With the Words, God of Astonishment and Joy, You Are Invited to Respond Hear Us and Bless Us

With the words, God of astonishment and joy, you are invited to respond Hear us and bless us.

As people changed by the power of Christ, we pray for our church, for those in need, and for the wonder of all creation. a brief silence You are Father, you are mother, and you invite us as family in this community of worship. Make our family fully alive in our communion with our partner Anglican Church of Canada, Bishop Logan, Bishop Greg and the congregations of our synod. We pray especially today for Peace Lutheran in Abbotsford and Pastor Christoph Reiners and Emmaus in Burnaby and Pastor Timo Saarinen.

God of astonishment and joy Hear us and bless us.

Turn our faces to the sun providing our summer with light. Let us stand in the rain and wind, feeling how small we are in the presence of your power. Let us ponder the moon as you guide us into our dreams and see in the stars our way home. God of astonishment and joy

Hear us and bless us. God of all peoples, you have infected all of us with your spark. Open our hearts as we welcome refugees and visitors to our land, that we may offer divine hospitality. Make us good guests when we travel to unfamiliar places, lands unknown to us. Let us accompany one another in this journey of life with wonder and compassion. God of astonishment and joy

Hear us and bless us. God of healing and help, all of us seek to be free from danger, free from fear. All of us seek health, seek to dwell in peace. We pray especially for those we name aloud or in the depths of our being. Bless those who have requested your care and strength (name those on the prayer list) God of astonishment and joy

Hear us and bless us.

God of ultimate love, we remember today those who have laid down their lives for others. Let us honour those who have died by living together in a community of humility, gentleness of spirit, and hands ready and able to serve.

God of imagination, create in our mind's eye a vision that will last until the end of our days. Form in our mouth words of wisdom, of love, of laughter. Open our ears so that we hear what people mean. Enlarge our hearts so that we can be present to others in sorrow and satisfaction, confusion and certainty.

You are one God, now and forever, together with Jesus the son and with the spirit. Amen