Father in Heaven, 
Bless these backpacks and those who carry them.
May they hold all that is helpful,
Nothing that is harmful,
And most of all hold hope for this school year.

May they carry lightly the load of learning:
The books to be read and homework to be completed,
The computers, clipboards, and calculators,
And the gift of an education.

Father in Heaven,

With August’s arrival,
The morning sunlight beams 
Come later through the windows.

May we rest in your great faithfulness, 
Remember that your steadfast love never ceases; 
And Your mercies never come to an end.

Father,
You have shown us from the beginning
Your Story is the story of God, People, and Place.
May we see our neighbors and neighborhood
As hallowed gifts and holy ground. 
Thank you for inviting us into the sacred story
Of Your extravagant love and endless grace. 

Father in Heaven,
We come before You today with gratitude
For the life of Your servant, Julia Greeley.

We thank You for the protection of her body—
Even through the pain
Of enslavement, scarring, sickness, and struggle,
She endured and carried out the call You assigned her.

Lord of the garden and the city,
You placed humanity over the work of Your hands
To tend the earth and cultivate life,
To bring order, fruitfulness, and care.

The call to cultivate now echoes in our neighborhoods,
In offices, shops, kitchens, fields, and factories.

Spirit of God,
Tune our hearts to hear You.

Help us hear with intention and attention,
Listening longer to those who labor beside us.

Help us hear the weight in the weary words
Of the waiter, grocer, or warehouse worker.

Father in Heaven,
Thank You for fathers
Who are Your beloved sons.

May they be loving and wise
As they seek to provide and protect
The children You have entrusted to them
Each with distinct purpose and unique passions.

We pray to you Our Lord, Jesus Christ,
but we do not pray in abstraction.
For you are the God who demands specificity.
You are Jesus of Nazareth.
the Word made flesh,
born of Mary,
the eternal Son of God,
raised in the home of Joseph the carpenter.

God,
Thank You for creating mothers
In Your bold and tender image.

Thank You for how mothers have reflected You—
Compassionate as a cleft in the rock,
Protective as an eagle brooding over her young,
Loving as the breath that gives us life. 

Eternal God,

We thank You for Jesus,
Who calls us to love our neighbors.
And commands us to “Love our enemies.”
His ethic of love is a radiant light
Everywhere and at all times.

Father in Heaven,

All that we have
We have received from You.
We bring nothing into this world
And we take nothing out of it.

Father in Heaven,

May our preparation and planning
For hosting in the holidays,
The holy work of shopping and sautéing,
Baking and decorating,
All be done in a posture of prayer.

Father in Heaven,
May the growth of my neighbor’s weeds
Be an unexpected invitation
To my continued growth and formation.

Jesus,
You travelled many roads
And told stories of road travelers.
As we travel in the air,
May we be a good neighbor.

May we honor our ancestor,
And the life and legacy of Jesus,
As we live faithfully in our time and place,
Filled with Your love and grace.

May we forgive our neighbors who trespass against us:
For un-shoveled sidewalks and un-mowed lawns;
For late-night backyard parties and loud music

Father in Heaven, 
May the churches in our neighborhood Be neighborhood churches. 
May we be present to both the people and the place Recognizing where we gather is holy ground. 

Father in Heaven,
May all who enter our home this year
Find the Light of Christ
Here among us.

As you find yourself slowing down, Whether by age or aches,By fewer life demands or simply by choice, May you notice that your pace Might now reflect the holy cadence of God. 

May He provide a stillness to your soul,
While you work to lead people to places of physical, mental, and emotional rest.