Thanksgiving Day B
October 12, 2009 - Canada
November 26, 2009 - U.S.

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Click on Scripture Lessons below for study links and resources: 

Joel 2:21-27
Roman Catholic reading: Deuteronomy 8:7-18 or 1 Kings 8:55-61

Psalm 126
Roman Catholic reading: Psalm 113:1-8 or Psalm 138:1-5

1 Timothy 2:1-7
Roman Catholic reading: Colossians 3:12-17 or 1 Timothy 6:6-11, 17-19

Matthew 6:25-33
Roman Catholic reading: Mark 5:18-20 or Luke 12:15-21 or Luke 17:11-19

Reading and Studying the Text This Week

• Texts:
  • Illustrated lectionary readings at Vanderbilt Divinity Library.
  • Roman Catholic Lectionary Readings from the New American Bible (NCCB/USCC).
  • The Roman Catholic Lectionary for Mass (1998 USA Edition). At Felix Just S.J.'s The Roman Catholic Lectionary For Mass - a site featuring comprehensive tables of editions of the Roman Catholic Lectionary.
  • Lectionary readings from the Episcopal Lectionary: BCP - RCL.
  • Lutheran lectionary readings, Year B, from the ELCA site.
  • United Methodist lectionary readings, Year B..
  • Biblical Passages for Mennonite Bulletins, Year B.
  • Free Church version for Baptist, Reformed, and Congregational use Revised Common Lectionary Readings.
  • PCUSA - Daily/Weekly Lectionary Readings.
• Special Day Resources: Thanksgiving
  • Thanksgiving, Wikipedia.
  • Resources for Thanksgiving, UMC GBOD.
  • Planning an Interfaith Thanksgiving Service in Your Community, Daniel T. Benedict, Jr., United Methodist Church General Board of Discipleship.
  • Creative Ideas for Celebrating Thanksgiving, Daniel T. Benedict, United Methodist Church General Board of Discipleship.
  • Special Days and Services: Thanksgiving. Bass Mitchell's collection of free information, sermons, prayers, illustrations, etc.
  • 12 Ways to Be Thankful, Therese J. Borchard, Beyond Blue, BeliefNet.
• Commentary, Exegesis & Sermon Preparation (see also listings at individual scripture pages, linked in listings at top of page):
  • Comments (commentary) and Clippings (technical notes for in-depth study), Chris Haslam, Anglican Diocese of Montreal.
  • Preaching Helps (Thanksgiving Day, 2009). United Methodist Church General Board of Discipleship.
  • Thanksgiving Resources, United Methodist Church General Board of Discipleship.
  • Liberal Lectionary Analysis, Thanksgiving (Canada), 2009, Rev. John Shearman, Oakville, ON, Canada.
  • Lectionary Commentary (different texts), Worship Resource and Cultural Resource, The African American Lectionary, 2009.
  • "Justice for Farm Workers," Resources for Prophetic Worship, Speaking to North Carolina Justice Issues, North Carolina Council of Churches, 2006.
  • "Giving Thanks for Real," Holly Toensing, Bentley deBardelaben, Ken Stone, Out In Scripture: An Honest Encounter Between Our Lives and the Bible, Human Rights Campaign, 2009. (LGBT perspective)
  • Thoughts On Thanksgiving: Year B Sermon from Kir-Shalom, Richard and Charlene Fairchild, United Church of Canada.
  • "In Praise and Thanksgiving," Patrick D. Miller, Jr., Princeton Theological School. Theology Today, 1988.
• Lectionary Reflections, Discussions & Weblogs:
• Sermons (see also listings at individual scripture pages, linked in listings at top of page):
  • Sermons that Work, Thanksgiving B (RCL), the Rev. Steve Kelsey, ECUSA, 2009.
  • "Consider the Lilies of the Field," "Thanksgiving for Materialistic Blessings," Pastor Edward F. Markquart, Sermons from Seattle.
  • "We Have a Story," the Rev. Mark Trotter, 30 Good Minutes, Chicago Sunday Evening Club, 1995.
  • "Thanksgiving in Three Tenses," the Rev. Dr. Wiley Stephens, Day 1, 2003.
• Group Studies & Discussion/Reflection Questions:
• A list of links to on-line Bibles and general Bible study resources.
• A list of links to scholarly and preaching discussion groups and their homepages.
• A list of links to other lectionary-based preaching and worship resources.

