In the hospital for sick seniors
each pillow cradles a face
framed with white hair
underscored by bony knuckles
clutching white sheets.
Bodies, getting older together
join in a choir of symptoms;
the deep voice of bones broken
the tenor of organs failing
the soft alto of senses dulling
Blank disbelief was my reaction
the day faith disappeared into the black hole.
My life’s experience of God,
a rich storehouse of meaning–
suddenly and inexplicably empty.
There was no painful grappling
with an angel from God,
no kicking and screaming as religious certainty
was dragged out the door,
no intellectual duels agonizingly lost,
no moral crisis to point to
Thank you God for farmers.
Help us to recognize the importance of those
who participate in your creative work
by growing and raising food.
We pray today in particular for farm families
who suffer from crises in the agricultural industry.
Help us to walk with those who must sell their products
for less than the cost of production.
Help us to walk with those who face uncertainty
because of disease and government restrictions.
Help us to walk with those who are burnt out
As children, as young people, and as adults
we thank you God for time to rest and play!
Help us to choose activities in our leisure time
that re-create us and diminish no one.
Tune into TV programs with us.
Listen to music with us.
Surf websites with us.
Play sports with us.
Party with us….
Emmanuel, God with us,
Saviour to captives and prisoners everywhere,
at this celebration of your birth
be with each lonely soul
exiled behind bars.
Emmanuel, God with us,
Saviour to prison guards and wardens everywhere,
at this celebration of your birth
protect those with power
from temptations of tyranny.
At the very edge of hearing,
at that fine line
between what is in and out of reach,
in the wondering moment
where a fragrance is apprehended
but unrecognized,
when you gaze intently
and in the shift between seeing nothing
and seeing something (who knows what),
there,
God arrives.
gather the eyes in
stand and seek them out
the tired, the hopeful,
the sad, the skeptical, the inquiring eyes
gather each pair
with these upraised arms,
this gaze, these words
I gather you in
gently patting you into place
this place
this place here
this smooth hollow
of worship
Christ comes as a gift into your life,
but he doesn’t come
wrapped in shiny paper and ribbons
and you can’t say
“Isn’t that nice,”
as you quickly slide him under the bed
or store him in a dark closet
thinking that someday you’ll find a place to put him.
Christ is a gift that you can’t
pack away neatly in a box,
bringing him out for special holidays
Dear God:
The newspaper brings nothing new
only an old, old story of war—
more bombing, more shooting, more bloodshed.
One more family wailing a funeral song.
Against the backdrop of brutal images,
we hear the old, old story of an angel with good news,
who brought good tidings of great joy for all people.
Angel of Bethlehem, we long to hear your song again this day.
We want good tidings for countries in crisis.
We want good tidings for people who long to govern themselves.
We want good tidings for soldiers caught in webs of violence.
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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