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Psalm 98, a Collect — Merryl Blair, Australia

  Inspired by Psalm 98 Easter 6, Year B     God of shalom, who holds all things in wonderful balance, we come before you in joyful, noisy praise! Our voices join the songs of birds, the grunts and snorts of animals, the roar of the sea, the rush of the wind through the trees, […]

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Loving God, Vestry Prayer — Joan Smith, UK

Loving God, We clear our minds and open our hearts to you. [pause] Be with [name of worship leaders and preacher] as they bring the message in ways which allow you to speak through their words to bring a spark of understanding and inspiration to our congregation this morning. May the prayers and music lift […]

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Psalm 19 Collect — Merryl Blair, Australia

  Lent 3 & 5, Year B     God of wide skies and speechless joy, as we come before you in wonder, may our words join the voiceless songs of praise uttered by the simple beauty of all created things. Allow your wisdom, balance, and connecting love to draw us into the centre of […]

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Exodus 20 Prayer — Merryl Blair, Australia

Inspired by Exodus 20.1-17 Third Sunday of Lent, Year B Our God, you are always creating. It is easy to see and to praise the wonders of nature, perhaps not so easy to see and praise the wonders of complicated human relationships. Help us to see your glory in the face of all people we […]

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Comforting Words

What words express comfort and care? How do we articulate comfort in the face of illness and death? In the face of a pandemic? In the face of suffering?   Newest posts . . . (images link to posts) Alphabetical archive of all ‘Comforting Words’ resources . . .

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Global Pandemic Prayers — World Council of Churches

Prayers ‘In view of the coronavirus pandemic‘ have been shared by the World Council of Churches, which writes: ‘At this time when we have to keep physically distant from one another, it is more important than ever that we draw close to one another spiritually, praying together.’ The selection on the slider at the top […]

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Benedictions

Benedictions, words of commissioning, blessing, dismissal, sending forth… What transitional words do we use to move from corporate worship into the world? Newest related posts . . . (images link to posts) Alphabetical archive of all ‘Sending forth’ resources . . .

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Psalm 72 Praise, responsive reading — Duncan Wilson, UK

Praise from the heart: psalms  framed and phrased for church worship For Epiphany     Ready-to-download and print: Epiphany Praise Psalm 72 – Duncan Wilson WORD Epiphany Praise Psalm 72 – Duncan Wilson PDF Teach your rulers, O God, how to rule your people with justice and how to govern with gentleness the people who […]

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Epiphany

Wise ones… Magi… Kings, queens, rulers… Astronomers… What words do we use to tell the story of those traveling from the east? Those arriving with gifts? Those growing in wisdom as a result of encountering the Presence of Love?   Worship resources for Epiphany — an alphabetical listing  (Further resources for the Epiphany Season are listed […]

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How Love Came to Earth — Thandiwe Dale-Ferguson, USA

A responsive Call to Worship written specifically for intergenerational worship (works well during Advent) God, you came into the world weak: A baby born in a stable, Sleeping in a feeding trough With animal sounds and smells all around. This is how love came to earth. God, you have made us vulnerable. Our bodies can […]

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Advent affirmation — Bronwyn White, Aotearoa New Zealand

You can make this a litany with the responses in bold italics, and substitute the indigenous, Māori language words with the English translations in square brackets—although you might appreciate the explanation of these concepts in the footnotes. By faith, Mary let go of fear, and engendered a mothering God. This faith may lead us through […]

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Reign of Christ, Call to worship — Cara Heafey, UK

Originally written for Reign of Christ Sunday*, the last Sunday of the Church Year. To be read responsively or by a single voice. Holy is the Creator of the heavens and the earth Of sunlight and starlight, forest and ocean. Holy is the composer of birdsong and thunderstorm. Let all creation sing praise! Holy is […]

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Psalm 78 Call to Worship — Graeme Blair, Australia

We come to worship and remember you. We come to hear and to learn more of your word. Your word is unchanging. From earliest time, to now, you have spoken things into being, and they are good. You are mindful of your people. Teach us to be similarly mindful of you. Give us the message […]

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Election Season Prayers — Justice Witness Ministries, USA

Prayers to Help Counter Fear ‘Perfect love casts out fear.’  — 1 John 4:18 Pastoral Prayer   (adapted) Holy One, We live in fearful times. A world swept by pandemic, racism, climate change, economic crises— these are overwhelming realities. Hold us in our fears. When candidates in elections  prey on these fears, painting pictures of disaster,. […]

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Images

A picture says a thousand words.  Thanks to all the photographers and artists for sharing your work. All photos posted on the Worship Words website may be used for worship and devotional purposes. Please acknowledge the photographer/artist. Images are listed by theme, season and by photographer (scroll down). Photographs arranged by themes throughout the Church […]

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Hey God, Wanna Play? — Thandiwe Dale-Ferguson

A Call to Worship written for young readers — The lines in bold might be given to very young children to say. Inspired by ‘Retelling of Mark’ 10 in Children of God Storybook Bible. All:      Hey God! Wanna play? Voice 1: God’s too busy taking care of the world, listening to our troubles […]

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Sending forth

Benedictions, words of commissioning, blessing, dismissal, sending forth… What transitional words do we use to move from corporate worship into the world?   Newest related posts . . . (images link to posts) Alphabetical archive of all ‘Sending forth’ resources . . .

