Now, as children of our heavenly creator,
let us bring our prayers to God.

We pray with gratitude for the environment,
for the sun that shines and rain that falls.
Give us grace to show love to creation,
not harvesting right up to the edge,
but leaving enough for the earth to renew itself. 

We pray with gratitude for the church
for your holy community, made to love as you do
Give us grace to take you seriously
and ourselves less so,
making our faith communities places of radical welcome. 

We pray with gratitude for our country,
for the rights, freedoms, and services we enjoy.
Give us grace to work to make this nation 
like your holy kingdom;
a place that turns to peaceful resistance
and not revenge
that makes sure there is enough
for the poor and immigrant
that treats all equally
regardless of wealth or status. 

We pray with gratitude for our communities in Northern Kentucky
for schools, hospitals, libraries, grocery stores, mechanic shops,
that we live in a place where we can get what we need,
and often, what we only want. 
Give us grace to build up our community,
to give back with our time, talent, and treasure.
To love our neighbors in real, concrete ways.

We pray with gratitude for those closest to us—friends, family,
all we know best and love dearly. 
Give us grace to care for them
and to receive their care. 

We pray especially this day for:

[prayers of the congregation may be spoken]

And finally we pray for ourselves,
grateful that you have loved us from the first,
guided us in your own ways,
and forgiven us continually when we fall short. 
Give us grace for the week ahead,
that we might turn away from hatred and anger
and every kind of everyday sleaziness,
and turn our hearts entirely to you. 

And now we pray as Jesus taught from that same mountain in Galilee, saying:

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen.