Jesus, you open us
to new life, new hope, new possibilities.
You conquer the way we
close up, close down, and close in.
Jesus, lover of us all,
open our hearts to feel your compassion
for people we would rather walk by;
open our ears to hear the cries of the suffering
deep inside where we cannot fail to be moved;
open our understanding to new ways of living
that do not diminish anyone;
open our eyes to see a vision of this world
as you would have it.
Open us to change.
Show us the places where we can do better
and need to right the wrongs we’ve done.
Let this congregation be a place of inclusiveness,
welcoming those that others reject
and reaching out to spread the good news of Jesus
wherever it is most needed.
May these prayerful words on our lips
become the meditations of our hearts
as we live in ways that are acceptable to you
O God, our Rock and our Redeemer.
I am a Mennonite pastor currently teaching theology at Conrad Grebel University College in Waterloo, Ontario. I’ve served congregations in Ontario and most recently, Alberta.