"Prayers of the Community"

A Prayer by Kari Neufeld
October 11th, 2009

 

Creative & Creating One,

 

With mindfulness, we breathe into Your Presence.
We pause to reflect and give thanks for the myriad of of expressions of Spirit among us.

 

Open us through the beauty of the constantly changing colours of Autumn . . .
of shifting shadows as light plays among trees, illuminating shape and grain of fallen chestnuts . . .

 

of the free-spirited giggling of a baby being swung on a park swing, by a care-giver fully present to the moment, enthralled with the tiny miracle before him . . . of relationships that nurture us . . .

 

Open us. Open us . . . and hold us in awe and joy.

 

Through the diverse community that surrounds us,
open us to your Creating Spirit that longs within us for strong, compassionate justice,

 

as we who have homes exchange stories with those who for whatever reason have no home,

as we who follow a Christian wisdom path exchange stories with those who follow other traditions,

as we who are not threatened by the immediacy of war or torture exchange stories with
those who are traumatized by the constant threat of violence,

as we who harbour resentment dare to exchange stories with those whom we harbour resentment against,

as we who are human exchange stories with earth, sky and sea . . . with creatures winged
and furry . . .  scaled and slimy,

as we who struggle for justice dare to exchange stories with those who inflict injustice and
with our own shadow side, as we recognize that we also inflict injustice on others.

 

Open us to creatively weave the "we" and the "they" into the "us". Open us. Open us to our interconnected wholeness that extends the thanksgiving table and finds expression through justice that leads to peace.

 

In this we hope, through You.
In this hope, we truly give thanks. Amen.

 

Loving God, in Whom is 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 trespasses

As we forgive those who trespass against us.

Lead us not into temptation,

But deliver us from evil.

For thine is the Kingdom

The Power

And the Glory

Forever and ever,

Amen.