Carol Penner

The Whole Score

September 6, 2014

God breathes and the world answers in a symphony of faithfulness.
Songs of services in chapels, halls and tabernacles,
arias of councils and conferences and conventions,
oratorios of missions and campaigns and committees.
The devoted bursting forth in a hundred million hymns,
harmonious, dissonant, raucous and serene.
The voice of the church exhaling its devotion,
praising Father, Son and Holy Ghost,
Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer and Friend.
Angel voices and the saintly crowd of witnesses
hum along as God’s kingdom call echoes in the world. 

For so long we’ve tuned into only one part, ours,
examining it, analyzing it to the nth degree,
arguing over our notes, perfecting them, enjoying them.

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Buried in the Ground: A Grave Poem about Stewardship

September 1, 2014

I always feel sorry for the man in Jesus’ story
who buried his money and returned it intact to the master,
only to be scorned for his trouble.
He is remembered forever as the man who didn’t get it,
the man who missed the stewardship boat,
the man who was profoundly untalented. 

What brought him to that inearthly choice?
What circumstances put a shovel in his hand,
and only preservation in his heart?
“I was afraid,” he said.
Maybe it was a deathly fear of change,

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God of Great Wonders Offering Prayer

September 1, 2014

God of great wonders,
we join with you in the joy of giving.
You give us life and breath,
you fill the world with beauty,
our hands with bounty,
and our hearts with the desire to give.
Accept these gifts, and ourselves in your service.
Amen. 

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God our Captain Congregational Prayer

September 1, 2014

God of beauty, thank you for golds and blues.
Thank you for the yellow golds of poplars and hostas,
thank you for the red golds of oak trees in the sun,
thankyou for the dusty gold of stubble fields.
And for blues:  thank you for the deep cobalt blue of the lake,
the bright high blue of the sky
the cloudy blue of a baby’s eyes.
[substitute colours that you see in your location]
Your colours amaze us, as do the textures,
smells, tastes and sounds of this great world.
Thank you for giving us life and breath on this beautiful day. 

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On Course Call to Worship

September 1, 2014

Psalm 119:1-2 and
We’ve come to worship, God,
straight to your house, to your people,
to hear your words and learn of your ways.
This morning, give us strength for the journey.
Thank you for all these people seated here,
faithful companions on the road.
Help us as we map our way together,
following the route that Jesus showed us.
In his name we worship, and we pray, Amen.

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A Fruitful Day

November 6, 2013

God, let this be a fruitful day!
Open our eyes to beauty.
Tune our ears to harmony.
The fragrance of your love
permeating every moment.
The touch of your hand
guiding all we do.
Tasting the delight of your presence
in the sweet ripeness of joy.

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Did I See You? A Reading About Abuse

November 6, 2013

Did I see you?
When I was hungry, you broke bread with me.
When I was sick, you sat by my bedside.
When I was in prison, you petitioned for my release.
When I was sexually assaulted, you listened to my pain.
When I was afraid to be alone, you stayed with me.
When I felt guilty and ashamed, you told me it was not my fault.
When I had to go to court, you went with me.
When I was filled with anger and hatred, you did not reject me.
When I was filled with sorrow and hopelessness, you held my hand.
When I kept my story secret for years, you understood why.
When I called on God for help, you came and helped me.

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Thanksgiving Prayer for Farmers

October 12, 2013

Thank you, God, for farmers!
For those people who have touched the soil,
who have known it intimately,
the feel of it in their fingernails,
the taste of it, the way it smells after the rain.
For those who have cared for animals,
touched them, heard their cries,
nurtured them carefully.
Being a farmer can be a hard life,
the bills don’t match the income,
the weather doesn’t co-operate

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Thanksgiving Call to Worship

October 12, 2013

This morning, God of grace,
we want everything to be for your glory.
We want our thoughts,
our words, our songs,
our church, our community,
our resources, our time, our lives:
all to be for you.
Everything ours is yours,
and we come together to declare this to be so,
on this holy day of thanksgiving.
Bless our time together with your holy presence,
Amen.

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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

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