Worship – Congregational Prayer

Open Us Congregational Prayer

July 31, 2019

God of great gifts,
for the world as we know it, we give you thanks!
The world in all its nearness,
our own special corners, our own dearest vistas,
the way it meets us each morning when we open our eyes.
For the food you provide, we give thanks,
the shape and feel of it in our hands,
the taste of it in our mouths,
a rich harvest produced by your rain, your sun, your soil.
We open ourselves to this bounty. 
We give thanks for the way you people the world,
the particularity of each special person we know and love,

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Canada Day Congregational Prayer

June 29, 2019

God of all the earth,
we pray today from the piece of the world we call Canada,
land of mountains and prairie, boreal forest and tundra,
a land of beauty from coast to coast to coast.
Thank you for peace in our time,
for democratic government, for health care,
for social safety nets and municipal services
delivering reliable electricity and clean, drinkable water.
In a country with so many blessings
we confess that these are not distributed equally;
there are First Nations communities without drinking water,

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Congregational Prayer for the Little Things

May 30, 2019

God of grace,
thank you for the little things.
For the gift of this one little day in the great span of time.
For the little beauties;
the sunlight on blankets in the morning,
the fragrance of coffee,
the smile of someone who cares for us,
the texture of the day unfolding as it should.
Thank you for the gift of normal days,
peaceful, pleasant, ordinary.
Open our eyes to the little blessings we so often take for granted.
Thank you for sending a Saviour 
who knew the pleasures of everyday life,

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Mothering God Congregational Prayer

May 9, 2019

Mothering God,

thank you for giving us life and breath on this most beautiful of days!

The sun beams out praise!

The leaves unfurl their green hallelujahs!

The nesting birds join the spring song of praise!

Buried in the soil, seeds leap upward at your command!

The glory of your goodness bursts out all around us,

our hearts overflow with your presence!

Today we say thank you for all who are nurturing life.

For those who give birth or adopt,

for those who cook and clean,

for those who change diapers and do laundry,

for those who listen and encourage,

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Humble Palm Sunday Congregational Prayer

April 13, 2019

Holy Jesus,
you come to meet us in humble ways.
You meet us in the lengthening of the light.
You meet us in the fragrance of the earth, melting.
You meet us in the delicate petals of the first yellow crocus blossom.
You meet us in the first bee we see.
This year we will look for little signs of life, not passing them by,
but stopping and giving thanks for your presence in the beauty of our world.
Your holy presence is all around us.
Thank you for this congregation gathered to worship,
and for way you have shaped us into a loving supportive community

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St Patrick’s Remix Congregational Prayer

March 16, 2019

We bind onto ourselves

the loving power of God our Creator,

the enlivening power of the Spirit of Truth,

and the steadfast faithfulness of Jesus Christ.

We bind onto ourselves the virtues

Of our God, three in one.

We bind onto ourselves 

the glories of the earth, this gift:

The power of Heaven,

The light of the sun,

The brightness of the moon,

The splendour of fire,…

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Snowy Congregational Prayer

January 25, 2019

God, we have come to worship stomping snow off our boots,
our eyes watering and cheeks stinging from the cold.
Some of us have had to shovel our way out of our homes,
others have picked our way carefully on slippery sidewalks.
Thank you for bringing us here to worship
through this crystal-covered world,
where all the outlines and the sounds are softer.
Thank you for the mysterious beauty of this winter season. 
We pray today for all who face hardship because of winter;
for those who can’t afford heating, or who can’t afford both heat and food,…

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Epiphany Congregational Prayer

January 5, 2019

God of seekers:
Thank you for all who are on a journey this year:
a journey to give birth to a child,
a journey to lay a loved one to rest,
a journey to complete a school program,
a journey to pay big bills,
a journey to find a job,
a journey to find themselves.
Thank you that you are the Sender,
sending us to places we would rather not go
to meet people we would rather not meet.
Forgive us when we are too comfortable to get up,

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God of Deep Peace Prayer

December 23, 2018

God of deep peace, hear our prayer for peace this morning!
Thank you for the peace of the earth, felt bodily,
our feet on this good ground,
our eyes towards the stars.
Thank you for the peace of fellowship, around us now,
Christians joining here to worship and to praise you.
Thank you for the peace of harmony and love,
and the many caring and supportive people who surround us,
making sure that no one is forgotten.
Thank you for the peace of the ages, because we know
we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses,
who rest in your presence.
There is so much peace to celebrate, all gifts from your hand.

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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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