OnLine Worship and Liturgy Resources

• The Text This Week's Pentecost Resources Page. 
• Complete Liturgies and General Worship Planning Resources:
  • Gathering, Pentecost +19 / Thanksgiving, 2009, from the United Church of Canada. Includes sermon seeds, liturgical ideas, "with children," hymn suggestions, choral suggestions etc.
  • GBOD Resources for Thanksgiving, UMC.
  • A Service of Holy Communion for Thanksgiving, United Methodist Church General Board of Discipleship.
  • Thanksgiving Resources, United Methodist Church General Board of Discipleship.
  • Worship Resource and Cultural Resource, The African American Lectionary, 2009.
  • Lectionary Liturgies, Thanksgiving B, 2009, Thom M. Shuman, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).
  • "Justice for Farm Workers," Resources for Prophetic Worship, Speaking to North Carolina Justice Issues, North Carolina Council of Churches, 2006.
  • Liturgy for a Day of National Thanksgiving, Rev. Thomas L. Weitzel, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
  • Thanksgiving: a service of thanks and praise, social awareness and commitment, Thanksgiving, a service of praise for the blessings of creation and life, Thanksgiving, remembering God's care for us, Worship Resources by Lisa Frenz, Mt. Carmel Lutheran Church, Portland, OR.
  • Planning an Interfaith Thanksgiving Service in Your Community, Daniel T. Benedict, Jr., United Methodist Church General Board of Discipleship.
  • Creative Ideas for Celebrating Thanksgiving, Daniel T. Benedict, Jr., United Methodist church General Board of Discipleship.
  • Harvest Thanksgiving - traditional and contemporary liturgy, Christian Prayers & Resources inspired by the Celtic Christian Church.
  • Sermons and Liturgies for Year B, Richard J. Fairchild, United Church of Canada.
• Prayers, Prefaces, Litanies, etc:
  • Thematic, Intercessory and Scripture Prayers for the RCL, Vanderbilt Divinity Library.
• Graphics and Multimedia (see also listings at individual scripture pages, linked in listings at top of page):
  • Art in the Christian Tradition, Jean and Alexander Heard, Vanderbilt Divinity Library. Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial ShareAlike 3.0 License.
  • Images for this week's readings, Pitts Theology Library Digital Image Archive.
  • CHURCH PowerPoint, Thanksgiving (CA & US), Rev. Dorothy Okray. Free PowerPoint slides for Worship Services.
• Bulletin Inserts (see also Children's Bulletins, below):
  • Scripture Introduction for Bulletin Insert, Thanksgiving (Canada), 2009, Rev. John Shearman, Oakville, ON, Canada.
• Hymns and Music:
  • Original Hymns, Settings, and Songs:
    • "Great God of All Creation: A Harvest Hymn," Andrew Pratt, The United Methodist Church General Board of Discipleship.
    • Hymns of the Spirit Three, Thanksgiving B, Richard E. Hurst, Universalist National Memorial Church.
  • Hymn/Song/Choral Piece Lists:
    • Lectionary Hymns, Thanksgiving, National Association of Pastoral Musicians.
    • Hymn selections (United Methodist) and more from Hymnsite.com.
    • Gathering, Pentecost +19 / Thanksgiving, 2009, from the United Church of Canada. Includes sermon seeds, liturgical ideas, "with children," hymn suggestions, choral suggestions etc.
• With Children (see also listings at individual scripture pages, linked in listings at top of page):
  • Gathering, Pentecost +19 / Thanksgiving, 2009, from the United Church of Canada. Includes sermon seeds, liturgical ideas, "with children," hymn suggestions, choral suggestions etc.
  • "Giving Thanks," Children's Time, in Sermons and Liturgies. Richard J. Fairchild. (Scroll down in liturgies to find Children's Time.)
  • Story for Children's Worship and Family Activity, Thanksgiving, at word-sunday.com: A Catholic Resource for the Lectionary by Larry Broding.
  • Talks to Children, Harvest. Object lessons by Rev Donald McCorkindale, Church of Scotland, et al.
  • Thanksgiving Word Search, sermons4kids.com.
• Children's Bulletins (see also listings at individual scripture pages, linked in listings at top of page)
  • Lectionary Puzzles by Reg McMillan, St.Stephen's Presbyterian Church, Peterborough, Ontario. Word search puzzles in RTF or plain text (html) formats.
• Drama (see listings at individual scripture pages, linked in listings at top of page)
• A list of links to other lectionary-based preaching and worship resources.