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I forget to breathe, a confession — Ana Gobledale, UK

My confession Spirit, remember me. Sometimes I forget to breathe, to pause. I race through the day. I forget to stop long enough to take a deep breath. I could blame the computer. I could blame pressures of work The importance of life’s tasks The necessity of chores. I know the wisdom of pausing. I […]

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Romans 12:9-21, a prayer — Ana Gobledale, UK

Proper 17 13th Sunday after Pentecost – Year A Paul makes it sound so easy. Just be sincere, determined, altruistic. Yet we find ourselves hesitant, shifty, unreliable, selfish. Just be zealous, hopeful, patient. Yet we feel tired, desperate, anxious. Just be generous, hospitable, harmonious. Yet we find ourselves hoarding, isolating, discordant. We want to make […]

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Call to Worship

Welcome! Come! Gather! What words do we use to call people together for worship? Newest ‘Call to Worship’ posts . . . (images link to posts) Alphabetical archive of all ‘Call to Worship’ resources . . .  

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Dangerous liturgies — Simon Cross, UK

Explore Simon’s ‘Dangerous liturgies’ written during Covid-19 lockdown, and free to download and use. ‘As always please feel free to copy or use the poem in prayer or liturgy.’ – Simon Cross Simon explains: ‘During ten weeks of the UK lockdown, my friend Andy and I produced a weekly ‘liturgy’ (in this case: a curated […]

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Gathered in masks, gathered in love — Amanda Udis-Kessler, USA

A responsive Call to Worship for face-to-face worship with COVID-19 protection We gather today in masks. We gather today in love. Wearing masks shows our commitment to the health of all people. We gather today in compassion. Wearing masks enables us to welcome others into our physical space. We gather today in hospitality. Wearing masks […]

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Flowering Prayer — Donna Cooney, USA

Women taught me to pray. Fold your hands Bow your head Close your eyes were their gentle Sunday instructions. I was a child in the company of women planting seeds. For years I folded inward and prayed. In the dark Chin lowered Hands together I was tightly sealed, Yet there was life: the seeds became […]

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Rural Mission Sunday UK, mid-July

Rural Mission Sunday is an annual event celebrating the work of small rural churches.  It provides an opportunity to celebrate growth and abundance. Prayer of adoration  God of mountains and mustard seed,skylarks and cattle; We give you thanks for all that you have made. As we look at your world in all its beauty and […]

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Ascension Day – 4oth Day of Easter

Ascension Ascending Who went where? Where is the place or space or experience to which they went? Why up? Above the clouds? Beyond the Horsehead Nebula? Into the void? What words, what concepts do we use to talk about this mysterious event? Or is it a non-event? It comes around every year, 40 days after […]

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On-line communion thanksgiving — Cara Heafey, UK

Prayer after communion Please pray with me… Thank you for the grace that makes space for us at your table. Thank you for the familiar and beloved faces on our screens. Thank you for the closeness we experience through technology, and through sharing this meal together. May we continue our lives having been nourished and […]

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Endangered Species Day, 17 May

Endangered Species and Christian Faith When God called on Noah to protect all creatures, Noah had no choice which creatures to load on board. All of creation belongs to God, and Noah was merely caretaker. Like Noah, we have a moral responsibility to safeguard God’s creatures from irreparable harm from the dangers they face today. […]

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Mothers’ Day Proclamation 1870 – Julia Ward Howe

Mothers’ Day Proclamation 1870 – Julia Ward Howe While Julia Ward Howe uses language specific to wives, sons and husbands, her message reminds us how a day conceived as an anti-war activist’s cry for peace can be sentimentalised and re-directed over time.  I post this in honour of my mother,  Dotty Dale, who continued to […]

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His were the hands — Duncan Wilson, UK

His were the hands That shaped the wood That smoothed the knot That summoned the friends And launched the boat His were the hands That touched the blind And opened ears That held the child And cast out fears His were the hands That fingered the coin That plucked the corn That wrote in sand […]

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Mothers’ Day history

What words work on Mothers’ Day, a Sunday observance (second Sunday in May) many worship leaders find challenging? As we prepare to celebrate Mothers’ Day, our horizons broaden as we become familiar with the history of the day.  (Click here to read the full biography of Julia Ward Howe from which this text is taken.) […]

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Coronavirus Prayer — Kildare & Leighline Diocese, Ireland

from the Roman Catholic Diocese of Kildare & Leighlin, Ireland Loving and healing God, we, turn to you in prayer, Confident that you are with us and with all people in every moment. We stand before you as people of hope, trusting in your care and protection. May your faithful love support us and soothe […]

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