There is something special about laughter
It makes me warm and fills me with glee
Then the tears that follow after
Are treasured by you and me
It’s more contagious than the common cold
It affects the very young and the quite old
It crosses over every border every barrier
It’s the sound that makes you think I wanna marry her
The pure joy of jumping in a puddle
And coming inside to warm up and cuddle
It wells up and surges forward and bursts out
Especially when it’s not supposed to
You can’t stop it because it came out of the blue
Share your joy with others give them hope and peace
That the good in us will always increase
This joy is radioactive it permeates the very air
You may not see it, but most can feel it there
Laughter makes the heart light
Like somehow, everything will be alright

Traveling along down that long dusty road
Carrying within a heavy load
You journeyed far as Christ in-dwelt
A warmth that would cause ice to melt
You went forth to Bethlehem: house of bread
With no guarantees only Spirit led
From there he came forth to shine the light
That pierces even the blackest of night
Born in a stable not a place to call your own
But that night love itself came home
Shepherds and wisemen and animals send
Honor to the king as on knees they bend
They came from fields both near and far
Following the radiant wandering star
They pay their respects and you hold it in your heart
Could you have known the truth right from the start?
You son would come to redeem and save
But to do so, he would first be in a grave
Was it quiet and still on the first night was all the world at peace
For we received the presence of the one who frees
As a mother you wrapped him in your loving arms
As a mother you tried to keep him safe from harm
As a mother you danced when he laughed and wept when he cried
You held his body in your arms again when he died
As a mother you walked beside him as he went
You trusted his plan even if you didn’t see at the moment
As a mother you were present and you cared
You comforted your son when he was scared
As a mother, show us your son that we too may know
Him and follow him and likewise grow
May our faith be strong and may it never die
May the well run deep and the living waters never be dry
As our mother, we look to you for compassion and healing
As our mother intercede on our behalf as we are kneeling
Be with us always and give us the grace
To look around us and, everywhere, see Jesus’ face
Bless and protect us and forgive us I pray
As we battle to move forward day by day

To look on love is to gaze at Jesus' face
To start to understand the depth of Amazing Grace
To look on love is to see past the faults to the good within
To still be loved and cherished even when we sin
To look on love we open ourselves to pain and heartache
But to keep pressing on when it's all that you can take
To look on love is to find someone who challenges us to grow
Attuned so well that, when something is amiss, they know
To look on love is to find a true friend; a treasure most precious of all
And when you are in need they come breaking down the wall
To look on love is to be at peace when there are no words
Someone to carry you when the cross you bear really hurts
To look on love is to see with eyes beyond the human mind
That searching the depths of our souls we find
To look on love is to take the joy with the pain
And find sunshine in the middle of the rain
To look on love is to find a place of inner peace
Where light and life are found, fears are stilled, and troubles cease
To look on love is to find that which does inspire
And will find your soul's one true desire
To look on love is a feeling so swell
For love takes all but a lifetime to tell

In Praise

In gratitude and thanksgiving we give you praise
Wisdom and blessings on the one who prays
We honor you the Most High God
We dance and sing you give you laud
We celebrate what we have received
Your life your very presence in us we believed
In the Eucharist our thanksgiving
Font of life and hope for the living
Your justice and mercy we extol
And in your loving arms you will console
Those who mourn and the pushed aside
Their cries are heard and their pleas are not denied
Your Love is boundless and Your grace abounds
As I get closer my heart now pounds
It beats so strong with life and vigor
You are radioactive and my heart gets even bigger
I love to love and i try to love like you
And your Love is the strongest glue
In gratitude for all the blessings and gifts
I come back to you with a song on my lips
There is a fire in my heart that will not die or dim
Because it was put there by none other than Him
Take Lord, all that we have to give
Multiply it and show us how to truly live
To serve not only our neighbor but even our foes
Treating all with care and respect for we are like the rose
Beautiful and sweet but be warned
If not handled right we may feel the thorns
We thank you God for the earth and all you have made
And still you know every hair on our head and every grass blade
And for your creation: a masterpiece and work of art
That we should love you with all our mind and soul and heart

United to Christ we adore
United to each other what are we waiting for
United in love together we stand
We can begin to heal our broken land
United we bring the kingdom come here
Together we may cast off hatred and fear
When we work together with our sisters and brothers
We can start to bring about a faith revival
We can begin to thrive and not focus only on survival
Uniting our hearts to Jesus we draw nearer
Drawing closer we reflect Jesus as a mirror
So much more unites us that which does divide
I want to make a change but I'll let you decide
If you want to join a revolution start a fire
Watch it burn brighter and hotter and higher
United we stand against the devil and his ways
United we stand for Christ and creation for all our days
United we are hope for a world that seems so lost
Standing up for what is right can come at a high cost
But you are worth it Lord and you thought we were as well
So much that, perfect, you died to save us from hell
United we come to pray and give glory
United we join ourselves as a part of His-story
United we lift our voices in worship and song
United we find a family a place where all can belong
We stand together in faith hope and love
In union with the perfect communion of the trinity above
With the Angels and Saints who praise your name
We your children strive to do the same
United as one body working to act as one
We care for Christ as we help everyone
From the greatest to the least from the powerful to the weak
From those who stand strong and tall to the ones down on their knees
We are all one people one children of one father
We live on one world as son and daughter
We do not stand alone or apart
When we are united not at hip but in heart

