God of all creation,
we offer You our thanksgiving
for a time rich with connections,
among each other and with you.
We thank You for moments
when we have experienced what it is
to be united even in our differences.
Help us to grow
as a listening, discerning, learning people.
Help us to give up patterns and structures
that enslave us and others.
Help us to acknowledge our fear
and lean into Your hope
and Your courage.
Help us to grow in our trust in each other
and in Your Spirit.
Fill us with Your grace and with Your wisdom,
with Your patience and with Your love.
Propel us into Your future,
rooted in the richness of our past.
In Christ we pray. Amen.