As God sees the world.

A call to worship.

Themes

The city of the living God • Assembled Christians • Mediator • Sprinkled blood • Forgiveness • The Kingdom • Gospel • Ambassadors • Agents of redemption

When we gather with other Christians, we do so not to escape the reality of our week but to enact the reality of God’s Kingdom.

Father, show us the language and grammar spoken in Your kingdom so that we can speak it out there, across our week, into our families, jobs, teams, offices, assembly lines, clients, and customers.

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Scripture reading

Nehemiah 8

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This call to worship¹ is about seeing the world as God sees the world. It comes from a passage in Nehemiah.

When the seventh month came 
and the Israelites had settled in their towns, 
all the people came together 
as one 
in the square. 

Ezra the priest 
brought the Book of the Law of Moses 
before the assembly. 
He read it aloud 
from daybreak till noon. 

And all the people listened attentively. 

And all the people lifted their hands 
and responded, “Amen! Amen!” 
Then they worshiped the Lord. 

Then Nehemiah said, 
“Go and enjoy choice food 
and sweet drinks, 
and send some to those 
who have nothing prepared. 
This day is holy to our Lord. 
Do not grieve, 
for the joy of the Lord 
is your strength.”

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Prayer

Father, this morning 
we have come 
to the city of the living God,
we have come 
to join throngs of joyful angels, 
we have come 
to join the assembled Christians in heaven,
we have come 
to Jesus, our Mediator, 
and we have come 
to the sprinkled blood 
that tells us all about forgiveness. 

We’ve come, 
not to escape the reality of our week, 
but to enact the reality of Your Kingdom. 

Father, as we sing together 
and lift our hands
and shout “amen” together; 
as we share our needs, 
and pray for each other; 
as we read Your Scriptures,
and encourage one another this morning; 
as we confess our sins
and forgive each other 
and restore our friendships, 
in all of this, Father, 
help us to see each other 
as You see us. 

Help us to see the world 
as You see the world. 

As we get immersed 
in the otherworldly culture 
of Your Kingdom this morning, 
here in this place, 
help Your gospel to become us. 

Show us 
what a fearless ambassador 
of Your Kingdom is like. 

Show us 
what it’s like 
to be agents 
of Your redemption 
in the world. 

Show us again 
the language and grammar 
that’s spoken in Your kingdom, 
so that we can speak it out there, 
across our week, 
into our families, 
jobs, 
teams, 
offices, 
assembly lines, 
clients, 
and customers.

Help us to practice Your kingdom reality, 
together, in here, this morning, 
so that we can live it out there. 

Give us the experience this morning 
to do the world as you mean it to be done. 

In the name of Jesus Christ, 
the Lord of this in-breaking Kingdom 
in which we live,
Amen.

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1. This call to worship was given to the small assembly of Christians who gathered at Pathway Church, Beaverdam, Michigan, on Sunday, March 28, 2021.