Children's Sabbath

This past Saturday we held the first annual children's sabbath in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, which included members of Court Street and Main Street Methodist Church, Trinity Episcopal Church and Sacred Heart Catholic Church.
It included an hour of fun and games followed by a ecumenical worship service.
I would like to share a prayer from the service:

Tender and Tenacious God,
We confess that we have closed our eyes, hearts, and hands
when you have reached out and tried to teach us.

Making us in your image and calling your creation good,
You tried to reveal yourself to us in each child,
And yet we still try to divide people into "us" and "them."

Sending us Jesus, the Prince of Peace,
You tried to show us how to love another,
And yet we still resort to violence and might to solve our conflicts.

Feeding your people with manna sufficient for the day,
You wanted us to trust that we will have what we need and
to share what we can,
And yet we still try to hoard the blessings meant for all.

Forgive us, we pray, for failing to hear and heed
what you have tried to teach us.
Open our eyes that we see you in all children, not just our own,
That our children may be free from all hate;

Open our hearts that we seek to manifest your peace
in our lives and in our world,
That our children may be free from all harm;

Open our hands that we resist the urge to hoard,
and embrace the call to share,
That our children may be free from all need.

This we ask children made in your image,
safe in your love, and showered by your blessings. Amen.