We are entirely yours God;
life and breath and heart and soul.
We hold our wallets in our hands;
we find here the power to buy,
and the power to give.
All power we have is a gift from you.
We give this offering generously
in the spirit of Christ who gave
life and breath and heart and soul to you,
freely and with deep love. Amen.
Creator God,
thank you for our bodies:
for new baby bodies,
for young bodies,
for middle-aged bodies,
for old bodies.
Thank you that we are somebody in your sight.
Thank you for our church body gathered here today
and the body of Jesus,
broken for us, raised for your glory.
Thank you for your Spirit,
embodied in each of us here today.
Bless our worship, and every body here. Amen.
Holy God;
you call us to be made holy,
to be made in your image.
We trust in your generosity,
and so are free to be generous ourselves,
opening our hearts and our wallets
and our bank accounts freely,
giving to the work of your church in our world.
Bless these gifts and us to your service,
Amen.
I want someone to love me just as I am,
someone who calls me when I need calling,
hugs me when I need hugging,
cries with me when I am crying,
laughs with me when I am laughing,
someone who dances with me
and matches my walk stride for stride.
I want a companion who sits companionably,
watching the world go by with me,
happy to be quiet or silly or thoughtful
as the moods chase us together.
Whether they live near or far,
1. In the name of Jesus Christ, I welcome you to worship!
2. It is a delight to be together in the house of God!
1. We lift our voices with joyful hearts!
2. It is right to give God thanks and praise!
1. May the grace of God, the love of Jesus,
and the communion of the Holy Spirit
be with us now in this hour and always.
Amen.
Thank you God for the glorious weather we are having;
summer is still calling us to come out and play.
Tall trees are still filled with dark green leaves with just a hint of yellow,
combines are harvesting long golden windrows,
there is a fragrance of mint in the garden,
we’re enjoying the golden taste of fresh corn,
and the cool breezes on days that still feel hot.
You extend a call to live each day to the fullest.
Jesus, we also hear your call to love, expressed again and again
through many kind hands and warm hearts around us.
Thank you for giving us intricate networks of family and friends and church
who embody your love, and invite us to love in return.
Open our eyes to this call, which is not narrow, but as wide as the world.
God of Hope,
we come into your presence this morning
with confidence that you will meet us here.
Where there is sadness, bring joy;
Where there is tiredness, bring refreshment;
Where there is despair, bring a renewed sense of hope.
Let this place be a sanctuary,
a safe haven for us,
a home for holy words and songs and prayers
as we devote ourselves to you.
We pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.
I’m another in the long line of admirers.
Eve and Adam admiring the garden,
Abram staring, open-mouthed, at the stars,
Elijah running through a beautiful rain,
and David singing, always singing on the hillsides.
God’s praises being sung through the ages,
praise to a Creator whose work stands the test of time.
This time, it’s my turn.
I close the computer, open the back door
and step into the garden.
My heart is a sounding board
for the night sky, deep with stars.
Close can be comfortable
and close can be uncomfortable.
Knit together in our mother’s wombs,
we emerge and…
the fabric of the family holds us tight.
Loved and cherished from a young age,
we feel close-knit and strongly supported.
Or the opposite.
Abused, neglected or abandoned in childhood,
we can feel frayed at the edges,
unravelled at key points,
at loose ends in the world.
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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