in praise, I thank God for God’s goodness and mercy seen in the lives of those who have cared and supported us over the past 15 months.

Almighty God, Father of all mercies,
We thine unworthy servants do give thee
Most humble and hearty thanks for all
thy goodness and loving kindness to us and to all people…

Dean Sue

While you're here:
Why not prepare for next Sunday's worship? Our preparation sheet for adults and for children can be accessed by clicking on the Resources tab of this website: https://www.prayerforliverpool.org/prayer-resources.html.