Writing words for liturgy is one of the joys of my life.  I often write (or heavily adapt) calls to worship, prayers, even the occasional hymn, for the Sunday morning worship services at Peace Mennonite.  It’s partly that I love to write them, and partly that I’m pretty picky and often can’t find the perfect piece.

So I’ve decided to post a “worship piece” on my blog each Wednesday. Today’s piece is a prayer I wrote for this coming Sunday.  We have two people joining our church, and I had no luck finding a prayer of thanksgiving and blessing for such an occasion.

Gracious and Holy God,

We are all members of the Body of Christ, living and active in this world; seeking justice, pursuing peace, promoting your deep and abiding love.

We thank you this morning especially for this part of the Body that is _________ Church. And we thank you that _____ and ______ have decided to covenant with us as full members.

Bless them as they continue to follow the way of Jesus, seeking to serve you with all of their lives.

And bless this congregation, that we might be a comforting–and a challenging–home for them, and for all who join us on the journey. Amen.