This Interfaith Devotional program focuses on giving praise to God for all of His bounties. These readings have been selected from various religious traditions. Please come and join us on Sundays at 9:30 am at the Beaverton Baha’i Center.

Opening Prayer

All praise, O my God, be to Thee Who art the Source of all glory and majesty, of greatness and honor, of sovereignty and dominion, of loftiness and grace, of awe and power. Whomsoever Thou willest Thou causest to draw nigh unto the Most Great Ocean, and on whomsoever Thou desirest Thou conferrest the honor of recognizing Thy Most Ancient Name. Of all who are in heaven and on earth, none can withstand the operation of Thy sovereign Will. From all eternity Thou didst rule the entire creation, and Thou wilt continue for evermore to exercise Thy dominion over all created things. There is none other God but Thee, the Almighty, The Most Exalted, the All-Powerful, the All-Wise.

Bahá’í Faith, Bahá’u’lláh

First Reading

You, the World Honored One, are a great benefactor. By doing this rare thing, you taught and benefited us out of your compassion towards us. No one will be able to repay your favors even if he tries to do it for many hundreds of millions of years. No one will be able to repay your favors even if he bows to you respectfully, and offers you his hands or feet or anything else. No one will be able to repay your favors even if he respects you from the bottom of his heart for as many millions of years as there are sands in the River Ganges.

Buddhism, Lotus Sutra 4

My God, my Adored One, my King, my desire! What tongue can voice my thanks to Thee? I was heedless, Thou didst awaken me. I had turned back from Thee, Thou didst graciously aid me to turn towards Thee. I was as one dead, Thou didst quicken me with the water of life. I was withered, Thou didst revive me with the heavenly stream of Thine utterance which hath flowed forth from the Pen of the All-Merciful. O Divine Providence! All existence is begotten by Thy bounty; deprive it not of the waters of Thy generosity, neither do Thou withhold it from the ocean of Thy mercy. I beseech Thee to aid and assist me at all times and under all conditions, and seek from the heaven of Thy grace Thine ancient favor. Thou art, in truth, the Lord of bounty, and the Sovereign of the kingdom of eternity.

Bahá’í Faith, Bahá’u’lláh

Music

Second Reading

And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

Christianity, Colossians 3:17

Giving thanks for abundance is sweeter than abundance.

Rumi

Be not like those who honor God in prosperity and curse in adversity. In pleasure or in pain, give thanks!

Judaism Midrash, Mekilta to Exodus 20:20

Were men to discover the motivating purpose of God’s Revelation, they would assuredly cast away their fears, and, with hearts filled with gratitude, rejoice with exceeding gladness.

Bahá’í Faith, Bahá’u’lláh

It is God who has made the night for you, that you may rest therein, and the day, as that which helps you to see. Verily God is full of grace and bounty to men, yet most men give no thanks. It is God who has made for you the earth as a resting place, and the sky as a canopy, and has given you shape–and made your shapes beautiful–and has provided for you sustenance of things pure and good; such is God, your Lord. So give glory to God, the Lord of the Worlds!

Islam, Qur’an 40:61, 64

O my Father, Great Elder, I have no words to thank you, but with your deep wisdom I am sure that you can see how I value your glorious gifts. O my Father, when I look upon your greatness, I am confounded with awe. O Great Elder, Ruler of all things earthly and heavenly, I am ready to act in accordance with your will.

African Traditional Religions, Kikuya Prayer

Praise be to God, the hosts of the Supreme Concourse secure the victory and the power of the Kingdom is ready to assist and to support. Should ye at every instant unloosen the tongue in thanksgiving and gratitude, ye would not be able to discharge yourselves of the obligation of gratitude for these bestowals.

Bahá’í Faith, `Abdu’l-Bahá

Music

Third Reading

O come, let us sing unto the Lord: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.

Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms. For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods. In his hand are the deep places of the earth: the strength of the hills is his also. The sea is his, and he made it: and his hands formed the dry land. O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our maker. For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand.

Today if ye hear His voice, harden not your heart.

Judaism, Psalm 95

Consider the days of Jesus, when there was only a small body of people, and then observe the great tree which grew from that seed and what an abundant fruit it produced. This is greater than that, forasmuch as it is the calling of the Lord of Hosts and the Voice of the Trumpet of the Living God; it is the summons unto the harmony and unison of the world, and it is the banner of faithfulness, trustworthiness and friendship among the different nations and sects of the universe; it is the light of the Sun of Truth and the spirituality of the Majestic One. Verily this great cycle will encompass all the horizons and ultimately all the nations will gather together under this standard. Therefore, know the importance of this seed which was planted in the divine field by the heavenly Gardener, watered with the rain of grace and nurtured by the heat and light of the Sun of Truth. Thus, O ye friends of God, give thanks unto His Majesty, the One, that ye were made the manifestation of such a gift and the recipient of such favor. Blessed are ye! Good-tidings unto you for this great blessing!

Bahá’í Faith, `Abdu’l-Bahá

Music

Open Prayers

Music

Closing Prayer

For all things I offer thanksgiving unto Thee, O my Lord! I implore Thee to assist me and them that love me to magnify Thy Word, and to endow us with such strength that the ills of this world and its tribulations will be powerless to hinder us from remembering Thee and from extolling Thy virtues. Powerful art Thou to do all things; resplendent art Thou above all things.

Bahá’í Faith, Bahá’u’lláh

• Cover – Thanksgiving
• Grey Cover – Thanksgiving
• Local Cover – Thanksgiving
• Program – Thanksgiving
• Program (rtf) – Thanksgiving
• Readings – Thanksgiving

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