Prayers from the Methodist Prayer Handbook

All-knowing God, you are the One who sees all and is through all. Father, so often we speak as if we know and understand the mysteries of life and behave like there are things which we can hide from you. Jesus, we treat you as if your understanding is like our knowledge and we fail to grasp the extent of your awareness of all things, even the things within the depth of our souls. Forgive us. Holy Spirit, would you search our hearts, illuminate our minds and graciously uncover more of the true riches and treasures that are contained in your good purposes for us? That the name of Jesus may be praised. Amen.

I lift my eyes to the trees. Majestic canopy in city square, flourishing in a field hedge, thorn on a rocky outcrop. I shuffle leaves, pick fruit and plant acorns. But I like wood floors, beams in cathedrals and old ships. Forests are fought over and industrial logging endangers all life. Yet as biblical people met God under landmark trees, all creation meets heaven on the Cross. That tree of life, love, death and hope. Forever attractive to artists, trees yield new truths to science every day; their rings tell secrets of the long past; their roots talk along a web. Home to diverse creatures and, best of all, they capture carbon. Creator God, turn my awe for trees into respectful living.