One in Christ

Description

Here are worship resources highlighting the unity a disciple of Christ shares with all those making up the body of Christ.

Scripture

John 17
Ephesians 4:1-16
Ephesians 2:11-22
Psalm 133

Prayers

Opening Prayer

One body, one Spirit, one hope,
one Lord, one faith, one baptism,
one God and Father of all,
who is above all and through all and in all,
take this patchwork collection of persons
and quilt together your church.

Like old pieces of cloth,
take these words and songs and prayers,
take our thoughts and inner hungers,
and join them all together into a new and living fabric—
the purpose of which is to cover and color your world
(or at least our corner of it)
with grace and love.

In Christ. Amen.

~ posted on the Long Green Valley Church of the Brethren website.
http://rockhay.tripod.com/

Prayer of Confession (inspired by Ephesians 4:1-16)

God of unity and love,
place within each of us
a spirit of hope and community.
Have mercy upon us
when we speak without love
or act without humility.
Cleanse us with the living water of your grace.
Create in us willing hearts
to live in patience and gentleness.
Raise us up to be your children,
growing toward maturity
in faith and love.
Strengthen this church,
that we may be a model
of ministry and unity
for all the world to see.
In Christ’s name, we pray.

Amen.

~ Adapted from The Abingdon Worship Annual 2009, © 2008 Abingdon Press. Posted on the Ministry Matters website.
http://www.ministrymatters.com/

An Odd Mob

Loving God, we are an odd mob.
We thank You for the widely different types of people,
and expressions of faith,
which constitute the membership of your Church in this century.

We give thanks for those who appear born to express faith
through rigid creeds and behaviour.
We give thanks for others who seem destined to follow Christ
among innumerable questions and doubts.
We give thanks for members whose faith appears to be
a profound, childlike simplicity, unhurried and unworried.
We give thanks for those who seem unable to find one satisfying word
with which to describe You,
yet whose faith is constantly renewed by a wordless awe
in the presence of Unnameable Love.

Lover of diversity, God of all souls,
continue to give us the grace to treasure each other with all our oddness
and to use these differences as we minister to the diversity of people
who share this twenty first century with us.

To your praise and glory.

Amen!

~ written by Bruce Prewer, and posted on Bruce Prewer’s Home Page.
http://www.bruceprewer.com/

Spoken Resources

Call to Worship Litany (based on Psalm 133)

Though we may be inclined to brag,
let us come together with humility.
How good a thing it is when all of God’s people live together in unity.
Though we may be tempted to use harsh words,
let us come together with gentleness.
How good a thing it is when all of God’s people live together in unity.
Though we may want everything to happen quickly,
let us come together with patience.
How good a thing it is when all of God’s people live together in unity.
Though the world around often encourages hate,
let us come together in love.
How good a thing it is when all of God’s people live together in unity.
In humility, gentleness, patience, love, and unity,
Let us worship the God who has called us together.

~ written by Joanna Harader, and posted on Spacious Faith.
http://spaciousfaith.com/

Call to Worship

Welcome to this place:
where children and seasoned citizens sit side by side,
where heaven and earth embrace in peace,
where God has been, is, and always will be.

Welcome to this place, as we gather with all of God's children:
where we find God's love,
where we hear the tender voice of Jesus,
where the Spirit teaches us new songs.

Welcome to this place, where all is made ready by our God:
where we bring our hunger, and find food;
where we our brokenness, and find healing;
where we bring our very selves, and find acceptance.

~ written by Thom Shuman, and posted on Lectionary Liturgies.
http://lectionaryliturgies.blogspot.ca/

Affirmation of Faith

There is one hope, one calling, to which we are called.
The hope in our lives is Jesus.
There is one hope, one calling, to which we are called.
The call we must answer is God’s.
There is one faith, one hope, one Lord of us all.
The Lord of our lives is Jesus.
There is one baptism, one Father, one Mother of all.
The creator who calls us is God.
We are one body, one family, one church,
woven by the Spirit with bonds of peace.
With Christ’s children throughout all of this earth,
we are one body in unity and love.

~ adapted from The Abingdon Worship Annual 2009, © 2008 Abingdon Press. Posted on the Ministry Matters website.
http://www.ministrymatters.com/

Benediction

Go out from here and live lives worthy
of the one calling which we all share.
In humility, gentleness and patience,
speak only what is true and loving
and so grow into the unity that is ours in Christ.

