Isaiah 26:9, New Living Translation One: In the night I search for you; All: in the morning I earnestly seek you. One: Holy God at the start of this new day we look again at the works of your hands: may our vision be renewed and our minds refreshed. The stone that was rejected is […]
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A Litany One: Because of the rising of the sun in the morning of each new day All: Our hope is in you, God One: Because of the setting of that same sun in the evening All: Our hope is in you, God One: Because of the stars that extend towards infinity All: Our hope […]
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Loving God, Draw everything of me Into the mystery of You Bending the barrenness Of winter’s weary wait Toward Your leading light Hinting at things to come. Let everything of me Be swayed toward You Resisting every wind Of the world’s uprooting Often blowing within Daring to break my resolve To follow Your Christ-love Wherever […]
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World Environment Day (WED) 5 June was set by the United Nations to encourage worldwide awareness and action for the environment. Worship resources for World Environment Day: Earth Day worship resources
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There are two versions of this communion prayer — singular for personal devotion and plural for corporate worship. Version for personal devotion: This time and place is yours I’m your guest You invite me at my worst And at my best You inhabit this thin place And clothe it in your grace This is where […]
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What words do we use at an ordination? Who writes them? Who says them? Who hears them? Resources for ordination services:
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Gathering Litany for multiple voices Act of Awareness Prayer Gathering Litany Voice 1 Come, from every corner of the earth, Voice 2 from every time and place Voice 1 from south and north Voice 2 from east and west, Voice 3 gather… Voice 4 gather… Voice 5 gather… Voice 6 gather… Voice 1 For the […]
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What words do we use when we share this special meal together? What metaphors bring meaning? Which bring confusion? Which traditional words draw us closer to one another and to the source of our faith? Which create chasms or hurdles? What words express the mystery and wonder of this event central to Christian life? Newest […]
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Psalm 68 – framed and phrased for church worship Easter 7, Year A, New Revised Common Lectionary Sing out to God! God it is who gives the friendless person a home, and leads the prisoner to safety. God it is who brings rain to restore the worn-out land, providing food for the poor. Sing out […]
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What words do we use to celebrate years of worship together? What words do we use when we are an ageing congregation? What words signify the hope of new life in our church? Songs for Church Anniversaries: Prayers and worship resources for Church Anniversaries:
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Welcome! Come! Gather! What words do we use to call people together for worship? Newest ‘Call to Worship’ posts . . . (images link to posts) Call to Worship resources written for young readers Call to Worship – Using the Psalms Alphabetical listing of all other ‘Call to Worship’ resources on Worship Words . . […]
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This communion service was prepared by John Churcher for the Progressive Christian Network in Great Britain. Churcher based the service on various sources including the Methodist Worship Book and the writings of Bishop John Shelby Spong and Marcus Borg. The full communion service is published on the PCN website. Gathering Many names and images are […]
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What words do we share at a funeral or memorial service? With what words do we celebrate life? Who writes them? Who says them? Who hears them? Resources for funerals & memorial services listed alphabetically:
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A responsive prayer of intercession, confession and blessing Silence: a diamond symbol (♦) indicates a short pause. One: God, we call to mind those that we love. All: May your people dwell in peace. ♦ One: We call to mind those that would call us enemies. All: May your people dwell in peace. ♦ One: […]
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‘We Hold the Keys’ was commissioned by the Worship Reference Group of the United Reformed Church and debuted at the 2023 annual conference of the Joint Liturgical Group of Great Britain, ‘Shaping Worship: Creation’s Climate Crisis – responding in faith’. Lyrics and music by David Williams Ready-to-download: We Hold The Keys lyrics PDF – lyrics […]
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George declares that he has ‘drunk deeply from life’s love and beauty.’ George has written sing-able hymns with grounded, authentic and original lyrics set to traditional and familiar tunes, all posted on his website, “Singing a New Song” Thanks to George’s generosity, all of his lyrics published on Worship Words and on his website are […]
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24 April – Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day Worship resources: The Armenian Genocide occurred from 1915 to 1923 when Armenians, as well as Greeks, Assyrian-Chaldeans, Syriacs, Arameans, Maronites, and other Christians were subject to torture, starvation, mass murder, lethal human medical experimentation, and exile from their historic homeland, and over 1.5 million lost their lives. The […]
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A responsive prayer of intercession & confession Silence: a diamond symbol (♦) indicates a short pause. One: God, we call to mind those unfairly imprisoned. All: May your people dwell in justice. ♦ One: We call to mind those who need help but cannot get it. All: May your people dwell in justice. ♦ One: […]
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World Water Day worship resources Church World Service USA — ready-to-use inclusive language worship resources: prayers, call to worship, benediction, hymn suggestions from One Great Hour of Sharing. Creation Justice Ministries USA – Water: God’s Life-Sustaining Everyday Miracle Click link for more Images for World Water Day from Creation Justice Ministries World Water […]
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Words for worship and reflection during the spring season… Spring We should celebrate This wildest Erupting In Spring. With colours recklessly Splashed everywhere In this the season of new Daily episodes Of wonder And delight…. — Ross Kingham, Australia Words for spring: an alphabetical listing of all resources: Free images of spring: All photos posted […]
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Loving God, When devils in disguise Threaten to unhinge my life Grant me the grit of grace Turning temptations around Into opportunities to grow Strong in my desire for You Instead of the sneaky things So easily demanding attention Dressed up in pre-occupations Too numerous to count Their constant flow daring me To give my […]
