Commontide
O God, our heavenly Father, you raised up your faithful servant N. to be a [Bishop and] pastor in your Church and to feed your flock: Give abundantly to all pastors the gifts of your Holy Spirit, that they may minister in your household as true servants of Christ and stewards of your divine mysteries; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
BCP 2019, p. 638
Preface of a Pastor
Through Jesus Christ, the great shepherd of the sheep; in him you call faithful pastors and anoint them with your Holy Spirit, to feed your flock by Word and Sacrament, and to lead them in the way of everlasting life.
Draft — AI-assisted research under editorial review.
A collect first drafted in the 1970s for the Episcopal Church's liturgical renewal, "Of a Pastor" gathers pastoral imagery from across the New Testament – feeding the flock, stewardship of the mysteries – into a petition that those who lead God's people may do so with the gifts of the Holy Spirit.