General Invocations
Submitted by John P. Cove
District 7910
Governor 2002-2003
ATHOL
We bless Thee, O God, for this food which tells
of Thy Continued care over us. We acknowledge this gift and Thy love which
prompts it. We ask Thy blessing upon this meeting of Rotarians. May our
hearts be filled with love and praise to Thee at all times. Amen. (38)
AYER
Almighty God, we beseech Thy guidance and wisdom for this world-wide
organization of Rotary International. Devoted to Service Above Self, may
each one of us be inspired to respond to the opportunities for better
serving our fellow man. And may these provisions of Thy bounty, so
graciously given, be thankfully received. Amen. (25)
Direct us by Thy wisdom and love as we meet in Rotary fellowship. Open our
eyes to the power for understanding and peace as we see ourselves, not alone
by ourselves, but united with brother Rotarians in many parts of the world.
We pray that this great global effort for goodwill toward mankind will
encourage us to go forward in good works to Thy honor and to the benefit of
those in need. Amen. (25)
Almighty God, we invoke a blessing upon this occasion of Rotary fellowship.
Make us aware of the deeper significance of our meeting as we develop our
friendships as the source of Rotary service - service radiating from this
community to the wider community beyond. Amen. (25)
O gracious and everlasting God who has given us this good land for our
heritage, we pray Thee to prosper our many efforts to share our blessings
and our talents with others. Especially do we commend to Thy guidance our
membership in Rotary International that we may show forth Thy praise in our
willingness to serve and to strive for unity and peace with all men of good
will. Amen. (25)
BILLERICA
Thank Thee for the opportunity to join with this great Rotary Club and to
share the fellowship of Rotarians everywhere in the spirit of service. Thank
Thee for our visitors, our guests, and the food which we are about to
partake. Amen (33)
THE BOYLSTONS
Lord, we acknowledge Thee as the Creator and Sustainer of all life. In our
pursuit of the secular, help us not to forsake the sacred. We look to Thee
for meaning and fulfillment to life. Bless now this meeting of Rotarians. We
thank Thee for the food. Amen. (12)
CHELMSFORD
Bless us, O Lord, with these, Thy gifts. Prosper us in our labor and grant
that we may become true and loyal Rotarians, exemplifying the object of
Rotary in our services to our communities and families. Amen. (43)
Our Father who art in Heaven, may we, from the memories of this hour, derive
inspiration that will be helpful to us as individuals and as members of
Rotary, and may it go with us in our daily walks of life and make us worthy
of Thy blessing. We ask in Thy Name. Amen. (43)
CHESTNUT HILL
We thank Thee, O Lord, for Thy many blessings. As we meet today in
fellowship and service to our fellow man, we thank Thee for the food which
Thou givest forth from the earth. Amen. (1)
CONCORD
Lord, bathe us in good habits that the bad ones may be drowned; yet grant us
compassion for weakness in others. Suffer us to realize that all things
shall pass; yet help us to count our blessings today. Amen. (26)
Heavenly Father, help us to be grateful for our daily blessings. Help us
also, Lord, to remember those who are less fortunate. And thirdly, give us
the courage and will to do something about the difference. Amen. (26)
We beseech Thee, our Heavenly Father; to bestow Thy grace upon this meeting.
As we enjoy our fellowship, one with another, may we grow in stature, so
that we may be able to give more to our friends in Rotary, and in turn give
strength to the ideals of Rotary in the service of mankind. Amen. (37)
DEDHAM
Bless us, O Lord, and these, Thy gifts, which we are about to receive from
Thy bounty, and grant that we, as a group of Rotarians - but more
particularly as individuals - may accept Thy ways willingly and be worthy of
the wondrous dignity that Thou hast established in the nature of man. Grant
also that this world may enjoy Thy peace - forever. Amen. (18)
FRANKLIN
We are thankful for our Rotary fellowship together, with the hand of
friendly understanding extended toward other businesses and professions in
our own community, to other clubs throughout our land, and to Rotary Clubs
beyond the seas! We rejoice in the challenge of life, in these exciting
times, and in the spirit of service above self, we pray that our personal
lives may be channels for the flow of loving goodwill, in all our
relationships, every day. Amen.(11)
GARDNER
Our Father in Heaven, we acknowledge Your greatness and thank You for the
many blessings of life -- especially just now for the privilege of this
fellowship and the worthy purposes for which we come together from week to
week. As each of us pauses, make us mindful of the need for Your direction
in our lives. We pray Your continued blessings on each of us in this Rotary
gathering, and on the nourishment for our physical bodies of which we are
about to partake. Amen. (10)
We are grateful, Lord, for the beauty of this day and for Your presence with
us individually up to this time of Rotary fellowship. We commit this meeting
to You and seek Your blessing on the food and our fellowship. Thankfully we
pray. Amen. (10)
GROTON
O Lord, Yours is the harvest of the field and the fruit of the vines. We
praise You for Your gifts. Amen. (16)
LEOMINSTER
We thank Thee, our Heavenly Father, for the manifold blessings we enjoy, and
may we be ever mindful that it is in Thee that we live and move and have our
being. Give this organization known as Rotary International the wisdom to
bring peace on earth to all mankind. We now ask Thee to bless this food to
our use, us to Thy loving service, and may we always remember the needs of
others. Amen. (24)
Lord of all creation, Source of all material and spiritual benefits, in
gratitude we meet to partake of Thy gifts. Grant unto the humble use of
these grants that we may creatively, justly and lovingly fulfill Thy
expectations for our lives. In Thy Holy Name. Amen. (31)
O God of all people, who art closer to us than the air we breathe, and as
essential for real living, we thank Thee for Rotary that brings men and
women of all vocations and nationalities and races together in fellowship
and service. As we eat of this food and share in this program, may our lives
be enriched in greater service over self. Amen. (31)
Grant, O Lord, that the true spirit of service above self enter our hearts,
and that our every act be guided by The Four Way Test of Rotary. Amen. (32)
MILFORD
God grant us the wisdom, the will, and the way to emulate service above self
so that we may, in our thoughts and in our deeds, live Rotary. Amen. (21)
NATICK
(Suitable for early Spring) O Lord our God, through Your kindness, we have
seen mounds of snow melt away at the warmth of the sun. Teach us therefore
to generate our own warmth -- the warmth of friendship, of cooperation, of
common purpose. Teach us to radiate kindness and concern, so that our weekly
coming together may cause the mountains of apathy, ignorance and injustice
to vanish and melt away. May our coming together help us at all times to be
instruments of Your will and servants of Your purposes. Amen. (20)
NEEDHAM (May be sung to tune of the Doxology)
O Lord and giver of all good,
We thank Thee for our daily food.
