Weekly News | 7.25.25

Sunday's Passage is the Parable of the Great Banquet

Read Luke 14:15-24  slowly.

What/who is Jesus responding to in telling this parable?

What reasons do the guests invited to the banquet give for not coming to the banquet?

What do you notice about the people the owner of the house invites to the banquet after the first guests cancel?

It is common today to hear of gratitude practices, both inside and outside the Church. Broadly speaking, we recognize there is something about our attentiveness to that which is good, our re-orientation toward giving thanks, that is good for our hearts. It grounds us in a reality we can quickly miss, the way the landscape blurs in a fast car. Without it, we live in a distorted reality and are ill-equipped to respond in love and faith to pressing hurts and needs.

The Daily Offices contains one of my favorite prayers: the General Thanksgiving. Far from being "generic", our desire to gather up, enjoy, and offer back to God that which we have been given is part of our communal priestly vocation, core to how God has made us.

As you pray the General Thanksgiving, consider going slowly, pausing at each break. Ask the Holy Spirit to allow you to rest in God's goodness, or for him to bring to mind places where your life is being touched by that reality.

Almighty God, Father of all mercies, 

we your unworthy servants give you humble thanks 

for all your goodness and loving-kindness to us and 

to all whom you have made. 

We bless you for our creation, preservation, 

and all the blessings of this life; 

but above all for your immeasurable love 

in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ; 

for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory. 

And, we pray, give us such an awareness of your mercies, 

that with truly thankful hearts 

we may show forth your praise, 

not only with our lips, but in our lives, 

by giving up our selves to your service, 

and by walking before you in holiness and righteousness all our days;

Through Jesus Christ our Lord, 

to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, 

be honor and glory throughout all ages. Amen.

Here is a sung (slightly altered) version of this prayer. I love the way it captures that this is not a dour, rote prayer of obligation, but a sincere celebration.

Praying with gratitude for you,

Sarah+