Eternal God, creator of the heavens and the earth … we give thanks for your grace, mercy, and peace … you have reached into our minds and deep into our hearts, to give us Christ …
You have reshaped our souls and rebirthed our spirits.
You have given us, O God, our salvation:
The salvation of our souls and our bodies …
the salvation of our hopes and dreams …
the salvation of our faith and trust …
We are new creatures in Christ … and we are servants of your glory!
We give thanks for the earth and all of its beauty … the wonders and mysteries of life … the stars above, the endless expanse of time and space, the enduring qualities of faith, hope, and love … and for your patience, O God, as your Spirit strives with humanity, and humanity strives with itself, wondering if life is but an accident, or if life has an eternal purpose and plan. Speak tenderly to our hearts, O God, that we might find in your love the eternal grounding of who we are, and all that we want to be.
We give thanks, O God, for the rains and snow that have eased the drought throughout the western states … we give thanks for the growers and workers of the San Joaquin Valley … we mindful of the changes there with the rebirth of Lake Tulare … displacement, hardship, loss - may your love ease the necessary adjustments, and may the workers be respected and helped.
Bless all who produce the food of the world … farmers and workers, agents and packers … give us the presence of mind, dear God, to recognize in our daily bread the hands of thousands who’ve made it possible, the glory and goodness of the earth and its seasonal patterns, and your love, O God, an enduring love that creates the universe, our earth, our sun, and the spinning galaxies.
Bless, we pray, Westminster Presbyterian Church, that we might know your glory and the goodness of the Gospel, all the more, as we apply ourselves to your calling, to be faithful to Christ, to be loving of one another, to let our shine in this trembling world, that we might be a trustworthy example of your glory and grace.
We pray, O God, for our families and friends … where there is sorrow, may there be comfort … where there is uncertainty and distress, may there be guidance … where there is hurt and pain of soul or body, may there be healing … where there is misunderstanding and conflict, may there reconciliation and peace.
All of this, in the name of our LORD Jesus Christ who taught us to pray, saying:
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever. Amen.
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