Opening prayer 13 September 2015

Creator God

sun and rain, wind and calm, mountain and valley

declare your glory

where there no humans to speak of your majesty

even the rocks themselves, in their rugged beauty and stratigraphy, would cry out that you are Lord of all being

their voice, and the voice of all the earth, extends throughout the ages, speaking to the universe of the Lord God.

The Lord God whom we known and love

The Lord God whom we can speak of and to and with

through words said and unsaid,

words on our lips and words in our hearts

though our gathered words of praise and prayer,

that together, we may gather to worship you,

that we may, in this hour, draw close to you,

feel your presence within and around us

come to deepen our knowledge of your law of love

A law you wish to be written on our hearts

a law which refreshes the soul as a cooling, soothing balm

a law which is more precious to us than gold

Lord

you are our Rock, our Redeemer

it is on that foundation our faith, our lives are built

yet there are times when our rock is insecure,

our cornerstone is shoogily

through our individualism, our selfishness, our independence

though turning your law of love into a love of law

through being buffeted by the storms around and within us

and we loose sight of our faith, we fail to fully trust your ways for us

But that faith is in and on the Messiah, Jesus Christ, our Lord, in and through whom all our sins, all our faults are removed and we are set free to truly worship you

in our words and on our hearts

this day and forevermore

Amen