Most Glorious Lord, churches today come in all shapes and sizes. While the buildings might vary, Your church is not confined to four walls. The church is people … Your people of every race and nationality who love You and who have dedicated their life to You. In the church, believers are showered with Your kindness, filled with the Holy Spirit’s power, freed from the bondage to sin and brought close to You through Your work on Calvary. As Your “household”, we stand by You and on Your Word. As followers, we are forever linked to You through the working of the Holy Spirit. We are dedicated to spreading the Good News. We strive to maintain the highest moral standards, reject the false teaching of the world and submit willingly to each other. As a part of Your church, I know I will be in a constant war with the forces of darkness, but You have provided me with the weapons I need to fight them.
You have described Your church as a living, spiritual house with You as its foundation and cornerstone and each believer as a living stone. The church is Your Body and You are the Head. One stone does not comprise a church or even a wall. Each stone without the others sits alone. In the world today, we are encouraged to think and act independently. To the worldly, the concept of a Christian community is foreign. In such a setting, it is easy to forget the interconnection You intended when You called each one of us into Your Body. When You called me, You did not intend for me to work alone because You called others to work with me. Together, the efforts of Your people are multiplied. As the cornerstone of the church, all things are built upon You and it is You that holds us together. The church does not stand on a flimsy base of individual success or plans, but the firm base that You supply.
The Lord’s Supper is a vital part of Your church today. It is both a reminder of Your work to rescue us from sin and death and, when consumed, is designed to strengthen and renew us in our inner man. Participation in this meaningful sacrament strengthens our faith through fellowship with You and other believers. By instituting this celebration, You intended participation to become a key part of our faith … drawing us closer to You and strengthening Your Body. To build up and edify the church, You have given it spiritual gifts to direct it into service of others and fill it with power. You desired that, through Your church, the wisdom of God would be made known to those who hungered and thirsted for more of You. Through the church, your purposes and intents have been revealed to me. For all of these reasons, I count it all joy to be a part of Your Body … the Church. And it’s in Jesus’ name I pray. AMEN!!
I Peter 2:5 You also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Christ Jesus.