God, it’s a small gesture;
pulling bills out of our pockets, writing a cheque,
arranging an etransfer.
It makes no sound as it drops into the offering plate,
or wings its way through cyberspace.
But it is the sound of our hearts opening,
giving you the fruit of our labour.
It is our collective offering of love,
a weekly deposit in the account of your faithfulness.
We do this in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Today we pray for those among us who seek shelter every day.
Home is gone for them, for many reasons;
they are fleeing violence, or they couldn’t pay the rent,
sometimes it was addiction or mental illness.
So now they wander, seeking shelter.
Some live in their vehicles, holding on to some possessions.
Others have left it all behind, and with a bag or two
go to shelters for a meal or a bed, taking their children with them.
Others sleep rough, under bridges, or in the bushes around the city.
Hear our prayer for those who fall under the wheels of our economy.
I don’t know about you, but this scripture really surprises me. Many of us grew up with bible stories, we know the name Mary Magdalene. What comes to mind when you hear the name, “Mary Magdalene”? Usually we think, “She’s a sinner” or “she had demons cast out of her.” But three places in scripture it tells us that she paid the bills for Jesus’ ministry! We have not given credit where credit is due! How come I didn’t learn about this in Sunday school?
Come, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness!
Holiness present in the solid strength
of the earth beneath us.
Holiness present in the silent power
of the sun’s rays beaming through space.
Holiness present in our own breath
that is a gift from God.
Holiness present in the mystery
of the Spirit that joins us as a church.
God of creation,
open us to the beauty in and around us
in this hour of worship.
God of new birth,
thank you for this celebration of baptism.
Thank you for your sacrifice for us,
and your presence in our lives.
Thank you for each person baptized today,
for this chance for many to remember their own baptism,
and for others to consider an invitation to join your church.
Thank you for the reminder of the way we die to our sins,
leaving behind self-centredness, greed, and hatred.
God, you know why people abuse drugs;
you’ve seen the cycles, spiralling downwards,
and all they have lost and left behind.
You know the relationships destroyed, the jobs abandoned,
the joy and easy enjoyment of life itself, gone.
You have seen despair and self-hatred grow
as they struggle with impulses they can’t control.
If only it was as easy as “Just say no.”
Thank you, God, for all that is
above us, below us and within us.
Above us the birds fly, the clouds sail,
the winds swirl around this beautiful blue globe.
Below us the earth is solid, gravity holds us,
water flows in subterranean channels,
beautiful minerals hide in bedrock,
unseen by all but you.
Our minds are boggled by this amazing world.
Thank you, God, for the beauty of spring;
for the sound of frogs, singing,
for the taste of rhubarb, tangy on our tongues,
for the colours of tulips…the brilliance of yellow, red, purple,
for the fragrance of hyacinths and lilacs,
and blossoms of all kinds that perfume the air.
We thank you for the soft wrinkled newness of leaves
and the vivid greening of the earth around us.
We enjoy all this under a warm sun.
For all that we put in our bodies:
every morsel, crumb, piece,
every tidbit, chunk, mouthful–
thanks and praise to God!
Food is a miraculous delight.
Something solid is changed, who knows how,
into the swinging of an arm,
into our bodies bending and leaping.
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.
I love to write and to lead worship! If you are finding my writing helpful, I would love to hear from you! Feel free to use or adapt the material here, it is all written by me. If printing material, please credit “Copyright Carol Penner www.leadinginworship.com” (and say whether you modified it). If publishing, please contact me for permission. Contact me at carol@leadinginworship.com
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