God our Creator and Redeemer,
We come before You in praise for your mighty works, the wonder of the world that You have provided for us, the beauty of the heavens that surrounds us, the sun that gives us warmth in the day, and the moon and stars that shine on us at night. Your Creation is fulfilled as we are surrounded by the birds of the air, the fishes of the sea, the wild animals of our earthly life.
Celebrating the gifts that You have provided us, we think back on another year that has just passed. Where we have faced times of adversity we have found comfort in Your presence. When we have been overwhelmed with sadness, or grief, or loss, we find abundant solace in Your abiding Word. And yet again, the joy of this season overcomes the doubts, the sorrows, and challenges that we have faced. In the memories of this year we can see an overarching message of love for all persons.
We celebrate our connections with others as we look back in the months that have gone before. We remember with thanksgiving those who have been kind to others, those who have been positive, those who have demonstrated Your love within our own circle of friends and family. We also remember this day those who are in need of your care: those in nursing homes or who are ill, those who are alone and cut off from those who can provide compassion. Help us again, as you have sustained us in this past year; give us the awareness and energy to be a ministry of your Love to all in our circle. And as we look back in the recognition of the blessings that you have provided us, let us look ahead in the year ahead to be an instrument of your Love.
For we ask this in the Name of Your Child, Jesus, in whom Love never ends, and in whom all things are possible.
Amen.