Creator of the sun and moon, we raise our voice to you.    

We pray, Great Spirit, that in our journey through life   

We may know the harmony and rhythm of the setting sun.  

We pour out our deep-seated gratitude…  

For the bountiful harvest your hand has provided,  

For the beauty of the dying leaves,   

For our surrendering and our letting go,  

For those who have gone ahead.  

We seek your forgiving mercy and your vast grace. 

We look for your image in all we meet. 

We pursue your image in deepest center.  

We pray that we may look longingly toward the twilights of our lives.  

With open hands and hearts may we be blessed like the brilliance of the sunset.   

Enlarge our hearts that you may enter in.   

O most Holy Trinity, 

May we feel your greatness 

May we answer your call 

May we love lavishly.  

Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah!  

—Penny Salazar Phillips  

At Mile High Ministries we pay special attention to the four natural seasons here in Denver, and allow them to form us. They are part of nature’s “book of revelation” that is open to all. Each season has nourished hundreds of generations here on the banks of the Platte River, and the fall months now offer their blessings to us as a spiritual community.  

During our staff gatherings these days we’re asking two fall-themed questions: 

What are we gathering? Lots to savor and take in. 

What are we invited to release? Some things need to fall away, or even die. 

We invite you to join us by reflecting on your own gatherings and releasings. 

*More autumn prayers and reflections from Penny Salazar Phillips and other staff can be found in our beautifully illustrated book Beyond Our Efforts: A Celebration of Denver Peacemaking, starting on p. 157.