love

Unbreakable Love Prayer

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…

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When a Friend Sins Grievously

We love our friends,

we think the best of them until

their actions bring us up short.

The fall from high regard

leaves us dizzy and disoriented.

Esteem and trust plummet

as deep disappointment blossoms.

God, can you fathom the human heart?

Is our dismay a faint echo of your own?…

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Old Friends

Thank God for old friends

who take the long view—

who are not startled by temper flares

or momentary lapses of judgement.

The ballast of high regard

floats all ships:

you think well of me

and I strive not to disappoint.

Thank God for old friends

who see the lighter side,

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Prayer for the End of my Life

O God of ages,
be with me in my old age.
When death stares me in the face,
back me up.
When sickness diminishes my powers
and I become someone I don’t recognize,
know me through and through.
When my fears consume me,
be a steady centre.
Eternal God, lover of us all,
stay close to my side.
As you knit me together in my mother’s womb,
watch tenderly over this unravelling.
My self, loosed from independent living,
loosed from mobility,

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Wedding Blessing

So much in love

this happy couple can’t stop smiling,

their eyes drawn into each other’s joy.

The pictures will capture this moment

but only you can capture this spirit

embedding it in the long-term memory

hardwiring it as the default setting

making it a part of their life’s blood.

Grant them love that is long in forgiveness

and wide in laughter.

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Prayer for the Teenage Years

God who gave me children,

give me wisdom in the in-between.

Between the child and the adult,

between the clinging and the pushing away,

between the I love you and the I hate you,

between the we and the me,

between the innocence and the maturity,

between the fearfulness and the confidence,

between the needing and the not needing,

between the staying together and the going away,

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First Love Prayer

In the sweet light blossom of first love,

God of new beginnings, be near us.

Let us discover wonder and beauty

    in the smile of another.

Let us feel ourselves embraced

    in arms and open minds.

Let us be giddy with happiness

    at the world’s freshness.

In the wide swoop of love’s new dance

    you are the ground beneath our feet,

    the air we breathe together 

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Pastor’s Prayer: What I Need from You

To do my job as pastor here, here is what I need from You:

              wisdom to interpret scripture,

courage to speak the truth,

eloquence to touch frozen hearts,

patience when people won’t listen,

kindness for those who irk me,

strength to shoulder hard stories,

discretion to know when to speak,

self-control to remain silent,

hope in the face of hopelessness.

Above all these give me love for all your people

and a passionate longing for your presence.

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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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