Covenant Renewal

Last night, as part of our New Light gathering, we spent some time in reflection using a modified version of the Covenant Renewal Service in the Wesleyan tradition - a service that calls participants to renew their covenant with God. The climax of the service is this powerful prayer for Covenant Renewal:

I am no longer my own, but yours.
Put me to what you will,
rank me with whom you will;
put me to doing,
put me to suffering;
let me be employed for you
or laid aside by you,
exalted for you or brought low for you;
let me be full,
let me be empty;
let me have all things,
let me have nothing;
I freely and wholeheartedly yield
all things to your pleasure and disposal.

And now, glorious and blessed God,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
you are mine and I am yours.
So be it.
And the Covenant now made on earth,
let it be ratified in heaven.

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You know that old expression, "Be careful what you pray for!"? It definitely applies in this situation, because when we pray, "I am no longer my own but yours..." -- when we pray, "I freely and wholeheartedly yield all things to your pleasure and disposal..." -- that's a prayer of surrender. The act of surrendering, it seems to me, isn't to be entered into lightly... but when we're able to truly surrender, that's a pretty powerful (powerless!) thing! I wonder what God might do with me -- how God might use me -- if I were able to truly surrender all things, yield all things, give myself completely to God. I hope I can find out.

Here at the beginning of a brand new year, we're challenging everyone in the New Light community -- and on Sunday, everyone in the Chestnut UMC congregation as well -- to pray this prayer daily. We've printed up bookmarks with the words so everyone can keep them at their fingertips, and we're providing a weekly guide to daily devotions. We hope people will be intentional about spiritual practices using these resources, and we can't wait to see the transformation God can accomplish in us through our faithfulness to these daily practices.