Joyful Pentecost Prayer

In this season of spring, God,
we see your Spirit pouring through our world;
leaves unfurling with delicate beauty,
birds waking us up with their spring songs,
the good soil filled with worms and potential,
lilacs pouring forth their fragrance,
green as far as the eye can see!
The earth in all its glory—it fills us with joy!
Thank you for your Spirit
moving through us in other ways;
for the way love bubbles up,
finding a way even in hard times.
Thank you for the strength you give us
to do the work of forgiving those who hurt us.
Thank you for the ways strangers
have been kind to us when we needed help
and the way you inspire us to live gracefully;
each person we meet, made in your image,
each person containing the spark of your Spirit.
We pray for all who are sick,
that you will pour healing upon them.
And for those who mourn, your comfort.
We confess that we underestimate
the power of your Spirit;
we look at big problems in our world
and think that peace is impossible,
that reconciliation will never happen.
Thank you that you are an impossibility specialist,
and that you are working in mysterious ways
in everyday people and systems.
Today we pray for aid workers in Gaza,
who risk life and limb to bring food and healthcare
to a devastated region.
Fill them with courage and hope,
and give wisdom to all who are negotiating a ceasefire.
God of great gifts;
let this be a week where we look inside ourselves
and know that you are with us.
Your Spirit active and engaged,
flowing through us, and all who work for peace.  Amen