Thanks be to God

 Liturgy based on Ecclesiastes 3

L: Did you know? Have you heard? Everything has its time.

P: There is a time to be born - to be welcomed to the world, and there is a time to die, to leave this world for the next.

L: There is a time to plant - to with excitement and anticipation place a seed in the ground,

P: and there is a time to harvest, to gratefully gather what has grown.

All: Thanks be to the God who is timeless.

L: It is hard to believe that there is a right time to kill, and a right time to heal.

P: It is hard to believe that there is a right time to destroy and a right time to construct.

L: There are times when we need to cry, and there are times when we need to laugh.

P: There are times for grief, and times for joyful dancing.

All: Thanks be to the God who is in all times.

L: We know that sometimes we must throw away stones and other times we need to gather them.

P: We know that there are times to hug, and times to give others space.

L: Sometimes we seek, and sometimes we lose.

P: Sometimes we keep what we have, and sometimes we desperately need to throw it away.

All: Thanks be to God who comes at the right time, every time.

L: The fabric of our lives can be torn apart or sewn together

P:  Our voices can harm or help, so there are times to speak and times to keep silent.

L: It seems that it is the right time for love all the time, but we can hate injustice and harm.

P: It seems that it is the right time for peace all the time, but we can fight against that which hurts others always.

All: Thanks be to God.