PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING For November 5, 2023

God of our ancestors, ourselves, and our children,
as we live out our faith, surrounded and supported by our cloud of witnesses,
we give thanks for all those who have gone before us:
for their faithfulness to a new vision of what the world could be,
for the ways they passed on the story and the hope,
for the foundation they left for us to build on.
And we give thanks for those people in our cloud who are still living:
the ones who taught and teach us the stories of faith,
the ones who show us daily what it means to live as people of love,
the ones who give us hope for the future.
God of our children, ourselves, and our ancestors, we sing songs of thankfulness and praise
for the witnesses who have told, tell now, and will tell, the stories that reveal Your activity in the world.
for the clouds of people that have done, are now doing, and will do, things to increase the amount of faith, hope and love in the world;
We offer these words in Jesus’ name.
Amen.

For October 22, 2023 -- Proper 24A, 21st After Pentecost

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF TREATY
As people of faith we affirm that all this land is owned not by people but by God. Over the centuries many different children of God have lived and loved on this land. Before Europeans arrived along the banks of Bear Creek this was the home of the Cree and the Beaver. Then the Metis, people who share ancestry with those who were here before and those who came later, arrived.
As time went on a treaty was signed, an agreement about how the land would be shared. Here in Grande Prairie and area we live on land shared under Treaty #8 and in Metis Region #6.
As beloved children of God, gathered from many different parts of God’s creation, may we share God’s land together as Treaty people.

CALL TO WORSHIP
May the Peace of Christ be with you
And also with you.
God has invited us to gather together,
for a time of singing, praying, and listening; a time of being in community.
We come to be reminded what gives us life in abundance.
We come to celebrate the presence of God, who holds all creation in their hands.

OPENING PRAYER
God of life, the ancient Psalmist writes:
The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it, the world, and those who live in it
As your beloved children, living in the world that you love,
we open our hearts and souls to your presence.
In this time of worship, move within and around us.
Remind us of the gifts we have received. Move us to share those gifts with you by sharing them with the world around us.
We pray in the name of Jesus, who reminds us of your love, calls us to live in your Way, and encourages us to pray saying...

PRAYER FOR & ASSURANCE OF GRACE
Gift Giver, God of Grace, who offers us life in abundance,
All that we have, all that we are, all that surrounds us, belongs to you.
Sometimes we forget that. Sometimes we claim to own things that are not ours.
And when we forget, when we lose sight of how many gifts we have received, we start to forget that your gifts are given to be shared.
God of Grace, God who offers us life in abundance,
help us to share freely and cheerfully out of our abundance,
help us give back to you by giving to the world around us,
help us remember that all the world is yours, shared with your world as an act of love.
God of Grace, Gift Giver, we live through your grace. And for that we are truly thankful.
Amen