No ordinary collection of people.
A call to worship.
Themes
Special people • Holy assembly • Called by God • Purpose • God’s people • Fellowship • A company of believers
We are people “of God,” not of similar tastes, not of similar driving distances, not even of similar traditions. We are only “of God.”
Scripture reading
Colossians 1:13 Ephesians 5:25
Today’s call to worship1 comes from several letters that the Apostle Paul wrote to churches while in prison. He wrote the following:
The Father has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and has brought us into the kingdom of the Son He loves. Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her.
Prayer
Father in heaven, this morning, this little church of Jesus Christ, this church we know as Pathway, is gathered here not as a club, or as an organization, but rather as a people — a special people — (i) people in relationship with You, the One who rescued us, and (ii) people in relationship with each other — with others here who share together Your salvation. We are no ordinary collection of people. Rather, we are a holy assembly called by You out of this world — called by the preaching of the gospel in order to then live in righteousness — to live as a people in covenant with You. We have been called together for a purpose — the purpose of belonging to You through Jesus Christ. We are a people brought together not by some affinity — not because we all like to worship the same way. Instead, we are brought together by Your Holy Spirit. And we are a people now bound to each other through Christ. We all confess our allegiance to Him. And we exist as a body under His lordship. We are here in covenant with You. We are Your people. We are people “of You,” not of similar tastes, not of similar driving distances, not even of similar traditions. We are only of You. And our mutual confession of Jesus as the Son You love means that we also occupy a special place in fellowship with those that are sitting around us. Our shared commitment to be His disciples involves a commitment to one another. We not only have a responsibility to belong to You, but we also have the responsibility to nurture the confession of Christ in each other. Because of Christ, we are a company of believers in covenant with You and with each other. So this morning, as we participate together and as we practice together Your kingdom, empower us to express the love of Your kingdom as we serve one another. In the name of Jesus, who gave himself for the church, 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 which inspired me to write this call to worship.
This call to worship was given to the small assembly of Christians that gathered in Pathway Church, Beaverdam, Michigan, on July 31, 2022.