Carol Penner

Breath of Spring Congregational Prayer

April 28, 2021

We listen this morning to the sound of our own breath,
and the breathing of those around us. [pause for 30 seconds]
Thank you God for breath,
for life flowing in and out of each of us.
It is wonderful to be alive—thank you for life!
Thank you for the sweet scent of the breath of spring;
for blossoms, apricot, cherry, peach,
for daffodils and sweet hyacinths,
for the good earth, turned over and ready for seed,
for the strong sun and its power.
Thank you that you are a God who hears our breath.

Read More »

God our Foundation Congregational Prayer

April 28, 2021

Thank you God for this solid earth,
our feet planted on a firm foundation.
Thank you for rock, built up layer by layer
from the beginning of time.
Thank you for rocks that tower over us,
mountains that provide us with the long view.
Thank you that you are a rock for us:
solid, reliable, and eternal.
With you as our foundation,
we can weather any storm.
Today we come with requests for people
who feel the earth is shaking;

Read More »

After a Natural Disaster Call to Worship

April 27, 2021

Psalm 46:1, and
God, you are with us in the smiling days of May
and in the bitter winds of February.
You are with us in sunshine and storm,
on the mountaintop and in the valley.
You are with us when the earth shakes,
when the waters rise,
when the fire consumes.
In this hour of worship
help us hear your still small voice
after the whirlwind.  Amen.

Read More »

Holy Wisdom Communion Service

April 26, 2021

Jesus invites us to this table.
He comes to the table with humility;
he is a Saviour who washes our feet. 
Jesus invites the people without power
and the people with power to sit side by side,
students in the school of love. 
The table is wide and expansive,
encompassing the whole world;
we eat today with people from Indonesia, Ireland and Iraq,
from Kenya, Cuba and China.
We join with the cloud of witnesses who have come before us,
to share this holy meal
and learn of the great love God has for us.

Read More »

Late Stage Pandemic Prayer

April 25, 2021

God of hope, we need your presence here,
because sometimes hope is in short supply.
We’ve been dealing with this pandemic for a year,
and we are so very tired of this all.
Thank you that scientists were able to develop vaccines in short order
and we celebrate that some people have had their shots already. 
We need your help with this vaccine rollout to make it fair,
so that the most needy get it soonest. 
We pray for countries where no vaccines are available,

Read More »

Spring Journey Congregational Prayer

April 24, 2021

On our journey through the year,
we give you thanks for this springtime season:
the heady aroma of millions of blossoms bursting around us,
the excited hum of busy bees doing your work,
the breathtaking beauty of green, so welcome to our eyes.
You are a great God, the painter of incredible landscapes
that we pass through each and every day.
We come to you today at many different stages of our faith journey.
Some of us are wondering, should we make a commitment to you?
For some of us, baptism happened last year, for others decades ago.
Thank you for your faithfulness in our lives….

Read More »

Confession: You Great Searcher of our Hearts

April 24, 2021

God, you great Searcher of our hearts,
is this the place where remorse begins?
You know our lives through and through.
You’ve seen the wrongs we try to hide,
the wrongs we dare to do in plain sight
and the wrongs we don’t even notice.
As we pause in the awareness of your gaze on us,
is this the place where repentance begins?

Read More »

God of all Care Benediction

April 24, 2021

Go into your week
knowing that the God of all care
will keep you safe from harm,
that the Spirit of care will fill your hearts,
and that Jesus himself
will walk by your side. Amen

Read More »

Great is your Faithfulness Prayer

April 22, 2021

God, make us truly faithful; body and soul.
Faithful to your love, your trust in us;
sticking close to you through thick and thin.
Faithful to those dear to us,
putting their needs first.
Faithful to our partners, if we have them,
loving their flesh as our own.
Faithful to the stranger,
honouring their humanity.
Faithful to the hungry and hurting,
sharing food and comfort.
We confess our unfaithfulness:

Read More »

About Carol Penner

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

Recent Posts

Posts By Month
Categories

  • Popular Tags

    Your browser doesn't support the HTML5 CANVAS tag.

    • Stay Connected!

    Get regular resource updates and special announcements!

    Copyright 2024 | Leading in Worship | All Rights Reserved

    Site Design By QT Web Designs