God of gardens,
you are the great Cultivator,
growing faith for the ages.
You aren’t picky about the size of the harvest.
You rejoice in the vast prairie field,
one crop from horizon to horizon,
just as you rejoice in the tiny plant
breaking through the inner city cement crack.
You carefully tend the tenderest of plants,
taking deep delight in burgeoning beauty.
Under the light of your gaze,
faith breaks out in different colours
Thank you, God, for your love which does not break down;
and for Jesus Christ who extended love to the lowest and the least.
Thank you for that love which continues to rise from the dead,
breaking out of places where we see only death and destruction.
Love’s new life breaking out in a thousand thousand places,
who knows how–a tide of love, working through all people of good will,
working through your church.
And in spite of all that, we still break down.
We break promises we’ve made, we break trust with those we love.
We confess that there is brokenness in many families,
and we need your help.
We confess that our communities fail vulnerable people,
and that there are people we pass by on the street…
I weave a circle of prayer around this sanctuary
Protect, dear God, this space from sin.
Let evil thoughts be dropped in the parking lot
along with petty quarrels and all bitterness.
Let selfishness be relinquished on the steps
and pride be renounced at the threshold.
Let quarrelling be left at the door
and all hard feelings be hung up in the cloakroom.
Help us enter this hour of worship simply,
as children, eager to meet you here….
Here we are Lord !
We’ve come today to this worship service for many reasons;
we’ve come because we need to meet you,
we’ve come out of habit, or because someone made us come,
we’ve come because we hope the music will lift our spirits,
we’ve come because we are hungry for your word,
we’ve come because we want to see our friends,
we’ve come because we want to make friends,
we’ve come because you are the friend we need most of all.
Here we are — touch each person with your divine presence:
shape us into the church that you want us to be. Amen.
We are in touch with our money.
We know the cool weight of loonies and toonies
and the crisp lightness of dollar bills.
Our smooth bank cards tell us what we have or owe.
We are in touch with our money!
Today we let go of this money,
we place it in the offering plate,
freeing it to do the work of the church in your name.
We remember that you put money into our hands.
You are the Great Provider,
the Giver of all Gifts,
your love the only true currency.
Accept these gifts in the name of Jesus, 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!
