Jesus, we wait here by your tomb
carrying our grief;
the grief of the betrayer,
the grief of the denier,
the grief of the crucifiers.
We carry the grief of the lost,
the heartbroken, the bereft.
Upon you was laid the grief of us all.
It is finished.
God of endings, God of darkness,
God of the tomb, God of dark days and great loss,
be with us now as we wait with Jesus.
Thank you God for the slanting rays of the sun in the morning,
making everything golden and new.
For the blessing of snow, falling on everything,
covering everything like a benediction.
Thank you for the shock of cardinals against bare branches,
and the liveliness of squirrels running through trees.
Thank you for the smell of coffee and tea in the morning,
for warm houses and comfortable clothes,
for days off and time to relax.
Thank you for this day, which we have been given as a gift!
We long to know you, and your will for our lives.
We confess there are places in our lives where we are confused and puzzled.
In complicated family relationships, we don’t know where to turn.
In heavy financial difficulties, we feel stuck.
Thank you, God, for rain.
Thank you for the way we taste rain in the air,
for the feel of rain running across our skin,
for the sound of water hitting the roof above us,
for its transformative greening power,
for the smell of wet earth.
We give you thanks
for the grace of water falling from the sky.
We confess that we are parched for your presence.
We go through dry times,
times where grief stretches us out,
We come to worship
because for us to live is Christ.
We live for Christ,
we live by Christ,
we live with Christ,
we live through Christ,
we live in Christ.
God of grace,
let Christ be praised
in all we say and do,
in all we think and speak,
in this hour of worship
and in every moment of our lives. Amen.
God, we want our congregation to be a witness to you:
immersed in scripture,
constant in prayer,
joyful in worship,
generous in giving.
A loving, supportive community
reaching out to those in need.
Accept these gifts we offer, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Jesus help us live in peace,
even as we go to pieces.
The body of the redeemed
pulled apart by faithfulness,
yanked by righteousness,
clawed by holiness.
Ecclesial politics as a blood sport.
We stand our ground grandly,
confident of its moral highness.
“They’ve lost the way,”
“They don’t care,”
“We are following Jesus,”
echo back and forth
Every journey ends,
and this prayer is for our friends
who know their lives are waning.
Friend of the dark garden,
you know the regrets,
the reluctance, the gloomy fears
that shake our very souls.
Anxiety about our bodies’ demise
consumes us,
Thank you that even
as we feel most desolate,
your comfort finds us.
We do not kneel alone.,,,
I seek you, God, in the spaces of my life.
The spaces between what I’ve done
and what I’ve left undone.
The spaces between my convictions
and my actions,
the spaces between all that I hoped to do,
and what I’ve actually done.
I come with humility,
knowing that I can’t always see
the way I’ve disappointed you,
nor can I always see
the long-term effects of the good I’ve done….
Holy Wisdom:
We want to walk the path of generosity
but something holds us back.
We are fearful;
we don’t know how much money we will need
or how much money we can spare.
You invite us to faithful living.
Guided by your Spirit,
confident in your voice showing us the way,
we give these gifts faithfully, joyfully,
in the name of Jesus, our Saviour. Amen.
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
Get regular resource updates and special announcements!
