Thursday, August 18, 2016

A Prayer of Thanksgiving and confession written to thank God for the big things and the small


I wrote this prayer for a Sunday when we had a molecular  biologist coming to speak. And we used psalm 111:2 as a call to worship. It tries to capture the works of God in the big and vast and in the small and minute. In the simple and in trying to unravel the complexities of life... But also to give thanks to God for his grace and love which we experience in the big ways forgiveness of sin, new and eternal life being made into God's people and also in small simple ways like an answer to prayer peace in the midst of hardship and even the hint of the reassuring presence of God.

The second stanza (if you will allow me to use poetic  terms) is ull of clumsy rhymes but it is beyond my capability, and I would hazard  good taste, to try and rhyme the whole thing. It isn't a literary exercise it is I hope a heart felt prayer... as per usual please feel free to use any of it or even the whole thing of it is helpful.

Almighty God,
We come today to wonder at what you have made
To praise you for what we see with naked eye
What we only grasp in telescope lens
or begin to glimpse on microscope slide
To thank you for saving action and grace
Declared in scripture and history page
Experienced in our daily life
With fulfilment longed for in future hope

Creator God
We praise you for wondrous galaxy and star array
Shining from Mind-blowing light years away
For the glint of light off grain of sand
And wound complexity of DNA strand
For the simple beauty of a still sunny day in winter
And life on a level that only dense scientific thought can decipher
For our unique, bush clad, snow caped, bird song filled island home
And sea and ocean stretching far beyond surf crash and foam

Gracious saving God
When we broke relationship you sort to bring us back
Calling a people for yourself, giving them the law
Speaking through prophets voice and history’s flow
Then in Christ becoming flesh and bone
In Jesus you revealed your grace and truth
In his death the price was paid to set us free 
In his being raised to life, we are made new
That new life sealed by your promised Holy Spirit within us


Good and gracious God
we thank you that death and sin are defeated
That we have newlife abundant and so full
Life Eternal beyond the grave because it emanates from you
That we have been made one people with all who believe
We thank you for answers to prayer
When we cry out to you we know you hear and care
For reassuring peace in the face of pain and sorrow
For strength in our weakness because you are near

True God with us here today
we praise you for all that you are and your great works
we confess our sin before you; wrong done and good left undone
we ask you to forgive us; wipe the slate clean and restore us
we thank you that because you are just and faithful we are forgiven
send your holy spirit to fill us again today
Empower us to proclaim your good news in word and deed
Enable us to love one another and show your compassion
That we may bring you glory; Father Son and Holy Spirit  

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