Photo: Chris (CC)

Magic City Post asked spiritual leaders across Birmingham to offer words of prayer for Thanksgiving. Take a moment to reflect on their responses. We thank them for sharing their prayers.

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Raed Awad serves as Imam for the Birmingham Islamic Society, which has prayer facilities in Fairfield, Homewood and Hoover. The organization started in the 1970s. Awad became full-time Imam in 2009, previously serving as volunteer Imam and educator at area mosques since 2004.

The Muslim community in Birmingham and around the world gives thanks to Allah for all the provisions, sustenance and guidance that He has bestowed us with. We are also grateful to Him for granting us to live in peace and security in this country.

The fact that all faith groups are able to come together and join and thanking God, that is a symbol of love and harmony that the community in Birmingham has achieved. We pray that this peace, security and justice will extend across the world, to all humanity.

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Matt Lacey (@revmattlacey) is the minister of outreach at Woodlawn United Methodist Church, established in 1887. The sanctuary built in 1909 was destroyed by fire in 2009, though the congregation continues to worship with Bethel Metropolitan Community Church while rebuilding continues.

Merciful God,
Who has created and is still creating,
Help us to be thankful for the things you have done and left undone,
so that we may create with you, and we may see your love in all.

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Eytan Yammer (@eyammer) became the rabbi in 2009 at Knesseth Israel Congregation in Mountain Brook. The synagogue, established in 1889, is the only Orthodox one in the state. The current synagogue opened in 2007.

Blessed are You, God, King of the universe who in his goodness feeds the whole world with grace, kindness and compassion. God, who sustains all livings things with his infinite kindness, we look towards the compassion, success, love and accomplishment in our lives and appreciate that it is You who tends us, feeds us and sustains us today and every day and every hour and every moment.

We pray that this grace, kindness and compassion, relief and rescue, prosperity, redemption and comfort, sustenance and support, life, peace and all good things which You have granted us never are lacking, never leave us that they never are hidden never are missing from our lives and the lives of all You have created.

— based loosely on the Birkat Hamazon, or Grace After Meals, a Jewish prayer of sustenance

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