This prayer could be voiced many ways, with or without the scripture that inspired it.
This version is for:
- One voice leading the entire prayer, or
- A different voice leading each stanza of the prayer.
Scripture Reading
So let no one boast about human leaders. For all things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all belong to you, and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God.
— 1 Corinthians 3:21-23. NRSV
Prayer: Most Blessed, Most Beautiful Christ
Most blessed, most beautiful Christ,
in you we receive all things
The receiving takes growth, so you give us guiding—
saints and sages and scripture
Thank you for the guiding
The receiving takes others, so you give us the world—
nature and neighbors and nations
Thank you for the world
The receiving takes change, so you give us seasons—
life and death and new life
Thank you for the seasons
The receiving takes time, so you give us time-
present and future and forever
Thank you for the time
Most blessed, most beautiful Christ
You give us yourself
And in you, O Christ
We belong
To you and to God and to all
Thank you for the giving
The congregation now offers their own prayers of thanksgiving, concluding with the Lord’s Prayer
Responsive Prayer: Most Blessed, Most Beautiful Christ
This version of the prayer is a call and response, one voice praying the regular print while the congregation prays the bold print.
Most blessed, most beautiful Christ,
in you we receive all things
The receiving takes growth, so you give us guiding—
saints and sages and scripture
Thank you for the guiding
in you we receive all things
The receiving takes others, so you give us the world—
nature and neighbors and nations
Thank you for the world
in you we receive all things
The receiving takes change, so you give us seasons—
life and death and new life
Thank you for the seasons
in you we receive all things
The receiving takes time, so you give us time—
present and future and forever
Thank you for the time
in you we receive all things
Most blessed, most beautiful Christ
You give us yourself
And in you, O Christ
We belong
To you and to God and to all
Thank you for the giving
in you we receive all things
The congregation now offers their own prayers of thanksgiving, concluding with the Lord’s Prayer
Most Blessed, Most Beautiful Christ © 2014 Lisa Ann Moss Degrenia, www.revlisad.com
Don’t Miss
The Latest From Our Blog
Check out articles, featured illustrations, and book reviews on all different topics related to ministry.
Maundy Thursday | John 13:1-17, 31b-35 | A New Commandment
Reflection We all are aware of cultures that have a hierarchy—a pecking order. The elite and the hoi polloi. The acceptable and the unacceptable. In such cultures, the hierarchy determines the role. The “hoi polloi" serve the elite, the “unacceptable” serve the...
Holy Wednesday | John 13:21-32 | We Are All Judas
Reflection “I took the money, I spiked your drink, you miss too much these days if you stop to think… waves of regret and waves of joy, I reached out for the one I tried to destroy,” sings Bono of Judas Iscariot in the song “Until the End of the World,” from U2’s 1991...
Preaching the Resurrection
Easter after Resurrection Sunday One of the challenges of the Christian calendar for pastors is that we often put so much energy into Holy Week, that by the time we reach Easter Sunday, and particularly, the afternoon of Easter Sunday, all we want to do is rest:...