Free Will In the Wild: You Are Not Powerless

God of morning light and flickering stars, you breathed your Spirit into dust and called humanity good. You placed within us the sacred freedom to choose what we will carry, what we will release, what we will nurture, and who we will become. And yet, there are days when the world feels heavy— when fear grows louder than hope; when we forget that even small acts of love can illuminate the darkness. So as we gather together again, kindle your light within us. And if we come today feeling weary or powerless, remind us who we are: people created in your image, and filled with your Spirit; people called to shine. May our worship today become light for the world. In the name of Christ, who is our light and our life, we pray. Amen.