​A LITURGY FOR THE FIRST FIRE OF THE SEASON

 

 THE FOLLOWING IS MEANT TO BE READ BY VARIOUS PARTICIPANTS IN TURN, ONE LINE AT A TIME, AS THEY LAY A TWIG UPON THE FIRE.

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May this be a place of celebration,

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Of conversation, and of caring,

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Of the sharing and bearing of burdens,

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Of the multiplication of joys,

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Of light in the darkness and warmth in the cold.

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May this be a place of prayers and hopes,

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Of plans and quiet considerations.

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A place of shared stories and of good dreams.

 

O God of counsel and comfort, may this hearth be a holy place where our souls are deepened by fellowship and reflection, even as harbors are dredged to create deeper, fairer havens.

 

Grant us grace to savor this season as we live it together, that in later days the memory of this place and these times will linger sweetly, shaping our lives, our words, our deeds.

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May the comfort and fellowship of this hearth be so kindled in our own hearts, O Lord, that as we journey outward from this place, even in seasons of cold and darkness, we will do so always carrying the warmth of Your love, and the light of Your mercies.

 

Amen.

 

IN PEACE I WILL BOTH LIE DOWN AND SLEEP: FOR YOU ALONE, O LORD, MAKE ME DWELL IN SAFETY. PSALM 4:8

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