Holy Spirit, you hovered over the deep,
and you know the deep problems we face today
around energy and fossil fuel consumption,
and the way this conflict gnaws at the church.
We live in a cold country, we need to keep warm.
Our homes are heated with oil and gas.
Help us find efficient and affordable ways
to keep ourselves warm.
We are people on the move; thank you for new technologies
that reduce our consumption of fuel,…
Eternal and ever-loving God,
we are gathered here in your presence, in this last hour of (name)’s life.
We give you thanks for the gift they are to the world.
You were there when (name) took their first breath,
you have been walking with them their whole life long.
In the good times, in the bad times, in the joy and in the sorrow,
and now here in this final hour, you are with us.
As we gather together in this goodbye time, we say prayers of thankfulness
for all that we have appreciated about (name):
Jesus, Saviour, we gather here knowing that you are with us,
God our Creator, thank you for giving us life on this earth.
We gather here around (name),
so thankful for their special particular life.
You created them in their mother’s womb,
you saw them take their first breath,
your love has surrounded them every single day of their lives.
You’ve been with them through hardship and joy,
through sickness and health, through times of plenty and times of want.
You know that they love deeply, and are deeply loved.
And now this beautiful earthly life,
with all its experiences and relationships is coming to an end.
Saying good-bye is breaking our hearts!
As the evening darkens down,
as the evening lamps are lit,
as the peace of the evening star begins to shine,
here and now we share our evening prayer.
Prayers for those with tears on their cheeks.
Prayers for those with hunger in their stomachs
Prayers for those with weapons in their hands.
Prayer for those with hatred in their hearts.
Prayers for those whose shoulders are heavy with despair.
As shadows of the earth deepen over us,
we trust that you can guide us on starlit paths.
Help us find each other’s hands in the dark,
as we dream together till the morning comes.
God of grace,
thank you for the little things.
For the gift of this one little day in the great span of time.
For the little beauties;
the sunlight on blankets in the morning,
the fragrance of coffee,
the smile of someone who cares for us,
the texture of the day unfolding as it should.
Thank you for the gift of normal days,
peaceful, pleasant, ordinary.
Open our eyes to the little blessings we so often take for granted.
Thank you for sending a Saviour
who knew the pleasures of everyday life,
The sun rises and people head out from the shelter
to spend the day on the streets.
We pray for kindness in an unfair world,
safety from harm and aid for those who are sick.
Every person has their story.
Jesus, you too were a wanderer,
travelling far from family:
be with those who feel lonely today.
We ask for basic things:
food to sustain,
comfortable dry places to rest,
and for the compassion of strangers….
Maternal God
you conceive us
give birth to us
nurse us
smile at us every day
protect us
feed us
give us words to say
show us how to walk
cheer for us in our successes
wipe our tears when we fail….
Mothering God,
thank you for giving us life and breath on this most beautiful of days!
The sun beams out praise!
The leaves unfurl their green hallelujahs!
The nesting birds join the spring song of praise!
Buried in the soil, seeds leap upward at your command!
The glory of your goodness bursts out all around us,
our hearts overflow with your presence!
Today we say thank you for all who are nurturing life.
For those who give birth or adopt,
for those who cook and clean,
for those who change diapers and do laundry,
for those who listen and encourage,
This is a prayer we are reluctant to pray
because it is so hard to name what we fear out loud.
We go through our days trying to pretend
that life as normal will continue forever,
but that is harder and harder to sustain.
And so we need this prayer where we lay out
the disasters of climate change to you and to each other:
the loss of species never to be seen again,
the bleaching of the coral reefs,
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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