Dear Eternal One
As we come today, we are grateful for your presence in our church.
We lift up the legacy of those who have gone before us.
We humbly pray for your guidance in the new paths you are forging ahead for us
We now pause to recognizing our failing
We have not been as you have called us to be
We say United
Yet we are broken in so many places
We say diversity is welcome
Yet those who are difference struggle to find their place
We say forgive us
Yet we seem to find it hard to forgive.
Quietly speak to our hearts Divine One
You are the potter in whose hands we now yield
Break us and mold us into what you want us to be
Fill us with your spirit and give us new utterings
May we profess with joy in seeking to:
Collaborate to mend our Church and our world
Invigorate our leadership in steering us to bold discipleship
Embrace equity and sustainability in our resources
Live out our climate commitments
Be humble and confident in sharing our Faith
And work towards the strengthening of the Indigenous church initiatives.
This we pray in the name of the One who guides our path. Amen
— A prayer by the Rev. Karlene Brown-Palmer, St. Paul’s United Church, Tillsonburg, Ontario.