The gold band stays the same,
a bit warped maybe,
the edges worn down,
some scratches.
Still hugging my ring finger
since the day
you put it there
round about an age ago.
Like your love,
still surrounding me
these many years,
still holding me
still cherishing me
still honouring me.
God of Slumber,
we go to bed
trusting in your arms
to hold the world close,
knowing that you
will whisper words of love
in our ears
as we sleep.
Amen
I seek you, God, in the spaces of my life.
The spaces between what I’ve done
and what I’ve left undone.
The spaces between my convictions
and my actions,
the spaces between all that I hoped to do,
and what I’ve actually done.
I come with humility,
knowing that I can’t always see
the way I’ve disappointed you,
nor can I always see
the long-term effects of the good I’ve done….
Our souls magnify the Lord.
Our souls amplify the goodness of God–
we take a good close-up look at all our blessings.
Thank you for plants:
for the deliciousness of fresh lettuce
and the sharp tang of dill,
but also for their beauty, their leafy wonder,
their greenness, their fragrance.
Thank you for the miracle of growth,
for sun and rain which has made them grow
and for the mysteries of photosynthesis.
Creation at work at a molecular level,
Father of us all, Mother of each one,
thank you for your love for us from the beginning of time.
You formed us when we were in our mother’s wombs,
you knit us together lovingly,
your devotion to us has not failed,
your care has followed us our whole life long.
All we are and all we have, we owe to you,
and so on this first day of the week,
in this house devoted to your glory,
we give honour to you
with our hearts and hands and voices.
Praise God from whom all blessings flow!
This poem takes approx. 7.5 minutes to present…it was presented in a worship service preceded by the gospel hymn “God is Love”. Reader One should be a mother.]
One: It was a love story from the beginning.
Two: Come let us all unite to sing, God is love!
Three: Love of Creator for day-by-day creation,
One: love of Adam for Eve,
Our call to worship is from I Corinthians 13:3
And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.
God of Gods:
We come to worship today to hear your good news,
to hear stories of faith, hope and love.
We know that doubt, fear and hatred are everywhere
and can shake even the strongest.
Shape us into faithful, hopeful people:
fill us with your love that passes all understanding.
We pray this together in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
The crowds offered you their coats to walk on,
they waved palm branches, honouring your presence.
Today we honour you, Lord,
with our faithful tithes and offerings.
We lay these gifts before you,
humble tokens of our love,
a public display of affection for our King of kings. Amen.
I belong to a faith without bells.
No crystal clear call to worship
floating over fields and factories,
whispering over shopping malls;
come, come, come.
I belong to a faith without bells.
No insistent tugging reminder
more universal than any cellphone
piercing even concrete with its message,
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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