By Caroline Carson (she/her), UTO Board Province II Representative
Thanksgiving usually offers more than a shared meal. It is a spiritual practice that echoes the Eucharistic heart of our Episcopal faith. The word “Eucharist” means “thanksgiving,” reminding us that gratitude is not seasonal but sacramental. Each time we give thanks, we participate in the continual rhythm of God’s self-offering love. To infuse gratitude into our gatherings is to recognize that all we have and all we are comes from the abundance of God’s grace!
Infusing gratitude changes us. It slows the hurried pace of the season and turns our attention from scarcity and what we lack to what we already hold. Gratitude shifts the heart toward generosity, drawing us outward in compassion and stewardship. When we pause to name our blessings, we resist the cultural tide of consumption and instead live into the truth that enough is already present. Gratitude, then, becomes an act of faith. It reminds us that God is faithful, even in uncertainty, and that thanksgiving can be a language of trust.
Some of my most favorite blessings include: coffee, the fall season, time with friends and family, nature hikes, the scent of woodsmoke on a cloudy day with a “snow sky” as we head into winter, coffee, the sound of falling snow, Doritos, excellent choral or orchestral music, friends laughing, my mischievous Magnifi-CAT Bluebell, coffee, and so much more!
In Episcopal theology, gratitude draws us into relationship with God, one another, and with creation itself. Around a Thanksgiving table, we can gather not only as individuals but as a diverse body: families of birth, families of choice, “framiles” (friend families), neighbors, parish companions, and sometimes even strangers. Every table, whether in a bustling and happy home, a parish hall, or a quiet apartment, can become an altar of grace.
Taking a step back to the 2,000-foot view to see the gifts before us is important: the laughter, the meal, the memory, the moment… This itself is an act of prayer.
The United Thank Offering (UTO) provides a beautiful framework for this practice. Our fall resources, such as the Blessing of the Backpacks, An Invitation to a Holy Autumn, and a rich array of Thanksgiving gratitude resources all help individuals and families deepen their awareness of God’s many blessings. The printable Gratitude Conversation Dice bring new, heartfelt questions to the table; placecards bear prayers that remind us why we gather; children’s crafts like the Thanksgiving Tree or thank-you cards teach that gratitude extends far beyond gift-giving. The Deep Dive Gratitude Journal invites families to make reflection a daily rhythm.
Why is this infusion of gratitude so vital? Well, I find that it roots us in remembrance. In a world often marked by division and anxiety, gratitude calls us back to unity and hope and maybe even joy. It can help us see that the blessings of breath, friendship, community, and creation are not small, but are the very signs of God’s constant presence with and in us. We’re invited to look around and within, to name aloud and celebrate what sustains us, and to recognize that thanksgiving isn’t something we enjoy once a year but can be a way of life. Have you ever held mini-Thanksgivings during other times of the year? I wonder, if you cook turkey, if you’ve ever made it at other times during the year?
As we gather this Thanksgiving, whether with family or friends, I hope that our tables become altars of thanksgiving, our words become prayers and actions, and our hearts expand in gratitude, bubbling up to spill over in abundance and reach everyone we come across in life! In the spirit of the UTO, may each blessing we name become a seed of hope sown into the world, transforming simple thanks into lasting grace.