Our Heavenly Father, We come to you at this cycle of our lives, our later years.
We remember those, friends and companions, who have been in our midst, but who are now gone. We thank you for the part of their lives that we have shared, however brief or however joyful. Let us remind ourselves, because of them, that each day is a gift, not a promise, to be lived as beautifully as possible within our abilities and our means.
Thank you for the fleeting marvels in each moment, for the solaces of friendship, for the continuing miracle of love coming into our lives, sometimes unexpectedly, sometimes through the touch of a child or the embrace of another human, sometimes in the overwhelming reality that You approve of who we are or of what we do.
Thank you for laughter through the years and for those events, small or large, that bring us delight.
Thank you for mercy in the midst of suffering, for comfort when we are afraid or distressed, for sleep that eases our sorrows.
Thank you that we have danced, that we have celebrated, that we have sung and praised, that we have been privileged to live deeply in a time of amazing advancements.
Thank you that many of us have had meaningful work in our days.
Thank you that some of us have made a difference for good in our world.
We are sorry for the times that we have disappointed You, or abandoned others, or betrayed our own selves. Forgive us, please, and help us to do better.
Bless us this evening, we pray. Give us joy in meeting again. Give us tenderness for those who struggle. Help us to be kind in word and deed. Grant that we may be alive with curiosity. And as we leave one another, perhaps never to meet again, help us to wish one another peace—peace for living and peace for dying.
We pray this in Your name: in the name of the Father, and of His Son, Jesus Christ. May we use the time still left to us, through the help of the Holy Spirit, to be more than we thought possible. Amen.
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This prayer was prepared and said by Karen Mains during her 50th high school reunion.
This is lovely. Hope you don't mind me using it.
ReplyDeleteSo Beautiful. . again we would like to use your prayer with your permission. . the class of AHN 1964. Please reply
ReplyDeleteMay we use this at our 60th class reunion this year at GCHS Ohio
ReplyDeleteAsking your permission to use your prayer or parts of it at our class reunion. D M. LA
ReplyDeleteCould my father please use this for his upcoming 55th class reunion? With your permission, I will forward it to him for use this August. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteI would like to use your prayer for our 50 year class reunion AHS Ohio 2017
ReplyDeleteI would like to use this prayer at my 50th class reunion with your permission.
ReplyDeleteAsking for your permission to use this prayer of yours during our high school 50th year anniversary . Thanks
ReplyDeleteAsking for your permission to use this prayer of yours during our high school 50th year anniversary . Thanks
ReplyDeleteWould appreciate permission to use during our high school reunion this year.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful prayer. Would like permission to use this at my 55th class reunion Oct 13, 2018. Thank you and God bless.
ReplyDeleteWith your permission I would like to use this on our 40th class reunion this Nov2018. Thank you so much and GOD bless you always.
ReplyDeleteI would like permission to use portions of the prayer.
ReplyDeleteI would like permission to use portions of this prayer at a Class reunion gathering.
ReplyDeleteplease allow to pray this again in our reunion...
DeleteMay I use this prayer for our 50th Anniversary class reunion.
DeleteMay I please have your permission to use all -- or parts of it -- at my 70th (yes, 70th) high school reunion in September, 2020. Thank you. /s/ harveymc@suddenlink.net
ReplyDeleteThis is a lovely prayer. I would like permission to use parts of it for my 50th reunion.
ReplyDeleteI agree with others. This is a great prayer. If I could have your permission to use parts of it for our upcoming 50th high school reunion, I would appreciate it!
ReplyDelete