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.

Beyond the shame and pain for the world, 
In You there is hope and joy. 
We celebrate today the many gifts You have given to us: 
Our life, Your breath, the hope of the world.

We celebrate all You have done today 
And hold on to hope for all You will do tomorrow.

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.

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.

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,
You rejoice over us with singing
And put songs of deliverance on our lips.
You counted off creation in rhythm:
Night and day, rest and work,

Jesus,
How do we remember rightly:
Your last week,
Your last words?