Prayer of Declaration

O God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God who sent Jesus Christ to teach us and die for the forgiveness of sins, the God who raised Jesus from the dead and gave believers the Holy Spirit to communicate with each day for guidance, comfort and truth. We worship you today! We understand that worship of you means giving ourselves to you as living sacrifices. We are learning that worship is not an act of self-satisfaction and comfort, but an act of giving ourselves for you and for others. We are learning that engaging in Kingdom minded worship will be uncomfortable because you are asking us to step outside ourselves. You are calling us to follow your commands which we often like to resist. You are calling us to make room for others unlike ourselves which means we are inviting others to be themselves even though it makes us feel uneasy. Because we want to be Kingdom minded people we recognize that this is a place for the introvert and the extrovert, the reserved and the demonstrative, the rich and the poor, the educated and the uneducated. This is a place for those who resonate with various worship styles and traditions, big and small, loud and quiet, celebrative and contemplative. This is a place for the young, the middle aged and the old. Because we understand that within the Kingdom of God there is great diversity, we welcome all nationalities and skin colors, celebrating the richness of many cultures. Teach us to make room for others, Lord, as we strive to obey your commands in every way. You are our God and our Leader and our desire is to follow you as a people of Jesus Christ.

In the name of the Father, Son and Spirit,

Amen