(largely plagiarised from a combination of prayers found online, plus some songs I love, plus some of my own additions)

Lord,

We give you this past year

With all the delight and sorrow,

all the pain and love and longing it has held for us,

and we ask you to hold it for us- gently, safely.

Lord, you make all things new

You bring hope alive in our hearts

And cause our spirits – and this whole world- to be born again.

Thank you for this new year.

Thank you that you are already in it

– resurrecting and renewing-

and bringing deep restoration.

Walk beside us, O Holy One,

As we question and welcome

As we challenge and invite

As we learn and share our learnings

As we bleed and as we heal

As we doubt and as we trust

As we grieve and as we hope

As we see, touch, taste, smell, and listen.

Let us be hidden

In the safety of your love.

We trust your heart and your intentions.

Where we trust you, we don’t need to understand.

We choose to dive into your ocean of love,

to the place where it is safe

– even freeing-

to surrender control of the narrative.

And, where we struggle with doubts and with fears

We ask that you hold us, even more closely.

This is your world

And we give this year to you to carry.

As we embark on 2023, with all that it holds for each of us,

We place our hands

In your big ones, Papa.

Amen