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)