The Christian writer G. K. Chesterton had the right idea when he said we need to get in the habit of “taking things with gratitude and not taking things for granted.” Rev. Canon Andrew Rank has noted that “thanksgiving” is his baseline in his spiritual life – the point to which he returns to again and again from which all else flows. I like to think of it as the doorway leading us out of the self-centered world of “our economy”, into the abundant life of “God’s economy.”
So why all the fuss over thanksgiving? Gratitude puts everything in a fresh perspective; it enables us to see the many blessings all around us. And the more ways we find to give thanks, the more things we find to be grateful for. Maybe that’s why some consider it the only prayer you ever really need.
Giving thanks takes practice, however. We get better at it over time. Gratitude is one of the key markers of the spiritual life we include in the Alphabet of Spiritual Literacy. It is essential if we are to read the sacred significance of our daily lives. Here are some ideas for spiritual practices – or “gratitude practices” to help keep us centered on this fundamental baseline:
- Begin each morning with the general thanksgiving from the Book of Common Prayer, adding any petition or specifics that are on your heart that day.
- Once a week, surprise someone by taking time to write a note or email thanking them for their friendship and for just being who they are. Be specific and tell them why they are so special.
- Volunteer to serve food at a homeless shelter or similar ministry, where you can give of your time and interact with those who are less fortunate than yourself.
- Have a “stewardship party” at home by intentionally taking care of what you own in new of different ways. Wash your car, dust the plants, do some home repairs, whatever you can do that isn’t part of your normal routine. Thank God for all you have been entrusted with and appreciate how these things help you make connections with other people.
- Experience a “Day of Thanksgiving” where you take time all day long to thank anyone and everyone you come into contact with. Thank your pets for their company in your daily life, after a TV show, say a prayer of thanks for the writer, director, actors, and actresses, thank the door person at the store for welcoming you, thank the cashier for their hard work, and so on. Anyone and everyone you come into contact that day. At the end of the day, reflect on the impact on others—and yourself.
Chris Harris, Canon for Congregational Development
(Adapted from “26 Ways to Practice Thanks-giving” by Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat)
