Zambia Praise
Worship words shared from Zambian partners — prayers, songs, worship resources
World Church Worship Words
There are numerous ways to creatively incorporate these resources into a worship service you are planning.
Ideas and suggestions:
- Use two or three items written in Zambia in a service celebrating a global link in the life of your own congregation.
- Build a service for World Water Day (22 March) using these worship resources, highlighting the plight of Zambia facing drought and toxic water sources (consequence of mining).
- Mark World Health Day on 7 April highlighting the consequences of poverty and industry on the children of Zambia today and in the future.
- Teach one of the simple songs in two languages — English and a Zambian language. This might be a way to involve children, having them learn the song ahead of time and ‘teaching’ it to the congregation.
- Highlight Zambia on World Communion Sunday (first Sunday in October)
- Include a prayer for the United Church in Zambia during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity held each January.
- Include a prayer of intercession from Zambia during a discussion or study group looking at Climate Change and Environmental Justice (Zambia has been devastated by mining, past and present.) This might be the focus for World Environment Day (5 June).
- Remember and honour farmers on Farmer’s Day, a national holiday on the first Monday in August in Zambia.
- Read the Zambia Psalms (scroll down on this page) and write your own ‘Psalm for Today’ reflecting your situation and circumstances. Submit it to Worship Words to be included in this website.
Click here to listen to the choir at St John’s United Church of Zambia, Mtendere, Lusaka.
Zambia Opening Prayers — adoration, thanksgiving & confession
Pastoral & General Prayers from Zambia
Prayers of Intercession -- for our world
Prayers for Zambia
Zambia Prayers for Illumination - to precede preaching
Special services in Zambia - complete liturgies
These resources arise from a link relationship between the United Church of Zambia and the United Reformed Church in Great Britain. In a project hosted in Zambia, shared daily devotions and group efforts to create new and fresh prayers, psalms and other worship resources have resulted in the creation of contemporary liturgies for today’s church. The hope is that they will be used in Zambia, the UK and the wider church (being adapted as necessary).
As the Editor of Worship Words, I have encouraged and participated in this project. The results include numerous ready-to-use prayers and other worship material that fit the criteria of Worship Words. However, some resources include male-oriented imagery for God and regal language for Jesus, both of which I usually avoid on Worship Words. I have decided to include all the resources, to encourage the Zambian writers in particular, hoping they will continue to both explore alternative inclusive language options and write and share material. If regular users of Worship Words are uncomfortable with this decision, please let me know, and I’ll have a re-think.
Incorporate any of these worship resources into a worship service you are planning.
Ideas and suggestions:
- Use two or three items written in Zambia in a service celebrating a global link in the life of your own congregation.
- Build a service for World Water Day (22 March) using these worship resources, highlighting the plight of Zambia facing drought and toxic water sources (consequence of mining).
- Mark World Health Day on 7 April highlighting the consequences of poverty and industry on the children of Zambia today and in the future.
- Teach one of the simple songs in two languages — English and a Zambian language. This might be a way to involve children, having them learn the song ahead of time and ‘teaching’ it to the congregation.
- Highlight Zambia on World Communion Sunday (first Sunday in October)
- Include a prayer for the United Church in Zambia during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity held each January.
- Include a prayer of intercession from Zambia during a discussion or study group looking at Climate Change and Environmental Justice (Zambia has been devastated by mining, past and present.) This might be the focus for World Environment Day (5 June).
- Remember and honour farmers on Farmer’s Day, a national holiday on the first Monday in August in Zambia.
- Read the Zambia Psalms (scroll down on this page) and write your own ‘Psalm for Today’ reflecting your situation and circumstances. Submit it to Worship Words to be included in this website.
