Smoking Ceremony to Begin the Gathering

God of holy dreaming:  from the dawn of creation you have been in this ancient land.

Come, Holy Spirit, come.

Your presence endures as the rock at the heart of our land.

Come as holy fire, and burn in us.

As life-giving Spirit, you breathe life into us and we become living beings.

Come as holy wind, and blow through us.

You have made us for yourself, and our hearts are restless till they find their rest in you.

Come as holy truth and wisdom, and satisfy us.

We stumble in the darkness and wound your love.

Come as holy forgiveness, and free us.

Eternal Spirit within us and beyond us,

teach us to treat each other with dignity and respect.

For every person is your dwelling place and home.

Let us share in choice and action

your deep desire for justice and peace.

Let us in the spirit of forgiving

make friends with those we have harmed and failed to love.

Stay with us,

as we walk with others.

Look on us,

as we look others into life.

Listen to us,

as we listen others into speech.

and gift us,

as we learn to be instruments of your grace.

God of holy dreaming:  may Jesus’ words be ours, for this Gathering and for the Council:

I have come to cast fire on the earth and would that it were kindled.