Lord God almighty
To you we offer our heartfelt praise and thanks for all you give us each and every day
the light of the sun, giving warmth to the land
giving food to plants, which begin to burst forth before our eyes
proclaiming your glory, showing your goodness
your breath fills everything with newness of life
and we are grateful we are both witnesses and benefiters of this bounty
as the season changes from winter to spring, we may begin to enjoy our gardens, our golf, our walks in the woods with new wonder
knowing where we are, you are too
we give thanks for the seasons of the church year too
Easter again reminds us of your love for the world, may that message sustain us all through the year
that we can take your message of love with us in our day to day lives
into our homes, into the places we work, into the shops and restaurants and clubs we are part of
that those who struggle to know love
through their own suffering or watching the suffering of those they love
or through looking at this broken world and wondering how a loving God could allow this
may glimpse through us a love which passes all understanding
we recall before you, our Lord, the people of this parish
those who live or work or visit here
may we, as your church, find ways in which we can serve them
we remember the lonely, may we as your church find ways to befriend them
we remember the prosperous, may we as your church help them to live with generosity
and may we we be models of generosity, in our money, time and those things we offer to this church and to this community
that people will know our actions match our words and will follow our example
May this congregation be a place of shelter for the confused
community for the stranger
place of care for those in pain
that in our love for you and them, this church may be a place of healing for a troubled world
Christ our Lord
breathe on us anew, grant us peace and show us once more how to forgive and be forgiven.
And send us out into your world, to love and be loved for your sake and the sake of those who need your love the most
Amen