by Olivia Hastie

Tonight we gather,
like rivers meeting—
each of us arriving with our own current,
each called by name again and again.

Gratitude flows through us:
for the seeds planted through the years,
for the hands that tended them,
for the courage that kept them alive
in soil that was sometimes rocky, often rich.
We give thanks for those who poured themselves out like rain,
trusting new life would rise.

Transformation is our story—
like water that reshapes stone,
like tides that open new paths
where none seemed possible.

Our work hasn’t always been easy,
but it has been holy, and it has made us whole.
We have known joy—not the fleeting kind,
but the kind that wells up and spills over,
that lingers around tables,
that multiplies when shared.

As we leave this table,
let gratitude go with us—steady as a river’s course.
Let joy remain among us—returning like the tide.
Let transformation guide us—restless and renewing.

We give thanks for 35 years of FutureChurch
and for being gathered here tonight.

Peace is already among us—
alive in our hands, alive in our hearts.
Let us go forth and share that peace
as companions, as community, as friends.
With gratitude for the reality that the Spirit still speaks.

Amen