Commontide
The Institution of a Rector
Almighty God, you have built your Church upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone: Grant that, by the operation of the Holy Spirit, all Christians may be joined together in unity of spirit and in the bond of peace, that they may be a holy temple acceptable to you. Give the abundance of your grace especially to this Congregation, that with one heart we may desire the health and increase of your holy Church, and with one voice profess the faith once delivered to the saints. Defend us from the sins of heresy and schism. And grant that the course of this world may be so peaceably ordered by your governance, that your Church may joyfully serve you in all godliness and faithfully walk in the ways of truth and peace; so that, on the day of judgment, we all may be numbered with your saints in glory everlasting; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, the gracious Shepherd and Bishop of our souls, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, world without end. Amen.
Draft — AI-assisted research under editorial review.
A genuinely American prayer, first printed in 1804 for installing a new rector, that borrows Ephesians' image of Christ as cornerstone and was quietly dropped in 1979 before the ACNA's 2019 Prayer Book brought it back.