Rev. Ryane B. Nickens

One:      All who gather here are sons or daughters. 

All:         We praise God for the women who gave us life. 

One:      For mothers brave, strong, compassionate, full of wisdom and grace, 

All:         We give God thanks and praise. 

One:      For mothers vulnerable, worried, frustrated, and hurried, 

All:        We pray for peace. 

One:      For relationships that are strained and no longer a source of joy, 

All:         We pray for healing. 

One:      For mothers who have died, that live no longer with us, but whose light shines on in our hearts and  memories, 

All:         We pray for those that mourn, and give God thanks for life eternal. 

One:      For mothers who grieve, who have lost children born or unborn, 

All:         We weep with those with broken hearts. 

One:      For those who are struggling to raise children, who are tired and weary, 

All:         We pray that we may be their village, offering real help in hard times. 

One:      For those who are preparing emptier nests, 

All:         We both celebrate and mourn with you, and hope their wings are as strong as their roots are deep. 

One:      For stepmothers, navigating the pitfalls and joys of creating a new family, 

All:         We pray for wisdom and patience. 

One:      For Grandmothers who are doing the hard work of raising children again, 

All:         We pray the caregivers have those who care for them. 

One:      For those who are waiting and sometimes struggling with the biological process to bring new life, and for those who are waiting for the adoptive process to be fulfilled. 

All:         We wait eagerly with you, and offer you our hand to hold in the trial. 

One:      For women who do not have children, but instead teach, lead, care for, and guide the children of others, 

All:         We give God thanks and praise. 

One:      For the mothers, sisters, daughters in our midst and around the world. For the women who, created in the image of God, give not just life, but abundant life. For women fighting, struggling, and sweating for the sake of others. For women caring, compassionate, and crying with the heart of Christ. For the caregivers, prophets, preachers, teachers, leaders, shepherds, healers. For Moms, in their wide variety and many forms, 

All:         We give God thanks and praise.