A slow reading of the sermon title, “To Whom Do You Belong?” With these two foundational prayers for the two traditions that are part of my life:
Take, O Lord, and receive all my liberty, my memory, my understanding and my entire will. All that I am and all that I possess You have given me: I surrender it all to You to be disposed of according to Your will. Give me only Your love and Your grace. With these I will be rich enough and ask for nothing more. Ignatius of Loyola 1491 – 1556
I am no longer my own, but thine. Put me to what thou wilt, rank me with whom thou wilt. Put me to doing, put me to suffering. Let me be employed for thee or laid aside for thee, exalted for thee or brought low for thee. Let me be full, let me be empty. Let me have all things, let me have nothing. I freely and heartily yield all things to thy pleasure and disposal. And now, O glorious and blessed God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, thou art mine, and I am thine. So be it. And the covenant which I have made on earth, let it be ratified in heaven. Amen. John Wesley 1703 – 1791