Thanksgiving Prayer Litany at EBM

I wrote the following litany for last Thursday’s Community Christmas Celebration and Farewell at EBM.
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Lord of our days, for the long and colourful history of this place, for all the generations who have worshipped here, who have offered their children in baptism, committed their lives in marriage, or buried their dead with sadness and love. LORD FOR ALL OF THIS…

We give thanks.

Lord of our heritage, for those who had the courage to build when this place was outside the city, for those who had the perseverance to re-build when this community was visited by the terror and destruction of war, for those who found the creativity to respond to all manner of need on the doorstep. LORD FOR ALL OF THIS…

We give thanks.

Lord of our lives, for all the children who have played in these halls, for all those adults who have found meaning and support in the ups and downs of life, and for all our older people who have found companionship and the strength to endure. LORD FOR ALL OF THIS…

We give thanks

Lord of our memories, for the many ways in which this place stirs our recollections and emotions, for the many people who have passed through, some stopping for only a moment but leaving a lasting impact, some spending a whole lifetime within its walls, for the old doors and tired bricks and laboured heating,  LORD FOR ALL OF THIS…

We give thanks

Whatever our connections with this place, whatever memories these walls enclose, whatever faces we see passing across our mind’s eye, holding all of them in our hands we gather this evening during Advent to remember, to give thanks and to look ahead in hope of your continuing grace towards this community and the Mission, in Jesus name. Amen.