Praying in 2026
Mennonite Church Alberta's Three Priorities will be the focus for 2026, which may take the form of a prayer or a Menno Minute, or a something else! (Have an idea - please reach out!) But let's not lose sight of communal prayer, either.
Prayers will be added to this page throughout the year as it seems natural. If you, your church, family, small group, Sunday School Class or any other group has an idea for a prayer, please email Linda
July
15-July-2026
Prayer of the People
God of all creation, the works of your hands are worthy of our attention and care. You created all things--the mountains and the trees, the rivers and the sunshine, the rainbows and the earthworms; all things that you have called good. You gave this good creation to humanity, who you made in your image, and gave us the job of caring for the earth and one another.
Give us what we need to be good stewards of all that you have created for us, and let us experience life anew. Help us to see the world through your eyes, seeing the beauty in all that you have made, so that we may be compelled to love and care for all you have made. Help us to see your face in every person you have created, see your love in every rainbow, and see your hand in every sunset.
Amen.
Written by Debbie Bledsoe, Pastor at First Mennonite Church Edmonton
June
30-June-26
campers’ prayer - camp valaqua 2025
under the branches
of the tall pines
where the breath of god
dances in the boughs
of the ever green
we give thanks
for the joy
of touching the earth
on this holy ground
we recognize
those who made this their home
long before
property
could be listed
and up for sale
and we give thanks
for those who recognized
that this land
could bring so many of us
into a fuller appreciation of creation
and a deeper awareness
of the divine.
and now we ask
that each of us will flourish
from the deep rootedness
of the commitment we have made
to god
to one another
and to the ongoing nurture
of this sacred site.
amen
24-June-26
Blessing
May your life be a river.
May you flow with the purpose
of the One who created
and called you,
who directs your course
and turns you ever
toward home.
May your way shimmer
with the light of Christ
who goes with you
who bears you up
who calls you by name.
May you move
with the grace of the Spirit
who brooded over
the face of the waters
at the beginning
and who will gather you in
at the end.
~ written by Jan L. Richardson, and posted on The Painted Prayerbook. http://paintedprayerbook.com/
17-June-26
10-June-26
Reverence
'Wake and watch the universe shrug itself into wakefulness, and night surrenders slowly to day and shadow relinquishes itself to light. I watch this display and realize that the moon lives in the lining of my skin, the sun rises with my consciousness, and the earth thrums in the bottom of my feet. Everywhere I go, I take that sense of wonder and mystery with me.'
-an excerpt from the book, "Embers", by Richard Wagamese
3-June-26
A Benediction
Beloved, as you go from here, go with the knowledge that God loves you just as you are and
longs to be your companion in life.
Go knowing that God calls each of us to grace and love
and mercy. Go knowing that you are surrounded by a community that is seeking to follow
God, and that you are in good company.
Go, and be a light in the world.
Written by Debbie Bledsoe, Pastor at First Mennonite Church Edmonton
May
27-May-26
May 31 is Trinity Sunday
20-May-26
May the face of God’s radiance shine upon you.
May the light of Christ glimmer, sparkle, and gleam within you.
May his love dazzle, shimmer, and glisten
behind and before you, day and night.
May Christ’s love radiate in, around, and through you.
May his love sparkle, glitter, and glow as he comforts and restores you.
And may you be a blessing as your light beams and twinkles,
sharing his light with all the lives you touch.
Amen
February
11-Feb-26
Our Shared Prayer is an MCA Communiqué feature for 2025.
Prayers written by our pastors and others in our congregations are being shared for both personal and congregational use.
These will be catalogued here as the year unfolds. We are grateful for all the prayer-writers in our midst! Thanks be to God.