Weekly Words for the Journey

To My Beloved PBBC Community on the 30th Anniversary of my Ordination…

Eternal God, in wisdom you govern all things,
and from the beginning you have chosen faithful people to serve you in ministry,
calling some apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers,
to equip all your people for the work of the ministry and for building up the body of Christ.

You are also the God of the living church and the loving heart;
send your benediction, we pray, upon this your daughter, Claudine Patricia Crooks,
whom we, in your name and in obedience to your will,
by prayer and the laying on of hands,
set aside and ordain to the ministry of the church.
Confirm her in your own service and make her wholly yours.

Quicken within her an abiding sensitivity to your presence,
that she may ever live not in herself but in you.
Deeper her sense of unity with all people
and give her an understanding and loving heart,
that she may minister to all troubled souls and open to them the doors of peace.

God of justice, make Claudine a prophet of your truth,
seeing clearly and speaking bravely, without hatred, bitterness or fear,
but ever with her face turned toward the morning of a better day.
May every cause of righteousness be stronger because of her ministry.
Help her to bring wider horizons of love and justice
and social vision to all who hear her.

Bestow on Claudine the power of your Holy Spirit, confirming what we do this day.
Let the same mind be in her that was also in Jesus the Christ,
that your love and grace might also be seen in her.
Increase her faith in you as life-giver,
that her ministry might nourish your people with hope.

O God of us all, we joyfully commend Claudine and her ministry to your watchful care,
that, having created her and redeemed her, you might also sustain her all her days.
In so doing, we commit ourselves to supporting hers and all ministries of the church we love.
Through Jesus the Christ, our Sovereign, our Savior and our Friend, we humbly pray. Amen.

Prayer offered by the Rev. C. Burtis Crooks for Claudine P. Crooks
On the occasion of her Service of Ordination, Sunday, June 10th, 1990
South Congregational – First Baptist Church, New Britain, CT

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