by Jessica Maudlin Phelps, Associate for Sustainable Living and Earth Care Concerns, PHP
God of all that surrounds us,
As we step into this new season of fall, we pause to acknowledge the delights of summer.
Even though it was, for many, a year of cancelled plans, postponed vacations and drive-by parades instead of back yard parties, we are thankful for the presence of so many gifts.
Bright, sunny days and long, light-filled evenings, freshly mown grass and air thick with rain were not changed.
New life, in all its many forms, still abounded.
These joys of summer were a constant reminder of your steady love in a time of such great uncertainty.
We give thanks for the opportunity to spend days embracing your gifts in nature, for the barefoot moments that allow us to connect with our Earth and for the consistency of the work of the bees.
We say:
Thank you, God, for the pace and grace of summer.
Thank you for the power of thunderstorms, for the peace of hazy mornings.
We acknowledge, Creator God:
That our bodies were nourished by:
Juicy tomatoes, spicy peppers, crisp corn on the cob, refreshing cucumbers, and the snap of green beans.
And that our spirits were nourished by all your beauty, faithfulness and fecundity displayed in summer.
We offer praise to you for the Earth’s turning around the sun, for the order of the universe, and for the variety that comes with the seasons.
God of grace, with the closing of this season there are disappointments and grief, but we choose to leave each and every one of them with you.
We ask you to heal our discouragements and turn our hearts toward the coming season with the grace of summer’s leaves in the fall.
We draw life and strength from you in all seasons.
Amen.
Special thanks to the following for sharing photos of their summer produce and flowers:
Adrienne Early, Louisville KY; Leslie Rolling, Saint Marc Haiti; Brigid Welch, St Louis; Jenny Oldham, Sellersburg IN; Colleen Earp Camp Hanover, VA; Melody Smith, Louisville KY; Ellen Sherby, Louisville, KY; Meg Harvey, Lansing IL; Suzy Lee, Chicago IL; Mike Lewis, Fishers IN; Erin Spivey, Indianapolis IN; Jen Goldberg, Louisville KY; Nicole Bryant, Greer SC; Taryn Eisenbrey, Elkins WV; Tricia Wainscott, New Albany IN; Melinda Farmer, Van Wert OH; Sunnye Wilson, Salem IN.
The work of the Presbyterian Hunger Program is possible thanks to your gifts to One Great Hour of Sharing.
Great reflection on our state of mind as we move from summer to fall and winter. We need to reflect on all the good that has come to use in the face of the variety of evils.