Holy One, in You we live and move
and have our being.

Before the mountains came into being,
You were there.

Before the seas were formed,
You were there.

Before the valleys and meadows,
the mesas and the prairies,
You were there.

Before our first ancestor
saw the light of that first day,
You were there.

And when the last human
takes his last breath,
You will be there.

For nothing lasts forever,
all that lives upon the earth
shall one day wither and die;

Like the wildgrass on the hillsides,
filled with bright flowers one day —
yellowed and brittle the next.

Springtime’s green leaves
go out in a burst of color:
turning their ending into a celebration.

Then they fly away,
wind-borne,
to an unknown destination,

rejoicing as they go;
trusting the benevolence
that they have always known.

Teach us, O Lover of Our Souls,
to count our days
carefully and joyfully.

Remind us, Father of All Time,
that every hour is a sacrament,
a gift from You to us.

Nourish us each morning
with Your sustaining love,
that builds up our faith and courage.

Fill our hearts continually
with thankful praise
for the life You have given us

and when our time here is finished,
send us on our way
rejoicing as we go.