Even people who don’t pray, pray on Thanksgiving.  We all thank God for family, friends, health, prosperity, and whatever else brings us joy, comfort, and companionship — which we almost always call “blessings.”  I love hearing all of those prayers of thanksgiving, because I believe that gratitude is a primary attitude of faith.

But I have been wondering this weekend if we are forgetting something — confession.  What if our Thanksgiving prayers included our admitting that we have ignored, declined, wasted, or misused many of the blessings that have arrived in our lives?  If we believe that God is the source of everything, then we owe God an apology for our squandering of so many opportunities to enrich our own lives, the lives of our neighbors, and the health of the world.

So next November, let’s consider offering words of confession before we turn to our words of gratitude.  In fact, let’s consider doing that every time we offer thanks.