Benediction of Hope

I am the sound of hope.

I trade groans for cries of new life, 

birthed through pain into laughter and potential

I am the vista of hope.

I scope plains and mountain ranges, beaches and rivulets,

pouring forth the ancient and new movements of life in all its flourishing.

I am the horizon of hope.

I am distant and blurred, defined and edging rainbows,

inviting perspectives of optimism and faith.

I am the forest of hope.

I form community among the tall trees and leafy shrubs,

fruitful orchards and protective hedges,

God's gardeners, constantly preparing and pruning, feeding and fasting.

I am the breeze of hope.

I break the doldrums and recall the storms, hinting at the gentler breath of life 

that summons a sigh and stifles a yawn.

I allow the song to be sung and the notes to be heard.

I am the ocean of hope.

I arise from the deep, crying to Life itself,

turn the floods and rivers of blessing.

Transform the tsunami of destruction into the lapping waves of comfort.

I am the movement of hope.

I am the mission in the margins, embodying acts of love and healing.

I am the work of God in the world, sent to crawl, walk and dance

to the remote and inaccessible.

Pause

I am the stillness of hope.

I bear promise of kintsugi gold, holding together that which as been broken and restored.

I am the symbol of re-creation.

Pause

I am silence, filled with hope and longing...

(Each piece is brought forward)

We are the mosaic of hope.

We are the grand design, the bearers of good news, and signs of abundance.

We are the prophets of hope.

We call out to You, O God,

to bring about the rising to life.

We are the people of hope, responding to the Initiator of Hope,

the Bearer of Hope, the Spirit of Hope.

Bless us all to be hope in your world. Amen.

Jooeun and Chris

 A Prayer for the wedding of a couple from different cultures

 

Dreaming of darkness and light, of the wonder of sound and feeling…

From nothing you made this world and everything in it.

Heaven is here. Alleluia

Visions of color and shape, weaving patterns of promise…

In us, you imagined the possibilities,

ordering our days and singing the melody of our being.

Heaven is here. Alleluia

Remembering love, care and nurture…

From before we had our first breath, you gave us parents, family and place,

to give us identity and the knowledge of home.

Heaven is here. Alleluia

Embarking on the adventure of life, in all its complexities…

In times of fear, stress and sorrow, you will be there,

assuring us of your love and mercy.

Heaven is here. Alleluia

 

For [Jooeun and Christopher], embracing life together,

we pray for faithfulness and fullness of life, in service to you.

May Your Heaven come and may Your will be done in their lives.

May their shared journey point to Heaven

wherever they go, wherever they work, wherever they live…

Heaven is here. Alleluia

 

 

 

 

MISSION PRAYER 2025

Singer of Life,

Upon your bass line, we seek the vibrations of movement and light,

stirring our souls in seeking your Spirit.

We search for the poetry of inspiration and aspiration,

words for healing healing and touch for nurture.

Thirsty, we ask for living water.

 

Painter of Visions,

You have prepared the panel for our contributions,

guiding us to name the elements of your masterpiece.

We utter the sounds of joyful gratitude,

naming potential, possibility and promise.

Dimly, we ask for light.

 

Stitcher of threads,

You lay the warps and wefts,

inviting the story-threads into reunions of communities.

We embroider and purl our patterns

into a greater design of sacred proportions.

Deftly, our fingers seek your grasp.

 

Shaper of clay,

You press and mold and throw,

working us into identity and refining into beauty.

Patiently, we rest before you,

waiting upon your merciful touch.

In humility,, we beg your attention.

 

For such is the prayer of those in mission,

Seeking vibrations, sounding thanks, making patterns, and waiting upon you…

Yesterday, today and tomorrow,

read our hearts and grant that, by your grace,

We may serve You, in your mission in this world and for what is yet to come.

AMEN