Liturgical Resources

Call to Worship

We gather to worship God with our full, imperfect selves.

We come to delight in the law of God, who is Love.

We gather as people who don’t always know what to do in the face of difficult and complex circumstances.

We come to delight in the law of God, who is Love.

We gather as people who desire to follow God with our actions but struggle to connect what we want to do with what we actually do.

We come to delight in the law of God, who is Love.

Whether you come to worship today wondering if there is anything good left in the world or rejoicing in the small moments of goodness that remind you grace is still at work among us, you are welcome here.

We come to delight in the law of God, whose grace shows us how to live, work, play, and rest as a community of faith woven together by Love. Amen.

Written by Dr. Lisa Hancock, Discipleship Ministries, January 2026.

Opening Prayer

God of heaven and earth, we gather in Your presence with thanksgiving and praise for the way in which You have revealed Yourself to us. Through Jesus Christ, your Son, we have come to know and love You; we have witnessed Your love and mercy in action; we have caught a glimpse of Your heart, and we have received the call to follow. Continue to reveal Yourself to us as we worship. May Your Holy Spirit open our minds and hearts to Your presence here, and to the word that You have for us this morning. We long to meet You here, and to know You better. In the name of Jesus Christ, Your Son and our Savior. Amen.

Adapted from “Opening Prayer: Proper 9A” posted on the re:Worship blog at https://re-worship.blogspot.com/2011/06/opening-prayer-proper-9a.html.

Prayer of Confession

Lord, we come before you this day confessing that we don’t understand our own actions. The very things we want to do, we don’t do. Too often, we find ourselves doing the very things we hate. We need you this day, Lord.

The harmful behaviors we tried to put down, we keep picking back up, and our soul is hurting.

The chance we had to fix that broken relationship came, But anger and rage rose up again, Inflicting harm and abuse upon the very people we said we loved. We need you this day, Lord.

The opportunities we have been praying for came, But fear, lack of confidence, and low self-esteem drove them away.

Lord, the good we want to do, we don’t do; and the evil we hate doing, we just keep doing. Lord, what messed-up souls we are. We need you now, Lord, this day. Rescue us from works that lead to death; save us from self-destructive behaviors. We submit our lives into your hands right now.

(Silence)

Thank you, God, for your Son Jesus, who will make it all right. Thank you for your Son Jesus. He will heal our sin-sick souls. Thank you, God, for Jesus Christ, our Lord. When we find it difficult to do the right thing, we will place our trust in you. We are convinced that we can do all things through Christ who gives us strength. Glory to God! Amen.

Adapted from Joseph W. Daniels, Jr. in The African Worship Book, Year A (Nashville: Discipleship Resources, 2006), 147, 155.

Benediction

May Christ who dwells in you continue to do good work in you, blessing you with grace and perseverance to continue on in the journey of faith as you grow into the image of Christ more and more every day. Amen.

Written by Dr. Lisa Hancock, Discipleship Ministries, January 2026.