God of Welcome, 
I dedicate my table to You.
You are kind.
You are good.
You are beautiful.

I ask that I would receive You 
In the generosity of kinship gathered around my table.

Neighbor, I pray for you.

May God shield you, protect you, and defend you
From the cold, the hard earth, the icy winds,
And from the plots of anyone bent on your harm.  
May your mind, body, soul, and spirit be guarded from all evil.
May you find shelter under His pinions
And refuge under His wings.

Father in Heaven,
We pray for warmth this winter.

May Your love ignite the embers of our faith
When the winter presses the bitter cold
Against the doors of our hearts and homes.

Father in Heaven,
Holy is Your hospitality.
May Your Kingdom come today,
To our table and our home,
Our neighborhood and our city
As it is in Heaven.

Give us this day the gift of enough:
Enough courage to invite,
Enough vulnerability to inquire,
Enough food to share,
Enough gratitude to see Your goodness,
Enough honesty to share our unmet hopes.

Father in Heaven,

May the threshold of our home be wide enough
For every neighbor to be welcomed,
For every friend to enter at ease,
And for all those looking for a place of belonging.

Father in Heaven
Giver of all good and perfect gifts,
May the gift of Jesus
Open our homes and hearts to love
As we enter the Advent season.

Father in Heaven,

May our preparation and planning
For hosting in the holidays,
The holy work of shopping and sautéing,
Baking and decorating,
All be done in a posture of prayer.

Thank You for dark mornings,
Where light unhurriedly arrives.
May rhythms of being rooted
Reform in us as autumn assuredly arrives.

Father in Heaven,
We pray for our neighborhood schools
And the spectrum of students
Who enter schools each day.

Father in Heaven,
Thank You for longer days;
When light arrives early, shines brightly,
And after amber sunsets, slowly leaves late.

May we be good stewards with our home,
And always be grateful for the place You have provided.
May the ways we want to improve our home,
Create new opportunities for hospitality, connection, and invitation.

Father in Heaven,

Thank you for Your hospitality,
For creating a place of beauty and order
A place where we experience goodness and joy