PRAYER OF BLESSING

Shawnee Mission North High School

Class of 1960

40^th Reunion – 13-14 October 2000

(Wayne Zirzow)

Eternal God, our Heavenly Father, we come before You to ask Your presence among us tonight! Some have come from a long way, while others still live here – for safe travel here, we thank You!

Tonight, Father, we celebrate 40 years of memories – 40 years ago we dreamed dreams and aspired to many avenues of service as each went our separate ways to live out those dreams. Those 40 years have brought many changes to our world. Some of our classmates are with us no longer in body, only in our memory. Some of our classmates are on this planet, but our connection with them has been lost and they too are with us only in memory. We remember them all, while we are sorry because they are not with us now.

But what of us, Father? Do we have only memories? Are there no dreams left to dream? No aspirations left to have life breathed into them? No challenges left to be met? No mountains to climb? No wishes to be fulfilled? Is this all there is?

As we have shared with each other our histories yesterday and again tonight, rekindle in us the capacity to care for each other even though apart – to dream dreams of fulfillment for our family, our spouse, our children, our grand and great-grandchildren – to reach out in service to our faith communities, our states, our nation, and our world. There IS life ahead for each of us – but You, Father, give us only today, and that is Your gift to us – that’s why it’s called the PRESENT!

As You have blessed each of us, bless now the food prepared for our bodies that we may celebrate the presence of each person here this night. These spoken words and those unspoken in our hearts and minds we bring before You, O Father, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. It is in His Holy Name we pray!

Amen!