R. C. Sproul: Thanksgiving: A Lifestyle, Not A Holiday

It is a sure sign that we are sinners that we tend to be more concerned about what we do than what we are. That is, our guilt or peace oftentimes is the fruit of our own judgment of how often we commit a known sin, less often grounded in what we think and how we feel. I may hate my brother, but if I can keep myself from killing him, well, how bad could I be?

In Romans 1 Paul is setting about the business of explaining the universal guilt of men before God. There he answers the telling question, “What about the innocent native in Africa who knows nothing of Christ?” by affirming that all men everywhere both know who God is, and reject that knowledge. Before we have done anything we stand guilty, if only because our eyes tell us there is a God and our hearts hate that truth. Paul then, however, in describing the universal sinful condition of all men outside of Christ adds this condemnation—neither were they grateful. Keep reading

Almighty God, Father of all mercies, we your unworthy servants give you most humble and hearty thanks for all your goodness and loving kindness to us, and to all people. We bless you for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life; but above all for your boundless love in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ, for the means of grace, and the hope of glory. Give us, we pray, such a sense of all 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 ourselves 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 all honor and glory, for ever and ever. AMEN.

This version of the General Thanksgiving is taken from An American Prayer Book (2009). The General Thanksgiving was the contribution of the Puritan Edward Reynolds to The Book of Common Prayer of 1662. In 1643 Reynolds was one of the Westminster Assembly divines that drew up the Westminister Confession of Faith. In 1648 he became dean of Christ Church and vice-chancellor of the University of Oxford. In 1650 he lost the vice-chancellorship because, although he promised to obey the laws of the Commonwealth of England, he declined to subscribe to the oath of loyalty to the Commonwealth. He was subsequently ejected from his deanery. At the time of the Restoration in 1660 Reynolds was made a chaplain to Charles II and subsequently Bishop of Norwich.