Akathist Hymn of Thanksgiving: Glory to God for All Things

We will be praying the Akathist Hymn of Thanksgiving “Glory to God for All Things” on Sunday November 21 at 1:30 pm in commemoration of Thanksgiving Day. Not only is this half-hour service of prayer beautiful and full of sublime poetry, but it gives voice to the full riches of Orthodox Christian theology as it pertains to our daily lives here in God’s creation. Don’t miss it; all are invited and welcome to attend. A reception will follow. Participants are encouraged to attend our Sunday Divine Liturgy at 10 am, share the meal following, and stay for the praying of the Akathist. Please RSVP if planning to attend.

The word "akathistos" means "not sitting," i.e., standing. Normally all participants stand while an akathist hymn is being prayed. Akathists are comprised of 24 stanzas, arranged in an acrostic following the Greek alphabet. The stanzas alternate between long and short. Each short stanza is written in prose and ends with the singing of "Alleluia."

The Akathist hymn "Glory to God for All Things" was found among the papers of Protopresbyter Gregory Petrov upon his death in a Soviet Communist concentration camp in 1940. The title is from the words of Saint John Chrysostom as he was dying in exile. It is a song of praise for all the gifts and glories of God as experienced in this world and the world to come, even amidst the most terrible sufferings. Its composition is attributed to Metropolitan Tryphon of Turkestan.