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| Lovely Lane UMC - Baltimore, Maryland |
On Sunday (January 31) we will join the generations before us in the Wesley Covenant Service. Please consider these words and if you are able, come to worship on Sunday to affirm them for yourself.
INVITATION
Commit yourselves to Christ as His servants.
Give yourselves to Him, that you may belong to Him.
Christ has many services to be done.
Some are more easy and honorable,
others are more difficult and disgraceful.
Some are suitable to our inclinations and interests,
others are contrary to both.
In some we may please Christ and please ourselves.
But then there are other works where we cannot please Christ
except by denying ourselves.
It is necessary, therefore,
that we consider what it means to be a servant of Christ.
Let us, therefore, go to Christ, and pray:
Let me be Your servant, under Your command.
I will no longer be my own.
I will give up myself to Your will in all things.
Be satisfied that Christ shall give you your place and work.
Lord, make me what You will.
I put myself fully into Your hands:
put me to doing, put me to suffering,
put me to doing, put me to suffering,
let me be employed for You, or laid aside for You,
let me be full, let me be empty,
let me have all things, let me have nothing.
let me be full, let me be empty,
let me have all things, let me have nothing.
I freely and with a willing heart
give it all to Your pleasure and disposal.
give it all to Your pleasure and disposal.
Christ will be the Savior of none but His servants.
He is the source of all salvation to those who obey.
Christ will have no servants except by consent;
Christ will not accept anything except full consent
to all that He requires.
Christ will be all in all, or He will be nothing.
Confirm this by a holy covenant.
listen to these admonitions:
First, set apart some time, more than once,
to be spent alone before the Lord;
in seeking earnestly God's special assistance
and gracious acceptance of you;
in searching your hearts
whether you have already freely given your life to Christ.
Consider what your sins are.
Consider the laws of Christ, how holy, strict, and spiritual they are,
and whether you, after having carefully considered them,
are willing to choose them all.
Be sure you are clear in these matters, see that you do not lie to God.
Second, be serious and in a spirit of holy awe and reverence.
rely upon God's promise of giving grace and strength,
so you can keep your promise.
Trust not your own strength and power.
Fourth, resolve to be faithful.
You have given to the Lord your hearts,
you have opened your mouths to the Lord,
and you have dedicated yourself to God.
With God's power, never go back.
Fall down on your knees, lift your hands toward heaven,
open your hearts to the Lord, as we pray:
COVENANT PRAYER
O righteous God, for the sake of Your Son Jesus Christ,
see me as I fall down before You.
Forgive my unfaithfulness in not having done Your will,
for You have promised mercy to me
if I turn to You with my whole heart.
God requires that You shall put away all your idols.
I here from the bottom of my heart renounce them all,
covenanting with You that no known sin shall be allowed in my life.
Against Your will, I have turned my love toward the world.
In Your power I will watch all temptations that will lead me away from You.
For my own righteousness is riddled with sin,
unable to stand before You.
Through Christ, God has offered to be your God again
if you would let Him.
Before all heaven and earth,
I here acknowledge You as my Lord and God.
I take you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, for my portion,
and vow to give up myself, body and soul, as Your servant,
to serve You in holiness and righteousness all the days of my life.
God has given the Lord Jesus Christ as the only way
and means of coming to God.
Jesus, I do here on bended knees accept Christ
as the only new and living Way,
O blessed Jesus, I come to You,
hungry, sinful, miserable, blind, and naked,
unworthy even to wash the feet of Your servants.
I do here, with all my power, accept You as my Lord and Head.
I renounce my own worthiness,
and vow that You are the Lord, my righteousness.
I renounce my own wisdom, and take You for my only guide.
I renounce my own will, and take Your will as my law.
Christ has told You that you must suffer with Him.
to take my lot with You as it may fall.
Through Your grace I promise
that neither life nor death shall part me from You.
God has given holy laws as the rule of your life.
I do here willingly put my neck under Your yoke,
to carry Your burden.
All Your laws are holy, just, and good.
I therefore take them as the rule for my words,
thoughts, and actions, promising that I will strive
to order my whole life according to Your direction,
and not allow myself to neglect anything I know to be my duty.
The almighty God searches and knows your heart.
without guile or reservation.
If any falsehood should be in it, guide me
and help me to set it aright.
and help me to set it aright.
And now, glory be to You, O God the Father,
whom I from this day forward shall look upon as my
God and Father.
Glory be to You, O God the Son,
who have loved me and washed me from my sins in
Your own blood, and now is my Savior and Redeemer.
Glory be to You, O God the Holy Spirit,
who by Your almighty power have turned my heart
from sin to God.
from sin to God.
O mighty God, the Lord Omnipotent, Father, Son,
and Holy Spirit,
and Holy Spirit,
You have now become my Covenant Friend.
And I, through Your infinite grace,
have become Your covenant servant.
have become Your covenant servant.
So be it.
You are advised to make this covenant
not only in your heart, but in word; not only in word, but in writing.
Therefore, with all reverence, lay the service before the Lord as your
act and deed. And when you have done this, sign it. Then keep it as a
reminder of the holy agreement between God and you that you may remember
it during doubts and temptations.
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