Amish Children Sing For Thanksgiving (Video)

On a day we give thanks, here is a Thanksgiving song from an Amish school. This was filmed by Phil Sarlo in 2019, part of a program in a school in the Holmes County community. The song is called “And Father We Thank You”, and it was written by a local Amish man.

Phil explains the song:

This is a congregational song with amazing harmony, at the end of a thanksgiving program in a one-room school in Ohio. It was written by an Amish man in the area. Some of the children are singing it that have books. This is coming from the hearts of a thankful people.

I was allowed to film this and 25 other songs by the kids on Nov. 20, this year. Of all the singing I have heard in Amish Country, this song has stirred me and made me ashamed of neglecting the simple and heartfelt giving of thanks (like in this song) to the Lord that has given so much to us, including his only Son.

The word gift or giving is found over 2100 times in the Bible and mostly associated with God giving to us. What have we given to him this year? May this song stir continue to stir my own heart into the New Year.

The lyrics:

And Father We Thank You

Father we thank you, for one more day
And you have promised to lead the way
You gave us life and health and peace of mind
You then lent to us a span of time
And Father we thank you

Lord we are free to praise your holy name
To live and seek Him, to spread His fame
At Liberty to congregate and bring
Our humble worship to you our King
And Father we thank you

Lord we have known your name in childhood days
God giving manna, taught us your ways
You’ve given us the gift of family
To seek your favor upon their knees
And Father we thank you

Send us down the dew and falling rain
Our fields and gardens their fruit and grain
Oh we are filled and there is bread to spare
Behold our storerooms, not one is bare
And Father we thank you

Oh there is nought that we can do or say
To ease the debt that we can’t repay
But we will do what we are able to
We bring our hearts and our life to you
And Father we thank you

John Paul Raber – Bunkerhill, Ohio

Beautiful song.

I’ll also take the opportunity to re-post this from last year: a poem shared with me by an Amish friend, called “I Am Thankful“.

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone out there. I hope you have many things to be thankful for.

I Am Thankful – Poem Of Thanksgiving

I am thankful:

For the wife
Who says it’s hot dogs tonight
Because she is home with me
And not out with someone else.

For the husband
Who is on the sofa
Being a couch potato
Because he is home with me
And not out at the bars.

For the teenager
Who is complaining about doing dishes
Because it means she is at home,
Not on the streets.

For the taxes I pay
Because it means
I am employed.

For the mess to clean after a party
Because it means I have
Been surrounded by friends.

For the clothes that fit a little too snug
Because it means
I have enough to eat.

For my shadow that watches me work
Because it means
I am out in the sunshine.

For a lawn that needs mowing,
Windows that need cleaning,
And gutters that need fixing
Because it means that I have a home.

For all the complaining
I hear about the government
Because it means
We have freedom of speech.

For the parking spot
I find at the far end of the parking lot
Because it means
I am capable of walking,
And I have been blessed with transportation.

For my huge heating bill
Because it means
I am warm.

For the lady behind me in church
Who sings off key
Because it means I can hear.

For the pile of laundry and ironing
Because it means
I have clothes to wear.

For weariness and aching muscles
At the end of the day
Because it means I have been
Capable of working.

For the alarm that goes off
In the early morning hours
Because it means
I am alive.

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12 Comments

  1. Abner Schlabach

    Beautiful singing

    I loved this beautiful singing.
    And I note that the author of this wonderful song is from Bunker Hill, Ohio. I was born in 1934 and grew up in Bunker Hill! Now live in Vermont but I still connect with Ohio.

    1. That’s great Abner. I wonder what the Bunker Hill of the 1930s and 40s was like as compared to today.

  2. Alice Mary

    Ever Thankful

    Erik, thank you for sharing this. It must be a very liberal community to allow videotaping. I also was a bit surprised to hear harmony. I was touched by the lyrics, too.

    Happy Thanksgiving to you, Erik, and to all the other people who share their “wealth” via comments, photos, experiences, on this website. I am thankful to have found it several years ago. May we all have something to be thankful for!

    Alice Mary

    1. Thank you Alice Mary, I am grateful for the same. Always great to hear frim readers and I know you’ve been here with us a good long while now. I believe the Holmes County New Order would generally be okay with this and some of the mainstream Old Order churches as well. Phil Sarlo has another video from a New Order youth singing.

  3. Janice

    Thankful

    My relationship with God is important to me. Every day I try to be thankful for what I have and live a simple life that’s compatible with Scripture. I try my best to appreciate the people around me and treat them the way I would like to be treated.

    I don’t believe for one minute that being religious is enough to get a person to heaven – once I see my Savior’s face, I’ll know it was because of what he has done for me that allowed me an eternal joy – not because I was good enough or did all the right things. For this I am very thankful.

    Thank you Erik for your hard work on this site. We all appreciate it.
    Janice

    1. Thank you, Janice. I still enjoy doing this and if others like to come here and read and share that makes it even better. I appreciate your thoughts on gratitude and faith.

  4. Maureen Salinas

    video giving Thanks

    Thank you for blessing my home with the thankful praise. God surely blessed all of us receiving it.
    Beautiful.

    Also enjoyed the poem. I’ll remember it each dayI wake at 4 am to head to work and care for the sick.

    Blessings!

    1. It puts things in perspective doesn’t it? Thank you for what you do. I imagine some mornings are tougher than others.

  5. Roberta Marie McMahan

    Beautiful thank you.

    1. 🙂 Credit to Phil and the singers and songwriter 🙂

  6. Bert

    beautiful

    di va so gut that is per norwegian sorry english and norwegian are my languages thank you erik for posting this

  7. -G-

    Thank You!

    This entire message is filled with Praise and Hope . .
    You have lifted my heart
    and
    I simply want to say . .
    Thank You – Very Much!