A searchable, downloadable PDF of the original article appears below. Calvin Brown is the minister of First Church, Nelson, B.C., and Worship Editor of Channels. This liturgy is designed for use on or near St. Patrick’s Day.
Minister: Christ be with me.
People: Christ be with me in my home so that it is always a place of your hospitality and welcome and peace.
Minister: Christ within me.
People: Christ be within me so that by your Holy Spirit I may be empowered to serve others.
Minister: Christ behind me.
People: Christ, Lord of my past, forgive all my errors of the past and help me realize your blessing in all the good I have done. Enable me to forget what is behind so that I may press on in the present.
Minister: Christ before me.
People: Christ go before me to prepare the way for me to walk; to prepare hearts to receive you and me as I come in your name to do your will.
Minister: Christ beside me.
People: Christ walk with me. Be my companion and friend so that I may be confident I am never alone.
Minister: Christ to win me.
People: Christ, I need constantly to be reformed, to be won to your love and goodness. Thank you for fighting for me, to rescue me from darkness.
Minister: Christ to comfort and restore me.
People: God of all comfort, thank you for your peace and assurance and restoring power that allows me to fail and to not feel condemned but to have a new beginning in you.
Minister: Christ beneath me.
People: Christ, you hold me up and when I feel that I am drowning in life’s troubles, I remember you are the rock beneath my feet. I will not be overwhelmed.
Minister: Christ above me.
People: Christ, you ascended to heaven, the seat of all power. You constantly intercede for us.
Minister: Christ in quiet, Christ in danger.
People: For happy, contented times we give you thanks. In dangerous times and places — in the Gulf, in South Africa, in Romania and the Baltic we trust you for ourselves and our brothers and sisters.
Minister: Christ in hearts of all that love me.
People: Love we pray for our families and all who love us. May you indeed lead them to faith and salvation in you.
Minister: Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.
People: Lord Jesus, may you be forever spoken well of until as your word declares “at the name of Jesus, every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord to the glory of God the Father.” Amen.