Father and Creator of the Cosmos,
Who was before all that is,
And holds all that is to come.

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
Giver of all good and perfect gifts,
May the gift of Jesus
Open our homes and hearts to love
As we enter the Advent season.

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 and King of Kings,
We seek Your Wisdom,
Your Will, and Your Way.

Thank You for dark mornings,
Where light unhurriedly arrives.
May rhythms of being rooted
Reform in us as autumn assuredly arrives.

Thank you for produce,
For the food from the ground,
Growing in it, on it, and above it.

Today I pray for patience
For myself and my neighbors.
Our lives are relentlessly harassed by hurry
And entangled in cycles of crushing chaos.

Father in Heaven,

We pray for our neighbors
Whose work is manual labor.
We pray for their body.
Give them the endurance, health, and strength
This hard work requires.

Father in Heaven,
We pray for our neighborhood schools
And the spectrum of students
Who enter schools each day.

God,
Who created the twinkling stars
And the warmth of the sun,
The mountains majestic
And the turquoise ocean,

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.

Father in Heaven,
Thank You for longer days;
When light arrives early, shines brightly,
And after amber sunsets, slowly leaves late.

May our playgrounds be
Places of exploration and connection,
Where both children and parents
Learn how to be good neighbors,
And where families find nearby friends.

Holy Spirit,
May I live in wonder
Awe beyond words,
For Your Holy Presence and Power.

May our prayer for food create a pause,
That enlarges our hearts through
Gratitude, confession, lament, and longing
For the availability of food for all.

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

May we be good stewards with our home,
And always be grateful for the place You have provided.
May the ways we want to improve our home,
Create new opportunities for hospitality, connection, and invitation.

Jesus,
May Your resurrection
Incite a lifestyle of celebration.
The future reality of Your Kingdom
Has pierced into our present pain
And brought the hope of heaven
To our lives, families, and cities.