Autumn Leaves and an Autumn Prayer

Once again, here is my beautiful Liquid Amber Tree.

I could not resist posting a couple of more photos.

Now the leaves are falling and

even the pattern they make on the ground is beautiful.

The prayer that follows has the line,

"God of fallen leaves lying in colored patterns in the ground...."

I have a favorite Autumn Prayer

 that I heard at an Episcopal Service in Medford, Oregon.

This tree reminds me of the prayer. 

Here it is for you to enjoy. 

A Prayer at Autumn Time

God of the seasons there is a time for everything;

There is a time for dying and a time for rising.

We need courage to enter into the transformation process.

God of autumn, the trees are saying goodbye to their green,

Letting go of what has been. We, too, have our moments of surrender,

With all their insecurity and risk. Help us to let go when we need to do so.

God of fallen leaves lying in colored patterns on the ground,

Our lives have their own patterns. 

As we see the patterns of our own growth,

May we learn from them.

God of misty days and harvest moon nights, 

There is always the dimension of mystery and wonder in our lives. 

We always need to recognize your power-filled presence.

May we gain strength from this.

God of harvest wagons and fields of ripened grain,

Many gifts of growth lie within the season of our surrender.

We must wait for harvest in faith and hope.

Grant us patience when we do not see the blessings.

God of geese going south for another season,

Your wisdom enables us to know what needs to be left behind,

And what needs to be carried into the future.

We yearn for insight and vision.

God of flowers touched with frost and windows wearing white designs,

May your love keep our hearts from growing cold in the empty seasons.

God of life, you believe in us, you enrich us, 

You entrust us with the freedom to choose life.

For all of this, we are grateful.

Author Unknown - This prayer was read at a service at St. Mark’s Church,   Medford, November 2006