We pray for newness, O God.
As the stroke of midnight nears,
and this year draws to its end,
we give thanks for the gifts it brought.
For all the joy, the laughter, the friendship,
and the good cheer, we say thank you.
We remember as well the struggles,
the sorrows, and the disappointments.
Where heartache filled our wells,
may our spirits be open to what it taught us.
May our past shape us without warping us.
May the memories of light and darkness alike
offer us hope beyond idealism
and truth beyond cynicism.
Fill us with courage, Time-Giver,
In this year ahead:
To love more deeply;
To imagine more curiously;
To give more generously;
To act more graciously;
To forgive more freely;
To pray more boldly;
That your Kingdom might come, even in us.
In the name of the One in whom we measure the ages,
Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.
