Creating spirit, giver of all good things,
we thank you for
the natural majesty and beauty of this land in which we live.
They restore us, though we often destroy them.
We ask for healing.
We offer thanksgiving for
the great resources of our nation.
They make us rich in many ways, though we too often exploit them.
Forgive our selfishness.
We are thankful for
the women and men who have made this country strong.
They can be mirrors for us, though we often fall short of their vision.
We seek fresh inspiration.
We offer our gratitude for
the torch of liberty which has been lit in our land.
It has drawn people from every nation to give energy and strength to our common
life
though we too often hide from liberty's light of inclusion.
We need your enlightenment.
We are thankful for
the faith we have inherited in all its rich variety.
It sustains life, though we have been faithless again and again.
We ask for renewal of spirit.
We are grateful for
all the goodness, love and grace in our lives.
Strengthen our efforts to blot out ignorance and prejudice and
to abolish violence and economic injustice.
Hasten the day when all our people, with many voices, can
live together in true unity and peace.
July 6, 1997