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Writer's pictureRabbi Jeffrey L. Falick

FOR YOUR THANKSGIVING TABLE: SECULAR & HUMANISTIC EXPRESSIONS OF GRATITUDE

With Thanksgiving around the corner, some secular and humanistic people are undoubtedly reflecting on what it means to express gratitude for life and its blessings—to, well, no one and nothing in particular!


The impulse to feel gratitude is not foreign to nontheists. It’s just that lacking an addressee it requires a little more thoughtfulness. Over the years, I’ve gathered a nice collection of readings and meditations on gratitude that are perfect for Thanksgiving meals where a deity is decidedly not on the menu. I’ve shared them below.


Wishing you and yours a very happy holiday. May it be filled with family, fun, food, parades … and a Lions victory!


1. By Rebecca Hale


There is so much to be thankful for each day.


Today we take the time to pause and acknowledge this special season of harvest and its traditions of sharing with those less fortunate.


We take time to notice the labor of others, from farm to table, that culminates in this feast.


Today we pause to recognize how fortunate we are and to be grateful for the bounty we share with friends, family and loved ones, be they with us or far away.


We take pause to celebrate that we each can and do make meaning for our own lives; by the deeds we do, to make the world a better and a more humane home for all. Every day offers us the opportunity to make a difference not just in our own lives but in the lives of others. We offer our hands our minds and our hearts to help all those who seek to make the world a better place.


2. By Anonymous


As we come together at this special time, let us pause a moment to appreciate the opportunity for good company and to thank all those past and present whose efforts have made this event possible. We reap the fruits of our society, our Country, and our civilization, and take joy in the bounties of Nature on this happy occasion. Let us also wish that, some day, all people on Earth may enjoy the same good fortune that we share


3. By Herb Silverman


Let us take a moment to think about where the food we are about to enjoy has come from and to acknowledge those who worked to bring us this food. Let us appreciate the earth, the sun, the air, and the water needed to nourish the plants and animals. Let us thank the farmer who cared for the plants and animals and the migrant worker who toiled to harvest the crops. Let us thank the laborer who processed the food, the truck driver who brought the food, and the grocery store workers who displayed it. Finally, let us thank our friends who prepared this meal and have provided us with the opportunity to be together and share each others’ company.


4. By Katie Diedrich


We pause on this Thanksgiving Day to consider all we have to be grateful for:

For the wonders of the natural world and the beauty of each season in turn.

For the resources of this world, to be valued and used wisely.

For the people around the globe with whom we share a common humanity and desire for a better, more peaceful world.

For the connection with family and friends who nurture and support us each day, especially those gathered with us today.

For the food we are about to share and for all who brought it to us.

For the future and all the opportunities that are before us.

We acknowledge all these things today with appreciation and gratitude.


5. By "skeptic150"


Let us be thankful to those who planted the crops, cultivated the fields, and gathered the harvest; for the plants and animals who have given themselves so that we can enjoy this meal together; and to those who prepared this meal, those who served it, and those who will clean up afterwards.

Let us remember those who have no festivity; those who are alone; those who cannot share this plenty; those who are hungry, sick, and cold; and those whose lives are more affected than our own by injustice, tyranny, war, oppression, and exploitation.


In sharing this meal, let us be thankful for the good things we have, for family and friends, for warm hospitality, and for good company.


6. By Peter Lindenmayer


A small secular grace


Thanks to the hands that brought our food

and those who worked to grow it,

what we receive from the plants and beasts,

and the earth for all we owe it.

7. "Let There Be Peace on Earth" - A Secular Version


Let There Be Peace on Earth and let it begin with me.

Let There Be Peace on Earth, the peace that we long to see!

We share the Earth together, for family all are we.

Let us walk with each other in perfect harmony.

Let peace begin with me. Let this be the moment now.

With ev’ry breath I take, let this be my solemn vow;

To take each moment and live each moment in peace eternally!

Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me!


8. By Anonymous


For the meal we are about to eat,

For those who made it possible,

And for those with whom we are about to share it,

We are thankful.


In this home where we are one

As are the earth, the stars and sun

So may we by our deeds attest

That each of us can do our best.


As we now prepare to eat,

Let us remember the plants and animals,

The labor of those who harvested the food

And the effort of the those who prepared it for us.


Thank you!


9. By Jennifer Beahan


We give thanks for nature and for all it has provided; for family and friends who walk with us throughout the years. We give thanks for those who have touched our hearts and made us smile.


We give thanks to those who have alleviated suffering; who have championed a cause; for those who have resisted unjust laws; who have fought against oppression and injustice, and have fought for the freedoms we enjoy.


We give thanks for those who have sacrificed their lives to make our world a better place to be.


We give thanks for those who have advanced our understanding of medicine and science; who have helped explain the workings of the universe.


We give thanks to those who have applied paint to canvas in a way that stirs feelings deep within us; who have composed songs which make our spirits soar. To all the people – past, present and future – who strive to better our world and make life worth living, to these people, we give our highest praise and our endless thanks.”


10. By Kathy Diedrich


We pause on this Thanksgiving Day to consider all we have to be grateful for:

For the wonders of the natural world and the beauty of each season in turn.

For the resources of this world, to be valued and used wisely.

For the people around the globe with whom we share a common humanity and desire for a better, more peaceful world.

For the connection with family and friends who nurture and support us each day, especially those gathered with us today.

For the food we are about to share and for all who brought it to us.

For the future and all the opportunities that are before us.

We acknowledge all these things today with appreciation and gratitude.

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