Father,
Each time a new week begins, we are so glad to be coming to this place. Since we love you, all that is dedicated to your service has gained a place in our affections. You do not dwell in temples made with hands, yet we love even this building for your sake. We love seeing the steeple that points to your heavenly dwelling place. We love sitting on these benches where we receive instruction and wisdom and correction and encouragement from your word. We love the walls and ceiling of this room as it fills with the songs of your holy ones, offering up their praises to you. We also love the small quiet rooms of the church where your Spirit has so often spoken to us through the words of a brother or sister. We love the round potluck tables where this family that you forged for yourself can sit together in unity and love and joy and eat their food with thankfulness. We love the table in front of us in this room because here, with bread and wine, we remember the death of Jesus by which you took useless, sinful, animalistic human beings and made us sons of God, giving us glory and honor and immortality.
May all who come into this place seeking you, find you. May those dying under the weight of their guilt find the freedom of your forgiveness. May those who are anxious and fearful come to know the depth of your care and receive the incomprehensible peace. May those who are lonely find a family. May those who are tired of the world and thirst for the things which are above, have their desire satisfied. May those who are sick in body find healing and the strength to endure for the appointed time. May those who receive these blessings of yours find fullness of joy in the knowledge that they are from you who never gives grudgingly, but out of your profound love. At your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
Please help us to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Give us the humility to consider whatever we hear from any of our brothers and sisters. Keep each of us from the pride that can make us hold tenaciously to our own opinion and reject the right thinking of others and refuse to acquiesce to their counsel. Help us to be wise ones who call out for knowledge and not, though obstinacy, make slow progress in the faith. At the same time, help us to be temperate in this so that we do not value our own judgments so little as to be always changing our opinion and have our course of life be blown by the wind. In this way, may you be honored in our humble unity and in the steadfastness of our course of life.
Please arrange conversations for us according to our abilities and your gifts, for us to speak about Jesus with those who do not yet know you. Give us the joy of being part of the work that you do in the world of calling people to yourself.
We desire to honor you with our worship this morning. Bless the musicians with skillful hands and voices and a heart full of wonder at you. Bless those who read and exposit the scriptures with deep love for you and your people. Bless those who pray with the awe of being near you. Bless with affection and wisdom those who welcome others. Bless with peace and joy those who care for children. May all that is done here this morning be honoring to you and promote the unity and affection among your people that you desire.