Calls To Worship
Unity
Adapted from Psalm 133:1, 3b
Leader: “Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers and sisters dwell together in unity…” “for there the Lord has commanded the blessing, life forevermore.” Let us worship the Lord in one body and one voice.
Submitted by Gabe Fung (ESV, altered for inclusivity)
Adapted from Romans 15:6–7
Christ, the One who was, and is, and is to come,
welcomes you to this place.
As one body, with one voice,
we honor and glorify the giver of wisdom,
counsel, knowledge, and joy.
Amen. So be it.
Adapted from 1 Corinthians 12
Leader: “Now there are various kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are various kinds of service, and the same Lord.”
People: “For as the body is one, and has many members, and all the members of the body, being many, are one body; so also is Christ.”
Leader: “For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether bond or free;”
People: We “were all given to drink into one Spirit.” Come, Holy Spirit!
All: Let us worship God!
Submitted by Chip Hardwick (1 Cor. 12:4-5, 12-13, WEB, adapted for liturgical use)
Adapted from Colossians 3:14-17
Leader: Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
All: Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
Leader: And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
All: Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.
Leader: Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.
All: And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Adapted from Ephesians 3:18,19
And I pray that you
Being rooted and established in love
Together, with all the Lord’s holy people,
To grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ,
And to know this love that surpasses knowledge –
That you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Lord, we echo the words of Paul’s prayer as we worship you today. Help us all to know your love.
Submitted by Austin D. Hill
Adapted from Ephesians 4:2-6 (NLT)
Always be humble and gentle.
Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love.
Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace.
For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future.
There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all,
who is over all, in all, and living through all.
Submitted by Austin D. Hill (NLT, adapted for liturgical use)
Leader: Arise! Shine! Christ’s Church has assembled.
People: We are one body, with Christ as our head.
Leader: What kind of body is this?
People: The Body of Christ, brought together not by human flesh, but by the sovereign Lord.
Leader: And who does he call us to be?
People: A people who look not to their own interests, but to the interests of others. Those who proclaim the goodness of their Lord.
Leader: Come, Let us worship as one united body.
Stuart Strachan Jr.
Lord, we come before you this day as part of the human family.
Inspire us, O God; open our hearts.
We come in our diversity to catch your vision of unity.
Inspire us, O God; open our eyes.
We come to hear your challenging word of truth.
Inspire us, O God; open our ears.
We come to thank you for your gifts of beauty, joy, and hope.
O God of love, vision, and truth, we praise your blessed name.
Taken from John E. Skoglund and Nancy E. Hall, A New Manual of Worship: New Edition, Judson Press, 1993.
Adapted from Psalm 133
Leader: How good and pleasant it is when we live together in unity!
People: It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard,
Leader: Running down on Aaron’s beard, down upon the collar of his robes.
People: It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion,
All: For there the Lord bestows His blessing, even life forevermore.
Leader: Let us worship the Lord together.
Like the crowds who followed Jesus, we come today from different places. We’ve had different weeks, different challenges, and different joys. And yet we come united by the risen Lord Jesus, who meets us here.
We come empty, hoping to be filled.
We come to have our burdens lifted and our pain healed.
We come with what little we have, knowing that it is enough for God.
We come to be fed by the Word of Life.
We come, and God meets us here. We do not gather alone, but with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Jacob Traeger
Looking for More Liturgical Elements?
Check out our Prayers of Confession on Unity.