Meditations on Gratitude

Medi­ta­tions on Gratitude
–O. Eugene Pick­ett, 4th pres­i­dent of UUA, 1979–1985

For the expand­ing grandeur of Creation,
worlds known and unknown,
galax­ies beyond galaxies,
fill­ing us with awe and chal­leng­ing our imaginations:

We give thanks this day.

For this frag­ile plan­et earth,
its times and tides, its sun­sets and seasons:

We give thanks this day.

For the joy of human life,
its won­ders and sur­pris­es, its hopes and achievements:

We give thanks this day.

For our human community,
our com­mon past and future hope,
our one­ness tran­scend­ing all separation,
our capac­i­ty to work for peace and jus­tice in the midst of hos­til­i­ty and oppression:

We give thanks this day.

For high hopes and noble caus­es, for faith with­out fanaticism,
for under­stand­ing of views not shared:

We give thanks this day.

For all who have labored and suf­fered for a fair­er world,
who have lived so that oth­ers might live in dig­ni­ty and freedom:

We give thanks this day.

For human lib­er­ty and sacred rites;
for oppor­tu­ni­ties to change and grow, to affirm and choose:

We give thanks this day.

We pray that we may live not by our fears but by our hopes,
not by our words but by our deeds.

we give thanks this day