Carol Penner, Author at Leading in Worship

Prayer for those Choosing MAID*

June 3, 2019

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!

Starlight Evening Prayer

June 3, 2019

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.

Congregational Prayer for the Little Things

May 30, 2019

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,

Prayer for People who are Homeless in Our City

May 30, 2019

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 Prayer

May 9, 2019

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 Congregational Prayer

May 9, 2019

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,

Prayer for the List of Coming Disasters

April 27, 2019

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,

Believing in Resurrection Congregational Prayer

April 21, 2019

God of life,
thank you for empty tombs
and Jesus Christ, risen and alive.
Thank you that death does not have the final word, ever.
We pray for all who find it difficult to believe in resurrection
this Easter morning:
victims of natural disasters, or terrorism,
those who are caught in financial hardship, or webs of addiction,
those who are struggling with sickness or are weighed down with depression.
Especially we pray for people on the edge of terrorist attacks,
people who feel that violence is the answer that will bring change,
people with guns and bombs and plans to use them…

A Man of Sorrows

April 19, 2019

Jesus on that last Thursday
weeping in the garden alone,
asks for a different path.
In the depths of fear, asking turns to pleading.
He is in all points tempted as we are
as he seeks the will of God.
A man of sorrows,
acquainted with grief.
And then it is Jesus in chains,
taken where he does not want to go.
During that long restless night in captivity,

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

Carol Penner

Prayer for those Choosing MAID*

Starlight Evening Prayer

Congregational Prayer for the Little Things

Prayer for People who are Homeless in Our City

Maternal God Prayer

Mothering God Congregational Prayer

Prayer for the List of Coming Disasters

Believing in Resurrection Congregational Prayer

A Man of Sorrows

About Carol Penner

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