Call to Worship Romans 12 Adapted
One: I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God,
let’s present our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God.
All: This is our spiritual worship.
One: Let’s not be conformed to this world
but be transformed by the renewing of our minds.
All: This is so we may discern what is the will of God—
what is good and acceptable and perfect.
One: By grace, let’s not to think of ourselves more highly than we ought to think.
All: Instead, let’s consider ourselves with sober judgement,
each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.
One: For as in one body we have many members,
and not all the members have the same function—
All: so we, who are many, are one body in Christ,
and individually we are members one of another.
One: We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us:
prophecy, in proportion to faith;
All: ministry, in ministering;
One: the teacher, in teaching;
All: the exhorter, in exhortation;
One: the giver, in generosity;
All: the leader, in diligence;
One: the compassionate, in cheerfulness.
All: So we are, each and all, vessels of God’s grace, doers of God’s word.
One: Together we manifest the many facets of God’s promised realm,
All: So it is as we proclaim in greeting one another, “The peace of the Lord be with you.”
One: And also with you. Please be seated. Let us pray.
Prayer of Invocation and Confession In unison
Gracious God, gather us together to be your church. By our worship, help us to become one body of many members, each and all serving for the sake of the Gospel, which confesses and professes love as the greatest power of all. Help us to recognize in one another your appeal of love heard and responded to, your amazing grace poured out and taken up.
We each bring to this congregation of your church gifts for the building up of your kingdom—some seeing to the administration of the church, others acting in compassion amidst suffering, still others keeping covenant with the wider church. Some work in resistance of injustice, while others labor forth beauty in our common life, which lifts the spirit and sustains our faith and defies what ugliness might otherwise overwhelm us. Some steward the land from generation to generation, while others create goods that nourish and make well. We thank you that you call the whole world—all people, all creatures—to participate each in our own way in the praise of you who sustains and redeems.
Forgive us when our laboring for your kingdom would have us more resentful than grateful. Forgive us when we mistake our way for the right way or the only way. Fill us, instead, with your abounding love that we might serve out of abundance, grace upon grace.
We pray this in the faithfulness of Jesus, who recognized in the world such need for good news that he, with the Holy Spirit, created the church so to serve. Amen.
