Shared during Sunday Worship on November 19, 2023.
All-wise God, our hearts overflow with gratitude because we are fearfully and wonderfully made. Together, we thank You, God, for being so intentional in forming each of us. Even better, we are grateful that You put us each in community with others – we don’t take for granted the love of family, the joy of friendship, and the company of colleagues and neighbors. Through these lives, we see Your hand move in our lives to the glory of Your name!
As if making the world and all that’s in it wasn’t enough, You are doing new things through us today, God. For all our essential workers, we lift up our worship. For all who defy the weather daily to get primary, secondary, and tertiary sectors of the world’s economies running, we are thankful! We also thank You, God, for those who are not able to work or are unemployed. Help their self-worth and meet their every need. And in these turbulent times of wars and disasters, God, we can’t thank You enough for our humanitarian workers and peacemakers. May their lives be preserved in the line of duty and may God’s counsel ring in our governments' ears to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly before God.
Here at Brick, we know we are called to join in God’s work among us and in the world. Reinvigorate our hands and feet, God, with Your divine power so that our energies and resources may not wane. Holy Spirit, open our eyes and ears, so that we may know how to go in our missional activities locally and internationally – let it be only where God needs us. May we be like God’s Son, Jesus, in every way, overflowing with God’s love and compassion for the lost and marginalized. Let these be, God, in the precious name of Jesus we pray. Amen!