Creator God,
thank you that you order the change of the seasons.
Thank you for the great upheaval that is fall.
Billions of trees dropping every leaf.
Birds heaving themselves across oceans to warmer continents.
Animals burrowing, amphibians tunnelling, everyone going deep
to escape the coming coldness.
All of this orchestrated by you.
Be with us in these changing times.
We pray for people without shelter,
or who have to choose between being warm and being fed.
Give workers in social service agencies patience and compassion.
Give politicians in government the will to help.
Open our hearts to help our neighbours.
We think of people we know who are sick with colds and flus,
or coping with longer term illnesses:
bring healing to their bodies.
And there are many here who are grieving who need your presence,
they have said goodbye to someone dear and their soul is aching
(we think especially of…)
And yet right in the midst of hard times you send new life and new love.
Thank you for babies who turn our lives upside down in good ways,
(we give thanks especially for…)
We pray for parents of young children as they navigate
the changes of childhood…give their love strength in the midst of tiredness,
as they face a million small important decisions.
In this season of growing darkness bring us together as a community,
neighbour helping neighbour, each looking out for each.
As we fall into winter,
blanket us with your presence.
Draw us deeper into your love.
In this long season, help us sing your songs, songs of joy and protection.
We pray this in the name of Jesus, our Saviour, Amen
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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.