Amen

Mary Mother of God, Mary Most Holy
Take me into yourself and in doing so draw me closer to Christ
It is through you that we find we are led to a deeper understanding of Christ
The more we understand who Christ is the better we are able to know who and what we are
Mary, take me as your son and love me as my mother
Comfort me when I am and stay with me when I feel sad
Grant me the ability to treat you with the love, care and respect you deserve as the mother of Jesus and as my mother
Mary you are pure and blameless with no stain of sin or death
By your grace, grant me some share in fellowship with our Lord
I know your son well enough Mary, but I want to know you better
This prayer is very much like a letter
Today we celebrate simplicity, humility and love for creation
With St. Francis of Assisi
Remind us of the sanctity and beauty of life in all its stages and forms
Look with favor upon your church and upon this earth
See all the destruction we have brought upon ourselves
In our ignorance and arrogance of Jesus
Look with mercy and love upon your children longing to make a change
Bless and strengthen us to act with love, peace, and wisdom
As we go about our lives strengthen our devotion
To you and your son and the Holy Spirit
Guide us along the one true road
As we pray to the angels and saints
May we learn and grow in sanctity and holiness
One day we stand before our maker in all his perfect glory
Did we enjoy the life we had, did we use the gifts we were given, how did we love
What will be my answer and will I be counted among the shepherd's flock
Mary be my shelter in the storms of life
Mary be my way to be closer to your son
Mary be my love that shines forever
Mary be my peace and the grace for everyday
Mary be with me always in every little way

From life's first cry to final breath
In my living daily until my hour of death
You chose me and formed me with love and affection
Wonderfully and marvelously made with no exception
From my head to my hands to my little happy feet
I am the only one of me. I am perfectly unique.
You gave me eyes to seek and a heart to hear
You gave me a burning love to drive out fear
You gave me parents to love me and to teach
They taught me to pray and challenged me to reach
They raised and cared for me the best that they knew how
How lucky I am I'm starting to realize now
You gave me a home to laugh, play, and learn
How love and affection I never had to earn
There were times I was lost and couldn't see the light
I'd cry myself to sleep sometimes but I never left your sight
You were always there for me if I only looked around
I could run and I could hide, but I was always found
You gave me hope and a future; you gave me a chance
To live, to make this world better, maybe find romance
To share my love with another: the biggest thing from one so small
You gave me the gift of Life. The greatest gift of all!

Bread of Life seed that dies to be reborn
You shine so bright like the sun in the morn
You blanket the heavens at night with the stars
Divine Physician come heal our scars
We are your people called by your name
By your word I let go of my guilt and shame
Your love reaches the depths of my inmost being
I lay my burdens down at your feet and it is freeing
I place my trust in you and walk across the water
I am but clay in the hands of the master potter
Keeping my eyes fixed on you I will not be afraid and sink
You are the living well from which I drink
In your Spirit my soul is alive and I am living well
You are the healing rain when I am in a dry spell
Come to me and hear me now, meet me here this day
Bless me and look kindly upon me listen while I pray
I cannot feel you near where are you hide not your face
Come now and bathe me in your love and grace
You are my breath my strength and my hope
You are my lifeline a safety rope
I look to you Oh Lord my God I need to see some sign
That you are still there and your hand is still holding mine
Renew me Lord my heart is burdened and heavy
I'm tired of running and fighting and maybe I'm ready
To start coming back so run to me as I come home still far
He'll take you back and hold you close and meet you where you are
Be at peace and come start to heal
Know that I am God and that I am real

Amen

There in the stillness, the whisper of angel's wings
There in the stillness a place for beggars and kings
There in the stillness a fluttering of the soul
There in the stillness someone broken is being made whole

There in the stillness and silence of this room
Like standing there in Easter's empty tomb
There in the stillness and silence of this place
I open my eyes and find myself standing face to face

There in the silence I think I feel you say
There in the silence that all will be okay
There in the silence I hear my heartbeat still
There in the silence you hold me and you always will

There in the quiet a word of blessing and peace
There in the quiet there is freedom and release
There in the quiet I sing and praise and dance
There in the quiet a part of the sacred romance

There in the rest a river of life overflows
There in the rest a fruitful garden grows
There in the rest I am anchored and secure
There in the rest is a joy so real and pure

There in my life a battle day and night
There in my life a war between darkness and light
There in my life the Lord is always by my side
There in my life my God be glorified

Praise and glory to God on high
Prayer and song fill the sky
Lift your heart and raise your eyes
Please dry our tears and hear our cries

Amen

Red is for the blood you shed for me and for your sacred heart
Brown is for the wood of the cross: the bridge from heaven to earth
Purple is for your kingship. In honor of your power and majesty
Gold for the richness of knowing you and a reminder of the value of our souls
Blue for sadness and the water that flowed from your side
White for the veil that was torn, for holiness and purity
Yellow is for the sun bursting forth on Easter morning
Green is for new life and for good pastures