Thank you, God, for rain.
Thank you for the way we taste rain in the air,
for the feel of rain running across our skin,
for the sound of water hitting the roof above us,
for its transformative greening power,
for the smell of wet earth.
We give you thanks
for the grace of water falling from the sky.
We confess that we are parched for your presence.
We go through dry times,
times where grief stretches us out,
exposing all we are to your gaze.
There are times when we lose all patience
even with those we love; the well of love runs dry
even for those nearest and dearest.
There are times where fear parches our throat
and we can’t even find the words to pray.
Thank you that we find you even in the desert.
Thank you for the way your love seeps into our lives,
for the way it envelops us like a fine mist,
for the way it soaks us like a deluge,
just when we need it most.
This week our city mourns for
a fallen police officer, _____________,
killed in the line of duty.
Thank you for the way this grief
has opened our hearts in gratitude
for the everyday selfless service
that so many offer in our city.
We pray for the ___________ family,
our police force, and our city as we grieve this loss.
We pray for all the people in our congregation
who are going through dry times;
dry spiritual times, and places of physical pain
where we are thirsty for relief.
Especially today we pray for _________ in hospital,
that you would sustain them and comfort them in a time of trial.
Thank you for our congregation,
and the way you water the garden of our lives,
so we can bear fruit for you. Amen.
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.