Here is the Invocation I gave this morning at the Observer Dispatch's (local newspaper) Teen All Star Breakfast. As we honor our St. James graduates this Sunday, it seems appropriate:

Blessed be this day and these people in your sight.
Blessed be these parents who have guided their children, kissed them, held up dreams for them, read to them, driven them all over town, supported them, trusted them, prayed for them, and given them more values and time and love than they knew they had.
Blessed be these teachers, mentors, educators, and coaches who have encouraged these young people, taught them, believed in them, and given them more time and energy than they knew that had.
Blessed be these young people who have dreamt so big, worked so hard, and achieved so much.
Blessed be their exuberance, their hope, and their joy.  Give them fuel for the long haul and a vision beyond tomorrow.
Give them a heart of compassion for others, and a purpose beyond themselves.
Blessed be this community for we are all connected and the web of our many lives woven;
together is both the safety net and the ladder for each one.
And blessed be you, O God, sovereign of the universe, who causes the earth to bring forth good food for all.
Blessed be... Blessed be... Blessed be!
Amen.

Jen DeWeerth, minister of children and youth