Carol Penner, Author at Leading in Worship

Thanksgiving Prayer in Times Likes These

October 6, 2017

Thank you, God, for your care for all creation.
You watch over the sun, whose rays warm us,
you order the moon, whose light silvers the night.
The seasons follow your guidance,
and we give thanks for farmers and their harvests;
for the last combines collecting the crops,
for golden stubble fields stretched out for a long rest.
Even as food is collected and stored,
we are mindful of places where food is hard to find;
the rains didn’t come, and the plants didn’t grow,

Land of Broken Dreams Prayer

October 6, 2017

our mercies are new every day, God.
When I could hardly catch my breath,
fear clenching my stomach,
and every horizon dark,
you were there for me.
Whether I stood on the precipice
of grief and pain, or loneliness and despair:
you heard me calling.
My prayers not echoing in empty chambers,
not ricocheting into nothingness;

Our Evening and Morning Prayer

September 15, 2017

As night falls
as we lay our bodies down,
as muscles relax…
take, Lord, the burdens of the day,
hold, Lord, our loved ones in safety,
remove, Lord, all clinging fears,
give, Lord, the sweetest dreams,
grant, Lord, a restful sleep
in Jesus’ name.

As the dawn rises,
as we lift our bodies up,

Upright Call to Worship

September 6, 2017

Psalm 68:8-9 and
Here we are, God,
filled with life and breath,
citizens in the land of the living
by your grace.
You know our paths,
and the help we will need
to keep our feet firm.
In this time of worship,
equip us to be your upright followers,
in Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

Families Living in Peace Prayer

September 6, 2017

Loving God, thank you for our families.
Thank you for the people who light up our lives,
whose tender presence is dear beyond all words,
people who have enriched our lives beyond all measure.
Give us love for our families,
accepting them as they are,
encouraging them to be all they can be,
appreciating them as we want to be appreciated.
You know our relationships inside out,
you know that we have people in our family we love,
but there are also people in our family we only tolerate,
and people in our family we can hardly stand.
Give us patience with our families this week.

Prayer for the Future

September 4, 2017

All-seeing God,
hear my prayer for the future that I will not see.
For all the children of my children’s grandchildren,
and all the others born when this century
is a long ago memory.
Let their feet touch this good earth,
let it still be good, growing green as it always grows.
Let their hands be reaching to connect,
not grasping, not fighting.
I want to pray that we would be beyond all that,
but I think that’s asking for too much.
Instead, I pray for what we have survived.
The upheavals I cannot imagine or name,
the suffering that is beyond speaking.
I pray that we could still be good,
still loving in the face of hatred,

Prayer for Those Seeking Shelter

September 4, 2017

Today we pray for those among us
who seek shelter every day.
Home is gone for them, for many reasons;
addiction, mental illness, violence,
or they just couldn’t pay the rent.
Evicted or just drifting, they wander.
Some live in their vehicle,
holding on to suitcases of possessions.
Others have left it all behind,
and with a bag or two
go to shelters for a meal or a bed.
Others sleep rough, under bridges,

After the Funeral

September 4, 2017

The tears are shed
and the words are spoken
and the body, blessed,
is laid under six feet of cold ground.
We walk away reeling, at least inside,
holding each other together
all the way to the church auditorium
where we collapse
in front of tables filled with food….

Prayer for Those Who Labour

September 2, 2017

God bless the bent over people,
the ones who are stooping.
God bless the arms stretched out people,
the ones who are reaching.
God bless the heavily laden people,
the ones who are carrying.
God bless the on-the-move people,
the ones who are walking.

Around the world, people of every
size and shape and age, labour for a living….

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

Thanksgiving Prayer in Times Likes These

Land of Broken Dreams Prayer

Our Evening and Morning Prayer

Upright Call to Worship

Families Living in Peace Prayer

Prayer for the Future

Prayer for Those Seeking Shelter

After the Funeral

Prayer for Those Who Labour

About Carol Penner

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Thanksgiving Prayer in Times Like These

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