Such as These

Call to Worship

How good and pleasant it is for Christians to live together in unity!
Open the doors and shout greetings to the church across the street. (Substitute the location of your nearest church neighbors.)
How good and pleasant it is for Christians to live together in unity!
Carry greetings across the railroad tracks to those we never meet.
How good and pleasant it is for Christians to live together in unity!
Send messages and e-mails to Good Christian Friends in Africa and Asia, South America and Europe!
How good and pleasant it is for Christians to live together in unity!
Extend your hand of fellowship to both the shelters and the mansions, to the projects and the gated communities.
How good and pleasant it is for Christians to live together in unity!
Reach out your arms to gather in the little ones and the not-so-little, the vulnerable and the ones who think they have to do it all on their own.
How good and pleasant it is for Christians to live together in unity!
Remember that we are one HUGE family!!!
How good and pleasant it is for Christians to live together in unity!

Adapted from Safiyah Fosua, The Africana Worship Book, Year B (Nashville: Discipleship Resources, 2007), 237.

Prayers of the People

This prayer includes the option to sing verses of O-So-So (The Faith We Sing, 2232) between petitions. You are invited to sing the verses in Korean or English, or to use only the spoken portions of the prayer. Sung portions are in italics and spoken portions are in regular or boldface type. If you are interested in singing the Korean text, here is a sample recording.

Peacemaking God, we pray for the peace of our world. A day does not go by when somewhere in the world Christians gather to eat, pray, serve, and worship you as a community. Whether it’s around an altar or a kitchen table, your people gather as one Body in Christ. And yet, we know for many, those gatherings happen amidst war, famine, weather crises, political unrest, and communal fracturing. And so, we lift our siblings around the world, our communities, and all of creation to you, and we cry out for your peace to reign among us.

God, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Loving God, we pray for the well-being of your creation. The lands are parched or flooded, the air is thick with imbalance, the waters are warming and rising. We have neglected our role as stewards of creation, and we feel powerless to make a difference. And so, we lift the earth to you, and we cry out for your love to inspire and empower us to tend your creation, our home.

God, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Saving God, we pray for the liberation of all who are oppressed. Around the world, people are enslaved and trafficked, exploited for the gain of others. Laborers are underpaid and overworked to feed a bottom line they will never benefit from. People fear for their lives and well-being because of the color of their skin, the sound of their accent, their religious beliefs, or their address. And so, we lift the least and the last to you, and we cry out for your salvation to pour out of our hands and into all corners of the globe to free the oppressed and the forgotten.

God, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Hope-bringing God, we pray for unity throughout creation. Where divisions reign, bring reconciliation. Where distrust has taken root, show us how to till the ground with mercy and grace. Where racism, patriarchy, classism, ableism, and homophobia tear us apart, sew us back together with your love as we seek forgiveness, accountability, and reconciliation together. Guide us, O God, as we lift ourselves, our community, and our world to you.

God, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Written by Dr. Lisa Hancock, Discipleship Ministries, July 2024.

Prayer of Confession

Great indeed is the faithfulness of God, and yet our hearts are not so reliable. We wander. We argue. We forget. We divide ourselves with anger and bitterness and falsehood. Let’s try to come back together again, and let’s start with the truth. Let’s confess our sins, to God, and also, to each other.

Almighty God, mother of mercy, father of grace: You have called us to one table, but we have pursued our own course. You have promised us the abundance of all creation, but in our greed, and in our envy, the world goes without. You have promised us the bread of life itself, but in our pride, and in our arrogance, the world goes hungry. You have promised us the waters of peace and justice, but in our violence, and in our discord, the world goes thirsty. And now we are famished, too, Lord. Have mercy on us. Forgive us, again. Transform us, at this table, and for this table, and send us from this table as servants of your righteousness, by the power of your Son, our Lord. Amen.

Assurance of Pardon

Even when our cups run dry, God’s grace overflows. Even when our plates are empty, God’s generosity overflows. And even when our hearts feel barren, God’s love overflows. Friends, you have been called and claimed by the God of all things, and by the abundance of God’s grace, and by the power of God’s love, your sins have been forgiven. Go in peace. Amen.

Written by Matt Gaventa, “PC(USA) World Communion Sunday Liturgy,” Presbyterian Mission Agency, 2016, page 2, https://www.presbyterianmission.org/wp-content/uploads/PGW16-World-Communion-Sunday-Worship-resource.pdf.

Benediction

Go in peace, love and care for one another in Christ's name,
Go in the confidence of people who have found mercy through him,
keeping the commandments
and letting go of all that binds you to the ways of this world,
And may God come close to you and keep you safe;
may Christ Jesus reward your faithfulness a hundredfold;
and may the Holy Spirit be your help in time of need.
both now and forevermore. Amen.

From the Voices United hymnal. Posted on Rev. Richard Fairchild’s Kir-shalom website. http://www.rockies.net/. Re-posted on the re:Worship blog at https://re-worship.blogspot.com/2012/10/benediction-go-in-peace.html.