Ah most holy and abundant God:
Praise is due to you for the beauty of the earth! Praise is due to you for the relationships that change our lives! Praise is due to you for the work that we are gifted to do.
We add our gratitude and joy to the tribute sung
by the cry of the swallow and the gurgle of the stream, by the bark of the fox and the sigh of the wind and even the buzz of the fly.
We offer thanksgiving and many prayers for
the relationships that are full of love and warmth, those relationships marked by tension and conflict, the relationships we miss, the ones that have changed, and the ones that are all of the above.
We ask for faith and perseverance in all we do:
to continue in hope and creativity the work that feels like a dead-end; to show up faithfully for the work that feels beyond our control; to welcome others into the planting and harvesting alike; to listen and watch closely for your Spirit in all things.
Give life and renewed life to this flesh, we pray.
Refresh our voices for praise and our spirits for work and our hearts for love. In the full power of Jesus’ name. Amen.
“We offer thanksgiving and many prayers for
the relationships that are full of love and warmth, those relationships marked by tension and conflict, the relationships we miss, the ones that have changed, and the ones that are all of the above.”
I am grateful for this prayer on this first Sunday of my vacation, especially what is quoted above. Your elegant words are helping me to let go and give to God of some unresolved relational issues in both my personal and professional life. Thanks for this offering and giving me some peace.
Blessings for a restful & rejuvenating vacation, Peter!