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with homage to Rumi, the Sufi poet You, the pollen on the bee’s leg That made my flower a pomegranate, You, the haze of yeast on the grapes That made the wine That inebriated Shams of Tabriz, You, who made the clay birds fly, You, who cleansed the soul of ‘I’. You, the reason that […]
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A responsive prayer of intercession & confession Silence: a diamond symbol (♦) indicates a short pause. One: God, we call to mind the fractured beauty of the world we live in. All: May we be people of reconciliation. ♦ One: We call to mind broken relationships. All: May we be people of reconciliation. ♦ One: […]
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Reflection of the Magi A Christmas & Epiphany Poem What wisdom I have Awakens me to my blindness. I cannot see light itself What I know of light Is only an alluring shadow Of what it is and does. From billions of years away in space-time, Through darkness intervening, At its inconceivable speed The light […]
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We believe in the Divine Creator of all that has been made, the Parent of the whole creation. We believe in the Divine Saviour of all that has fallen, the Restorer of our broken world. We believe in the Divine Life of all that lives, the Love that binds all things together in one divine […]
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Luke 2:8-20 A shepherd’s recollection of that first Christmas, read as a dramatic monologue Note: shepherds and angel may be presented as female or male as desired. Script It’s true! It sounds crazy, I know, but I’m telling you, it’s true. It was the most wonderful thing. We had the sheep in the fold for […]
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What words share the meaning and mystery of Christmas? What words do we sing? What dramas, sketches and skits bring the words of Christmas to life? Explore these contemporary resources below: Christmas Songs Nativity & Christmas pageants Christmas (and Advent) Dramas — monologues, letters and more Christmas prayers and worship resources Christmas images – photos free-to-use […]
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Bleak Gaia* A climate kairos worship resource responding to the climate crisis All at peace Slowly rotating Tomorrow creeps Procrastinating Swirled in mists Alone in space Where we exist On a wafer-thin face Clothed in blue Silently screaming And wrapped anew Resplendently dreaming Suspended and drifting A mountain of wealth And angels are lifting More […]
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Peace on earth, good will toward all. — Luke 2:14 The Dayspring from on high hath visited us…to guide our feet into the way of peace. — Luke 1:78-79 ‘Peace on earth,’ the angels sang. We sing it too, in carols, oratorios. We talk of peace, put it on bumper stickers, print it on Christmas […]
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This might be adapted for corporate worship changing ‘me’ to ‘us’ and ‘my’ to ‘our’. Loving God, Grant me the gift Of sacred sabbath rest Interrupting the inertia Of inner and outer worlds Addicted to endless activity And productivity’s promise That work alone can heal. Unwind soul’s tightness Unable to trust your promise Of reinvigorating […]
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God, who wanted and willed me into life, so often I come to you with needs to be met. Seldom I come with joy for all that has been given. Re-sensitize me today to the silent ministries of your quiet gifts, the rest and renewal of last night, the freshness and feeling of this morning, […]
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Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR) is an annual observance on 20 November honouring the memory of those whose lives have been lost in acts of anti-transgender violence. Find more TDOR resources here. Set up: Place numerous ‘gems’ (plastic or glass) on the central table, more than enough for each person to take two. The […]
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God is Love, the cosmic creativity present everywhere and in everything, Gently urging all toward the good. To transcending Love, we raise our awestruck praise! Jesus embodied the Love that is God. He loved the poor, the sick, the outcast, He loved the unpopular, and even his own enemies. He loved so completely, he loved […]
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Cara, a regular contributor to Worship Words, writes thoughtful worship resources emphasising the radical inclusiveness of the divine. Cara, an ordained Minister in the United Reformed Church in Great Britain, writes, ‘I live in Oxford, in the UK, with my wife and two rescue dogs. I enjoy art, printmaking, writing and walks in fields and […]
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This might be used as a corporate prayer, substituting ‘we’ for I’. It might also be used at a service of affirmation — an induction, ordination, baptism, re-commitment or confirmation, substituting ‘you’ for ‘I’. May I…. Hands at third eye centre: May I see things as they really are, and not as how I want […]
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Two versions: first for corporate worship and second for personal devotion As we prepare for worship our souls wait for our Source to come gently into our souls like the fading of dusk and daybreak. As we prepare for worship we yearn to be awakened to all the resources in our lives, lest we measure […]
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Original worship resources from Zambia — including prayers and complete services — are posted on the ‘Zambia Praise’ section of Worship Words. Click here to explore Zambia Praise. Thanks to all who have shared their creative work with Worship Words — Zambia Praise, especially students at the United Church of Zambia University, many of whom […]
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How do we bring words to life? How do we breathe life into old bones, old words, old rituals? Drama offers the opportunity for words to dance, collide, explode and engage. Newest ‘Drama’ posts – Ready-to-use sketches . . . (images link to posts) Alphabetical archive of all ‘Drama’ resources . . .
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Words for reflection and sharing when preparing for worship Too often the best doesn’t happen to us because we don’t expect it to happen. Too often we fasten our attention on the obstacles and not on the possibilities. Too often our fear of failure robs us of the need to risk for what we could […]
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A Responsive litany of commitment God calls each of us according to our gifts, to serve those in need, to seek justice for the oppressed and disenfranchised, to care for the earth and all the creatures that inhabit it, and through our words and action to bring God’s love and peace to all creation. Will […]
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