Faith & Worship"Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise him in the heights above. Praise him, all his angels; praise him, all his heavenly hosts. Praise him, sun and moon; praise him, all you shining stars. Praise him, you highest heavens and you waters above the skies."
(Psalm 148:1-4 )
It matters not whether we can claim Celtic roots or not, it is within the scope of all of us to look at the landscape with spiritual as well as physical eyes, and begin to appreciate it for what it is and for the way that it influences our understanding both of ourselves and our Creator. A growing passion for the beauty of the world in which we work can lead to a renewal in our attitudes to the mundane tasks that we face day be day.
Every creature, every plant,
every rock and grain of sand
proclaims the glory of its Creator,
worships through colour, shape,
scent and form.
A multi-sensory song of praise.
Creator God, may we join
with the whole of your creation,
in praising you, our Creator,
through the fragrance
and melody of our lives.
This world,
Your creation,
Rolled into a sphere,
Packaged in sunshine,
Gift-wrapped in love,
Given to us,
Thank you.
Like a mountain stream
exuberant in it’s flow
you carry us
into the river of your love,
and transport us
gloriously,
effortlessly,
to the ocean of your grace.
Leader: For the beauty of a country scene
All: We praise you Lord for sight
Leader: For the coolness of a mountain stream
All: We praise you Lord for touch
Leader: For nightingale in tuneful flow
All: We praise you Lord for ears
Leader: For the taste of fruit that we have grown
All: We praise you Lord for senses
Heavenly Father
we meet together,
your people,
one people,
your family,
bound together,
with the woven chord
that binds all of creation together,
fashioned from your love.
Brothers and sisters,
children together,
One family in fellowship,
with you, its Heavenly Father.
May this be a time of joy,
a time for growing,
a time for strengthening,
a time for loving,
family time,
quality time,
together.
In the beginning, Lord,
I was alone.
Like the earth,
before your Spirit moved over the waters
I was formless and empty,
and darkness filled the depths of my heart.
Then, it was as if you declared
'Let there be Light',
and out of the darkness
I began to see hope,
like a shimmering ray of love
breaking through the parting clouds at the conclusion
of the night.
In the beginning, Lord I was alone,
but when I saw you in the light I was no longer afraid.
You held out your hand,
and though I had a choice
I had no choice,
because to refuse
was to embrace again the darkness.
In the beginning, Lord I was alone,
Now I feel again a part
of your creation,
loved, wanted, needed, family.
In the light of your presence,
I hold out my heart that others
might glimpse through it your reflection,
and be drawn from the darkness that I once embraced
into the light of your sunrise,
the brightness of your face.
May this eternal truth be always on our hearts,
That the God who breathed this world into being,
Placed stars into the heavens
And designed a butterfly's wing,
Is the God who entrusted his son
to the care of ordinary people,
became vulnerable that we might know
how strong is the wonder of Love.
A mystery so deep it is impossible to grasp.
A mystery so beautiful it is impossible to ignore.
In your time, Creator God,
this world was put in place,
and in your time
became beautiful,
through the craftsmanship of your love.
Remind us always
as we look at sunrise,
landscape or tiny child,
to look beyond the artist brush
or created thing,
to the artist and creator.
By the word of our Lord the heavens were made.
By the spirit of our Lord was life begun.
By the wisdom of our Lord his laws were laid.
By the love of our Lord was born his Son.
By the grace of our Lord mankind was saved.
By the power of our Lord the victory was won.
God of harvest,
gardener supreme,
you place us at the centre,
feed us, equip us and
having provided for us
look to a different harvest,
a fruitfulness of lives
in service to you
and others.
God of harvest,
feed us,
prune us,
harvest us,
that our lives
might bring glory to you.
By faith
I gaze up to the heavens
and know
within its vastness
that this is your creation,
planned and effected within eternity
By faith
I pluck an ear of corn,
and know
within its symmetry
lies the chemistry of life,
the potential of creation within my hand
By faith
I listen for your voice,
and know
the whisper that I hear
breathed a world into existence,
yet listens to the prayer within my soul
By faith
I strive to do your will,
and know
the door that I approach
may lead me to shadows,
where my roll is to become your light
By faith
I cling to your word,
and know
the strength that I receive
has it’s source within the love
that is at the centre of all things.
©John Birch · Prayers written by the author may be copied freely for worship. If reproduced elsewhere please acknowledge author/website
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