Wild and wonderful God,
Who walks in the garden of creation, desiring and delighting in good fruit
God who knows nourishment, who savors justice and goodness
God who prepares a way through the wilderness of overabundance and overstimulation…
In the to do lists, the shopping lists,
One thing checked off, and and one more thing always to needing to be done
The lists grow longer, crowding out the peace that stills our souls.
In the headlines, here and there
when confusion and anger grows
when despair sets in and fear keeps watch
The news grows bleaker, crowding out the hope that fills our souls.
In this season of cooking and feasting,
The Christmas cookies and office parties and family gatherings
We remember those who suffer—from lack of food or from loneliness or from grief—
Help us to make space at the table for those in need.
Wild and wonderful God,
You send wild and wonderful words in the midst of our to-dos, in the wilderness of our busy-ness and you send Wild and wonderful prophets—like John the Baptizer—crying out in the wilderness—preparing the way of the LORD—in ways we can never be prepared for—yet through your grace, we may taste and see these wild words as good and true and wonderful:
Inviting us to change, to grow, to bear good fruit, like hope and peace, love and joy
Good fruit like compassion and justice, creativity and generosity,
Good fruit like community and belonging,
Good fruit like feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, welcoming the stranger,
Good fruit that never spoils.
Wild and wonderful God, feed our hungry souls that we too may cry out in the wilderness of the coming
Prince of Peace, the One who taught us to pray, 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 trespasses
As we forgive those who trespass against us
Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil
For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory
Forever and ever amen.