From what I heard, the Covenant Renewal Service this past Sunday was well received. (Please continue to let me know what you think, I would only ask that you “smite me gently” [1] if you didn’t like it.) Unfortunately, the extremely cold weather meant that many people were unable to attend. To that end, I want to share the core of the covenant service, A Covenant Prayer in the Wesleyan Tradition, with you here:

I am no longer my own, but yours.
Put me to what you will, place me with whom you will.
Put me to doing, put me to suffering.
Let me be put to work for you or set aside for you,
Praised for you or criticized for you.
Let me be full, let me be empty.
Let me have all things, let me have nothing.
I freely give all that I am and all that I have to you.
And now, O wonderful and Holy God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
you are mine, and I am yours.
So be it.
And the covenant which I have made on earth,
Let it be ratified in heaven. Amen. [2]

[1] I have a strong memory of finding this wonderful turn of phrase in the writing of John Wesley, but I don’t remember where, Google isn’t as helpful as it could be, and it’s not worth a lot of effort one way or the other.

[2] There are numerous versions of this prayer floating around in books and online. Because of that variety, I’ve felt free to choose the phrases I hold best suited from several different versions. The closest thing to an authoritative version is found in The United Methodist Hymnal as number 607, but the language is somewhat dated.