Text of the Commissioning Prayer - April 13, 2002
on Thursday April 25, 2002 12:06PM
Commissioning Prayer Fishing Bay Yacht Club Clubhouse DedicationApril 13, 2002 by Rt. Rev. F. Clayton Matthews
We thank you, Almighty God, for the gift of water. Over it the Holy Spirit moved in the beginning of creation. On the third day of creation, you divided the waters from the land, and in the fullness of time came the ancestral waters of the Chesapeake Bay, the Piankatank River, Fishing Bay, and Jackson Creek. Bodies of water upon which we recreate and through which we sail. We present here from these four bodies of water. We ask you to sanctify this water by your creative power so that it may be a sign of the desire we have for you to grant to The Fishing Bay Yacht Club the grace of your presence. May you be known to be the inhabitant of this dwelling, the defender of this community, and the safe refuge in storms.
Sovereign God, you are the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. Send us out from this place on many adventures of congenial competition and pure pleasure, be our constant companion along the way, and welcome us upon our return so that in coming and going we may be sustained by your presence.Bless those who, from time to time, share the hospitality of this place. May your fatherly care shield them and preserve them from all harm along the way.
Stir us, Lord, to dare more boldly, to venture on wider seas where storms will show your mastery, where in losing sight of land we shall find the stars. We ask you to push back the horizons of our hope, and push us into the future in strength, hope, courage and love.
As we prepare, also, for the meal to follow, we pray, Blessed are you, O Lord, King of the universe, for you give us water and fair winds and food and drink to sustain our lives. Keep us always grateful for all you mercies and mindful of the needs of others.
Amen
A copy of this prayer is available as an attachment to this article.