Sunday Prayer: Church Picnic Edition

Today is a special day for our congregation. We are sharing in a church picnic with the four other United Churches on this end of our fair city. It may not sound like much, but this coming together is a huge deal. It is a sign of the good work we have done together as people of faith seeking to work more closely in community. It is, hopefully, just the beginning of the new and exciting times ahead of us.

Gracious God, we often say, "Life is not a picnic" but today, I would like to think that perhaps it is a picnic. Or at least, it can be if we want it to be. It can be if we intentionally choose to embrace the joys and wonders of it.

We ask your blessing on our gathering this morning, rain or shine, sun or cloud. Bless the children who can't wait for the games and the fun and the good food. Bless the child in all of us who feels the same way. Bless our elders who seek out the shade and remember fondly the church picnics over the years.

Bless our singing and the feel of grass beneath our feet and bless the grandest cathedral of all - the sky above us. May we hear your word in a special way this morning as the birds sing out the prayer response, and may our worship together bring you joy.

God of Wonder, send us away from our worship and picnic renewed in our faith, and assured of your guiding presence, for we ask it in Jesus' name. Amen.