How the comfort of God works.

A call to worship.

Themes

Comfort • Consolation • Encouragement • Suffering • Affliction • Sharing in Christ’s sufferings • Sharing in Christ’s comfort • Hope • Strength • Renewal • Courage • Faith • Restoration • Salvation • Power of God • Community • Ministry to others • Mystery of God’s work • Life-giving flow

Any of us who have ever received Your comfort, we are now forever agents of comfort.

---

Scripture reading

2 Corinthians 1:3–7

---

This call to worship¹ originates from our current events here in this little church, as well as from a letter about suffering that Paul wrote to his friends in the city of Corinth. He wrote:

Gratefully praised and adored 
be the God and Father 
of our Lord Jesus Christ, 
the Father of mercies 
and the God of all comfort, 
who comforts and encourages us 
in all our affliction—
in every trouble—
so that we may be able 
to comfort those 
who are in any kind of trouble, 
with the comfort 
with which we ourselves are comforted 
by God. 
For just as we share abundantly 
in Christ's sufferings—
as they overflow to us His followers—
so also our comfort—
our reassurance, 
our encouragement, 
our consolation—
is abundant through Christ; 
it is truly more than enough 
to endure what we must.


And then Paul, speaking about the afflictions that he and his companions were suffering,  says:

If we are troubled and distressed, 
it is for your comfort and salvation; 
and if we are comforted, 
it too is for your comfort, 
which you experience 
when you patiently endure 
the same sufferings 
that we suffer. 
Our hope for you is unshaken, 
for we know 
that as you share as partners 
in our sufferings, 
you will also share as partners 
in our comfort.

---

Prayer

Father in heaven, 
You are not passive 
when we face hardships. 
It is deep within Your very nature 
to meet us 
in our suffering 
and to pour out on us 
the consolation, 
the encouragement 
we so desperately need. 

When our sorrows multiply, 
Your consolation multiplies. 
And that is good. 
And that is how 
we would want it to be 
and how we need it to be. 
But it doesn’t end there. 

When we receive Your consolation, 
we then can’t help 
but pour it out 
on others. 

Any of us 
who have ever received 
Your comfort, 
we are now forever agents 
of comfort. 

Any kind of comfort 
You have ever given us 
in any and all of our past situations—
that comfort remains in us 
even when our suffering 
has long faded away, 
and there it is, 
right there, 
comfort that remains ready—
ready to be poured out 
onto others. 

This is the nature 
of Your multiplying comfort. 

You give us comfort 
in our need. 
You give us encouragement. 
You give us consolation. 
And it remains with us forever. 
It never fades 
even when our sorrow has. 
It never leaves 
even when our suffering is long past. 
It remains with us. 
It’s always there. 
And any person we encounter 
with any sorrow whatsoever, 
they are able 
to then receive from us 
that comfort 
that remains in us 
that is from You. 

And with this comfort, Father, 
You renew others. 
You refresh others. 
You give hope to others 
in the midst of their despair. 
You give courage to others 
in the midst of their fears. 
You give strength to others 
in the midst of their weaknesses. 
You give faith to others 
in the midst of their doubts. 
And in those moments, 
we see the world 
as You see the world. 
And we get to see 
and experience ourselves 
as you see us. 

For You see us 
in Christ. 
And from this place in Christ, 
we get to breathe new hope 
and new life 
into the lives of others. 
As recipients 
of Your consultation 
and Your encouragement, 
You have prepared us 
to administer that consolation 
to others. 
This is the nature 
of Your comfort, 
and Your encouragement, 
and Your reassurance.  

Only You can 
enliven a heart. 
Only You can 
encourage the downcast. 
Only You can 
deliver Your children from crisis. 
But it is a glorious mystery 
that You have extended these things 
through us 
who have received Your consolation 
in the past. 
Those of us 
who have experienced Your comfort 
are now equipped 
to comfort others 
in any affliction. 

You will make 
Your comfort 
effective 
in others 
through us. 

We are 
united with Christ. 
We are 
in Him. 
And as such, 
we cannot avoid 
the burden of His suffering. 
We will suffer, too. 
But it is only in that 
that we get to also receive 
Your consolation, 
Your encouragement, 
Your assurance. 
And how would we not want that—
consolation from the very heart of God Himself. 
That is life itself! 
That when we receive it, 
it comes in abundance, 
and it becomes life-giving power 
for others. 

There is no stopping 
the powerful, 
life-giving flow 
of Your consolation. 

Our suffering, 
our affliction 
guarantees the outpouring 
of Your consolation, 
and it is in that 
that Your power is unleashed, 
and that is not only a power 
that comforts 
and consoles 
and encourages, 
but it is also a power 
capable of saving. 
And that is the true power 
that flows through us 
in the moments of need 
that we experience in others—
the power of Your action to restore, 
the power of Your action to deliver, 
the power of Your action to save 
those in need. 

Through the comfort You have given us, 
lasting change in others can be won. 
Through the comfort You have given us, 
lasting change in others can be won. 

Others will be encouraged. 
Others will become equipped. 
Others will come to practice 
the way of Jesus 
in the world.

Your consolation, Father, 
flows through all of us 
who have experienced suffering. 

In the name of Jesus, 
in whose crucifixion—
the ultimate suffering—
the wisdom of God is revealed, 
Amen

---

---

Inspiring resources

A call to worship creates wonderment, amazement, curiosity, yearning, captivation, provocation, hopefulness, thankfulness, affection, rapture, delight. As these mix together, the response is worship.

If this call to worship leaves you wondering or curious or provoked or hopeful, consider diving into this awesome book that inspired me.

1. This call to worship was given to the small assembly of Christians that gathered in Pathway Church, Beaverdam, Michigan, on Sunday, August 11, 2024.