God of all that surrounds us,
As we step into this new season of
fall, we pause to acknowledge the delights of summer.
Even though it was, for many, a year
of cancelled plans, postponed vacations and drive-by parades instead of back
yard parties, we are thankful for the presence of so many gifts.
Bright, sunny days and long,
light-filled evenings, freshly mown grass and air thick with rain were not
changed.
New life, in all its many forms,
still abounded.
These joys of summer were a constant
reminder of your steady love in a time of such great uncertainty.
We give thanks for the opportunity to
spend days embracing your gifts in nature, for the barefoot moments that allow
us to connect with our Earth and for the consistency of the work of the bees.
We say:
Thank you, God, for the pace and
grace of summer.
Thank you for the power of
thunderstorms, for the peace of hazy mornings.
We acknowledge, Creator God:
That our bodies were nourished by:
Juicy tomatoes, spicy peppers, crisp
corn on the cob, refreshing cucumbers, and the snap of green beans.
And that our spirits were nourished
by all your beauty, faithfulness and fecundity displayed in summer.
We offer praise to you for the
Earth’s turning around the sun, for the order of the universe, and for the
variety that comes with the seasons.
God of grace, with the closing of
this season there are disappointments and grief, but we choose to leave each
and every one of them with you.
We ask you to heal our
discouragements and turn our hearts toward the coming season with the grace of
summer’s leaves in the fall.
We draw life and strength from you in
all seasons.
Amen. Jessica Maudlin Phelps, Associate for Sustainable Living and
Earth Care Concerns, PHP
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