[as a refrain between each stanza of the prayer,
the congregation sings the Taize song “O Lord Hear Our Prayer”,
or you can signal to them with a raised hand gesture to say “O Lord hear our prayer.”]
God, we know spring is still a ways off,
but can we describe to you how the promise of spring feels?
How the springtime twittering of birds fills us with hope?
How the emergence of the ground out of the snow seem like a homecoming?
How the fragrance of spring flowers in the grocery store makes us smile?
How the feeling of the sun on our faces is like a benediction?
How can we thank you for the excitement of the change of seasons from winter to spring?
God hear our prayer
God will you hear our prayer
when we call out our thanks for the blessings of our community?
What do you want us to see today through the eyes of our children?
What do you want us to discover through the questions of our young adults?
How do you want us to be shaped by the generosity of our people in the middle?
Who do you want us to become by listening to the wisdom of our elders?
Why have you placed us in community, Lord,
except as a way of learning more about your goodness?
God hear our prayer
Jesus, you show us the way, yet why are we so afraid
of sharing the suffering of those around us?
Do you see that sometimes we turn our faces, our hearts,
from the deepest pain of those you bring into our lives?
Can you forgive us for minimizing the pain of others,
and downplaying their burdens?
Can you help us imagine how we would want to be treated,
if we were in their shoes?
Can you give us the courage to act that way?
God hear our prayer
Holy Spirit, can your power heal the great rifts in our world?
Can you do something about this refugee crisis?
Can you bring peace again in the Middle East?
How can you address intolerance and racism that infects our communities, our world?
How are we to be an agent for change when we ourselves doubt your power?
Can you open our eyes to how you are already working for peace
in ways that we cannot fathom or understand?
God who created us, and walks with us in this beautiful and troubled world,
can you hear our prayers even when they are only questions?
God hear our prayer
I am a Mennonite pastor currently teaching theology at Conrad Grebel University College in Waterloo, Ontario. I’ve served congregations in Ontario and most recently, Alberta.