An Invocation

Loving God, bless all those gathered here todayas we come together in friendship and fellowship.Thank you for the blessings of our individualand collective God-given gifts.Place in our hearts the desire to make a differenceto our families, to our community, to our country,and to the many cultures and peoples worldwide.Give us balance in times of distraction and uncertainty.Help us move towards our goals with determinationand always with an abundant sense of humor.Thank you for food in a world where many know only hunger;For our faith in a world where many know fear;For friends in a world where many know only loneliness.Please bless this food we are about to share, those who prepared it, those who serve it,and those who have worked to make today the special occasion that it is.For all of this we give you thanks.

- Izola White