May Rotary friends and Rotary ways
Help us to serve Thee all our days. Amen. (14)
Almighty God, establish Thy rule in the hearts and minds of men and nations
everywhere. Dispose our days in Thy peace and take from us all hatred and
prejudice, and whatever may hinder unity of spirit and concord. Let Thy
blessing be upon the commerce and industry, the leisure and rest, and the
arts and culture of our people. Bless our coming together in this hour and
indeed help us to strive towards deeper friendships and greater service even
within Rotary. Amen. (7)
NEWTON
Almighty God, Lover of all that is good and true and beautiful, as we gather
together in the fellowship of this hour, look upon us with Thy favor and
make us mindful of those less fortunate as we enjoy Thy benefits. Teach us
to share as Thou has taught us to care, and to Thy name be the praise. Amen.
(4)
Unto us, O God, grant the essential necessities of life -- a self fit to
live with, a faith fit to live by, a work fit to live for, a service fit to
ennoble our time and place. Amen. (13)
SHREWSBURY
our Father, we thank Thee for this opportunity to develop acquaintances for
service to our community and to the world. We pray that this meeting will
serve to strengthen Rotary in its purpose and us in Thy service. Amen. (28)
SOUTHBRIDGE
Eternal Father of us all, we come together in this hour as a grateful
people:
-- grateful for the life that You have given to each one of us;
-- grateful for this free land in which we live, and for the faith of our
fathers whose vision is both our heritage and our hope;
-- grateful for the high aspiration of world brotherhood which is our
challenge in work, worship and this fellowship;
-- grateful that we might, as Rotarians, employ all that we are in service
to our fellow man.
For all these we offer to You our thanks as we share these moments at our
table as your people. Amen. (41)
SUDBURY
We thank You, Lord, for the gift of daily bread. As this food will supply
our physical needs, we pray that we may so live, work and serve You and our
fellow man that the Brotherhood of Man will become a reality. Amen. (9)
TEWKSBURY
We are thankful, our Father, for the many blessings that are ours; for life
and health; for strength to work and the leisure for rest; for this food
that gives us strength, and for good appetites to enjoy it. End with either
of the following :
In the breaking of bread; in the fellowship of Rotary; in the service of
others above self; we would act with Thy blessing, O God. Amen. (17)
For the beauty and glory of this day; for the betterment that comes to us
through Rotary; and for the bounty spread before us; we thank You, O Lord,
our God. Amen. (17)
WELLESLEY
Friends, again we break bread together and unite our hearts in humble
gratitude to God, the giver of every good and perfect gift, the Fountain of
all life and wisdom. And may this happy meeting of the minds fully express
in thought, word and deed our steadfast devotion to the divine ideal of
universal brotherhood and peace. Amen. (6)
Bless these Thy gifts, most gracious Lord from Whom all goodness springs.
Make clean our hearts and fill our souls with good and joyful things.
O Lord of life, in whom alone is the strength of
our lives, stir us to know this day the power of Rotary past, the joy of
Rotary today, and the continuing service of Rotary tomorrow. Amen. (8)
WESTMINSTER
Father in Heaven, we thank Thee for Thy love in the bestowment of all gifts.
We ask Thy blessing upon our meeting this day, the good fellowship, and the
goof food Thou hast provided. Amen. (42)
WESTON
O Lord, bless this food for our nourishment and strengthen us for the
burdens of service which we gladly shoulder in Your Name. Amen. (35)
Bless us, O Lord, and all these Thy gifts which we are about to receive of
Thy bounty. Amen. (35)
We thank You, God, for our daily bread, and we renew our dedication to the
ideals of brotherhood, service and peace, as You give us the vision and
energy to pursue them. Amen. (35)
Father, we thank You for this food. Bless it to our use and us to Thy
service. Amen. (35)
Our Heavenly Father, we humbly thank Thee for all the blessings of our life.
Truly Thou hast bestowed on us Thy mercy. Help us in some measure to be
worthy of Thy grace. We would ask Thy blessings on this gathering that Thou
might give us the inspiration, the wisdom and the guidance that we need, to
truly live the life Thou would have us live. Would Thou use this food for
the nourishment of our bodies and use us in Thy service. Amen. (35) |
