Excerpted from Common Prayer: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals,“Occasional Prayers,” p. 553.
Edited by Shane Claiborne, Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove, & Enuma Okoro.
Claiborne, Shane, Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove, and Enuma Okoro. 2010. Common Prayer: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan.
Lord God, Creator of all,
In your wisdom,
You have bound us together so that we must depend on others
For the food we eat,
The resources we use,
The gifts of your creation that bring life, health, and joy.
Creator God, we give thanks.
“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His love endures forever.” (Psalm 136:1)
Holy be the hands that sew our clothes so that we do not have to go naked;
Sacred be the hands that build our homes so that we do not have to be cold;
Blessed be the hands that work the land so that we do not have to go hungry.
Creator God, we give thanks.
“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His love endures forever.” (Psalm 136:1)
Holy be the feet of all who labor so that we might have rest;
Sacred be the feet of all who run swiftly to stand with the oppressed;
Blessed be the feet of all whose bodies are too broken or weary to stand.
Creator God, we give thanks.
“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His love endures forever.” (Psalm 136:1)
Holy be the sound of children laughing to take away our sorrow;
Sacred be the sound of water falling to take away our thirst;
Blessed be the sound of your people singing to heal our troubled hearts.
Creator God, we give thanks.
“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His love endures forever.” (Psalm 136:1)
Holy be the bodies of those who know hunger;
Sacred be the bodies of those who are broken;
Blessed be the bodies of those who suffer.
In your mercy and grace,
Soften our callous hearts and
Fill us with gratitude for all the gifts you have given us.
In your love,
Break down the walls that separate us
And guide us along your path of peace,
That we might humbly worship you in Spirit and in truth. Amen.
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