Prayer of Invocation and the Lord’s Prayer
Leader: No matter who you are – what you have done or have left undone / No matter where you are on life’s journey – how widely you have traveled or how persistently you have sought to stand still /In this house of worship, all are welcome to experience the indescribable and immeasurable love of God. Together, let us pray to the Triune God . . .
All: Most Gracious God, we greet you once again in this sacred space. We have come because we need to be reminded of your love and your expectations for our living. Restore our vision so that when we gaze at the familiar it is transformed into something richer and more beautiful than we could have imagined. In our praying and through our presence, deepen our devotion to you and to the worldwide community of Christ followers known as the church. Together with disciples in this and every age, we pray: Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.
So What?
Many congregations have Rally Day or some kind of a kick-off event this Sunday to officially launch a new year of discipleship and Christian community. Whether your congregation offers three or three hundred such opportunities and whether you have read the literature once or studied it often, consider looking at it again with fresh eyes as you open yourself to growth.