Sunday, October 1, 2017

God's lifelong love... A Prayer of Thanksgiving and Confession on the International day of the senior person



Eternal God,

Unchanging and constant in your love, You hold our times in your hands.

In your son Jesus Christ your love took on flesh and became one of us

Christ lived, taught, healed and delivered, welcomed back the lost,

Christ suffered and died and rose again

that we might have a fresh start and know abundant and eternal life.

You have poured out your Holy Spirit, your abiding presence with us

And we praise you for your lifelong love, presence and guidance.



We praise you for the joy of childhood

Formative years where your love is known in the care of parent

In the embrace of family and friends

Where life seems to be unfolding before us and we grow every day

 A precious time to be guided and guarded

A time when those who suffer harm and deprivation

Need your great love in hands and hearts that reach out with compassion



We give you thanks for the vitality of youth

Transforming and becoming, blossoming and starting out

The adventures of forging our identity and who we are

New horizons stretching out before us, owning our own faith

A vibrant time full of potential and hope

A time when we need to know your love in the gentle voice of a mentor

Where your Spirit  invites us to explore and hope in ideals



We give you thanks for adulthood

For the growing ability to take on the responsibilities of life

Of finding meaning and purpose in what we do and achieve

In finding love and starting families, in being single and going solo

A time when we look to you O God, to lead and guide us

To bring us the wisdom we need and mature us in your love

To help us contribute, make a difference and leave a legacy



On this day of the senior person we give you praise for age

For looking back on a life well lived, being nana or grandad

Facing new different challenges as the years bring their changes

Having so much still to give, to be of use and valued 

and yes, now slowing needing more to take care of us

A time when our faith has been tested and is strongest

Where we need your presence God to see this long journey through



We give you praise O God for your love our whole life through

 Your love is fresh each morning,  right for each age we pass through

We confess we have sinned and done wrong, and left good undone

We have neglected and abused those who need us the most

We ask for your forgiveness and thank you that you do 

Fill us afresh with your Spirit’s presence and renew us we pray

To live and witness to Jesus Christ, to the glory of God, father son and Holy Spirit

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