When you hear the words, "We pray in your Spirit," please respond with,

In this quiet time together as a church family, let us pray in the light of God's love and the love and acceptance we share with one another. As new life emerges from the earth this spring; as the joy of Easter has changed our sadness into a blessed dance, let us be thankful for the beneficince of the earth, and when we hear the words, "Generous Creator ever near", please respond by asking, "Hear our prayers."

Holy Spirit inspire us with words of peace, with words to bless each other, to comfort and include. In our ecumenical prayer cycle today we name the peoples of Japan, North Korea, and Taiwan. We pray for those suffering the vagaries of climate change — earthquakes, drought, fire and flood. We pray for the people of Poland who have suffered a great loss of their leaders; we voice our concern for those who leave the comfort, support, and security of their homes and communities to aid others and in keeping the peace. We pray for the people of Zimbabwe celebrating 30 years as an independent nation this month. Generous Creator, ever near...    "Hear our prayers."

Inclusive God of all humanity may we follow a minimalist path, teach us to know when we have "enough". We pray for those who live the Gospel to the best of their abilities. In our Presbytery Prayer cycle we pray for Jaffrey United Church. May we all be inspired to build bridges of understanding over troubled waters. Merciful God, please extend the light of your comfort to those challenged by illness, infirmity, or grief. We name especially all those named onour Prayer List. Aloud or in the quiet of your own heart add your concerms...    ...Generous Creator, ever near...    "Hear our prayers." near Hear our prayers.

From the drops in the baptismal font to the scattering of ashes on a holy river, water blesses our lives. As we celebrate Earth Day this Thursday let our final prayer be of water from John O'Donohue's, To Bless the Space Between Us: A Book of Blessings: "In Praise of Water":

Let us bless the humility of water,
Always willing to take the shape
of whatever otherness holds it,

The buoyancy of water
Stronger than the deadening,
Downward drag of gravity,
The innocence of water,
Flowing forth,
without thought of what awaits it.
The refreshment of water,
Dissolving the crystals of thirst.

Water: voice of grief,
cry of love
in the flowing tear.
Water: vehicle and idiom
of all the inner voyaging
that keeps us alive.
Blessed be water,
our first mother.

And the people say Amen