Worship Words networks writers and users across time and space and provides a place to share progressive prayers, songs and liturgies with others.
Worship Words strives to provide free worship material which is:
- Inclusive*: avoiding gender-exclusive language and imagery for people and God, and other forms of exclusive language.
- Thoughtful: attending to word-craft, selecting each word and phrase with purpose. Avoiding cliché and unreflective usage of familiar phrases.
- Progressive: respecting the breadth and depth of religious experience within Christianity and across other religious traditions and spiritual expressions; avoiding upholding Christian ideas and concepts as “The Only Way.” Relevant words from other religions which benefit and enhance the faith journey and expression of Christians are included.
- Relevant: Lectionary- or theme-based or responding to current events
- Faithful: presenting an authentic representation of the author’s faith
- Accessible: written in clear and comprehensible language; easy to copy and print for immediate use (Items on this website should not be reproduced in any way for the purposes of sale or any commercial purpose. It is requested that when they are used acknowledgement of the author be made.)
Liturgy is like a stream that came from before us and will continue after us.
Nadia Bolz-Weber, House for All Sinners and All Saints, Denver, Colorado USA (speaking at St Paul's Cathedral London UK, 28 August 2014
Thoughtful, inspiring and modern services for the rituals of faith and significant days in the calendar year are being written by religious practitioners every day.
Who sets the rules? the bounds? the limits?
The one who speaks truth into being. The one who expresses the reality of mystery and the comfort of ambiguity. The one who touches the divine with words spoken and silent.
All of us who write for worship are part of the modern liturgical movement. I invite you to accept the invitation to both write and network liturgical and worship resources nestled in your files and tucked away in books. Let’s share what we have written with one another.
Share your worship words now…‘Inclusive language is language that is free from words, phrases or tones that reflect prejudiced, stereotyped or discriminatory views of particular people or groups. It is also language that doesn’t deliberately or inadvertently exclude people from being seen as part of a group. Inclusive language is sometimes called non-discriminatory language.’
–from ‘Guidelines for Inclusive Language’ published by the Department of Education in Tasmania, Australia
Click on this link to read more about inclusive language.
