Here is a beautiful prayer litany written by Bruce Prewer. Its inspiration comes from Exodus 33:12-23, where God hides Moses in the crevice of the rock and covers him with His hand as His glorious presence passes by.
Prewer is writing out of his Australian context. I’m sure he wouldn’t mind if you changed a few of the nature images to reflect your particular geographic location.
Prayer Litany
(inspired by Exodus 33:12-23)
Your goodness, loving God is universal, and we glimpse the fringes of your glory passing by through all our days.
In the still moonlit night, in the roaring of the sea, in the grandeur of mountains and the delicacy of ferny glades, in the howl of the storm and the rippling of a stream; we see your glory passing by.
All thanks to you, creating and redeeming God.
In the flight of the eagle, in the face of a wild violet, in the breaching of great whales and the call of the bell bird, in the leap of the red roo and the tapestry of an adder’s skin; we see your glory passing by.
All thanks to you, creating and redeeming God.
In the smiles of friends and the tears of a loved one, in the wisdom of great intellects and the play of kinder children, in the energy of youth and the serenity of old age; we see your glory passing by.
All thanks to you, creating and redeeming God.
In the words of Moses, in the loving care of Ruth, in the poetry of David and the prophetic words of Amos, in the faith of Elizabeth and the courage of John the Baptist; we see your glory passing by.
All thanks to you, creating and redeeming God.
In the pregnancy of Mary, in the faithfulness of Joseph, in the birth at Bethlehem and the ministry in Galilee, in the mercy of the cross and the powerlessness of the grave, we see your glory passing by.
All thanks to you, creating and redeeming God.
In the gathering of two or three, in the large congregations, in the songs of joy and the love of the neighbour, in the struggle for justice and in the Body and the Blood, we see your glory passing by.
All thanks to you, creating and redeeming God.
Father, Son and Holy Spirit, all thanks to you.
Through all time and eternity, all thanks is yours forever!
— Bruce Prewer, on Bruce Prewer’s Homepage. Visit his site for other great prayers, poems and sermons.
For more worship resources related to this text, or other texts for October 16, 2011 (the eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost), click on Proper 24A in the list of “Labels” at the lower right side of the page.
