Author: -

CALL TO PRAYER:
Our own Venturing Oath and Code charge us to remember our duty to God and to live our lives with the deepest of moral convictions nearly as much as any theological treatise or prayerful admonition.
The Venturing Oath
As a Venturer, I promise to do my duty to God and help strengthen America, to help others, and to seek truth, fairness, and adventure in our world.
The Venturing Code
As a Venturer, I believe that America's strength lies in our trust in God and in the courage, strength, and traditions of our people.
I will, therefore, be faithful in my religious duties and will maintain a personal sense of honor in my own life.
I will treasure my American heritage and will do all I can to preserve and enrich it.
I will recognize the dignity and worth of all humanity and will use fair play and goodwill in my daily life.
I will acquire the Venturing attitude that seeks truth in all things and adventure on the frontiers of our changing world.

Let’s take time to pause in silent thankfulness for a great day!
(pause 30 seconds)
THE TRULY WONDERFUL THINGS OF LIFE----------
A story is told about a teacher who had her students write down what they thought were the present "seven wonders of the world." Many different ideas were presented, but among those most often mentioned were the great pyramids in Egypt, the Taj Mahal in India, the Grand Canyon, the Panama Canal, and the Great Wall in China.
One student was having trouble with the assignment, so the teacher asked her to read her list. She said, "I'm having trouble because there are so many." She went on to say, "I think, the seven wonders of the world are to see, to hear, to touch, to taste, to smell, to laugh, and to love." She had discovered that the most precious things in life are not things that can be built with human hands or purchased at any price. The truly wondrous things of life are those things we overlook as simple and ordinary and take for granted.
REFLECTION:
Let’s all reflect on this for a bit————(pause 5 seconds)
All our senses are given by God to make us more human and fulfilled in our life in God's creation. Laughing and loving are universal in their meaning among all peoples of the Earth. In what ways TODAY have you been seeing, hearing, feeling, tasting, and smelling familiar things in new ways to expand your experience of God's creation?
(pause 30 seconds to a minute)
PRAYER:
God, make my heart wide open to all the ways you connect me to your creation and to other people. I thank you for the wonderful ways you have created me in your image and likeness. Amen.
MUSIC: — Play and/or Sing —
Dance of Creation (by C Catalano; 3 min,23 sec)