And may God the creator reshape your hearts;
May Christ Jesus, the bread of life, sustain you always;
and may the Holy Spirit unite you in the bond of peace.

We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
... In the name of Christ.

Amen.

~ Copyright © 2003 Nathan Nettleton
http://www.laughingbird.net/

Songs

Traditional Hymn: May the Grace of Christ Our Savior

Worship Together #620

May the grace of Christ our Savior
and the Father’s boundless love,
with the Holy Spirit’s favor,
rest upon you from above.

Thus may you abide in union
with each other and the Lord,
and possess in deep communion
joys which earth cannot afford.

~ John Newton

Tune suggestions:
BUNESSAN (“Morning has broken”)
Listen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kKoRp05L95c

PEACE (“Peace is flowing like a river”)
Listen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDGXAZphcCw

Contemporary Hymn: We Are Called to Be God’s People

Worship Together #415

We are called to be God's people, showing by our lives His grace,
one in heart and one in spirit, sign of hope for all the race.
Let us show how He has changed us, and remade us as His own,
let us share our life together as we shall around His throne.

We are called to be God's servants, working in His world today;
taking His own task upon us, all His sacred words obey.
Let us rise, then, to His summons, dedicate to Him our all,
that we may be faithful servants, quick to answer now His call.

We are called to be God's prophets, speaking for the truth and right,
standing firm for godly justice, bringing evil things to light.
Let us seek the courage needed, our high calling to fulfill,
that the world may know the blessing of the doing of God's will.

Tune suggestions:
AUSTRIAN HYMN (“Glorious things of Thee are spoken”)
Listen here: http://www.hymnary.org/tune/austrian_hymn_haydn

Contemporary Song: By Our Love

Brothers let us come together
Walking in the Spirit
There's much to be done
We will come reaching
Out from our comforts
And they will know us by our love

Sisters we were made for kindness
We can pierce the darkness
As He shines through us
We will come reaching
With a song of healing
And they will know us by our love

The time is now
Come church arise
Love with His hands
See with His eyes
Bind it around you
Let it never leave you
And they will know us by our love

Children you are hope for justice
Stand firm in the Truth now
Set your hearts above
You will be reaching
Long after we're gone
And they will know you by your love

~ Christy Nockels. Copyright © 2009 worshiptogether.com Songs (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing). CCLI Song #5489329. If you use this song in worship, be sure to report it on your CCLI license.

Listen to it here: http://www.worshiptogether.com/songs/songdetail.aspx?iid=1052518

Contemporary Song: They’ll Know We Are Christians

We are one in the Spirit
We are one in the Lord
We are one in the Spirit
We are one in the Lord
And we pray that all unity
May one day be restored

And they'll know we are Christians
By our love by our love
Yes they'll know we are Christians
By our love

We will walk with each other
We will walk hand in hand
We will walk with each other
We will walk hand in hand
And together we'll spread the news
That God is in our land

We will work with each other
We will work side by side
We will work with each other
We will work side by side
And we'll guard each one’s dignity
And save each one's pride

All praise to the Father
From whom all things come
And all praise to
Christ Jesus His only Son
And all praise to
The Spirit who makes us one

~ Peter Scholtes. Copyright © 1966 F.E.L. Publications. Assigned 1991 Lorenz Publishing Company (Admin. by Lorenz Corporation). CCLI Song #26997. If you use this song in worship, be sure to report it on your CCLI license.

Listen to it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyHvO4xoEh4

Images

Additional Resources

Readers’ Theatre: One Body in Christ (Ephesians 2:11-22)
http://re-worship.blogspot.ca/2012/07/readers-theatre-ephesians-2-11-22.html

Readers’ Theatre: Ephesians 4:1-16
http://re-worship.blogspot.ca/2012/07/readers-theatre-ephesians-4-1-16.html

Celebration of Faith: Working Together
http://re-worship.blogspot.ca/2012/07/celebration-of-faith-working-together.html

Notes

This worship resource was created/compiled by Christine Longhurst. You are welcome to use it free of charge, and where appropriate, please note the source. If you are printing any of the resources for distribution, please print the source as well. The content of the worship resource does not necessarily represent the views of the Canadian Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches, which oversees the Centre for Mennonite Brethren Studies. For more worship resources by Christine Longhurst, see http://www.re-worship.blogspot.ca or http://www.faithmatters.ca.

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