When justice waits in silence.
A call to worship.
Themes
Justice • Mercy • Righteousness • Grace • Injustice • Worship and mission • Faithfulness • Holiness • Community • Restored friendship • Making all things new • Practicing the kingdom • Being transformed • The heartbeat of God • Hope and courage
We confess our attempts at remaking God’s justice in our image—attempts at making it something new and something other, as though up until now it hasn’t been quite right.
Scripture reading
Habakkuk 1:2–5
This call to worship1 meets us in the tension between the injustice we see and the justice God promises. It reminds us that worship isn’t an escape from the world—it’s a summons to join God’s unrelenting mission to make all things new.
Habakkuk’s Complaint How long, Lord, must I call for help, but you do not listen? Or cry out to you, “Violence!” but you do not save? Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrongdoing? Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and conflict abounds. Why do you tolerate the treacherous? Why are you silent while the wicked swallow up those more righteous than themselves? The Lord’s Answer Look at the nations and watch— and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told.
Prayer
God of justice... and of mercy, God of righteousness... and grace, we confess our attempts at remaking Your justice in our image— attempts at making it something new and something other; as though up until now it hasn’t been quite right. Father, we realize —and we confess— that Your justice doesn’t need to become something different in this time. Since the sin of Cain, it has always been at the center of Your own heartbeat, central to Your character, and at the center of Your kingdom. And You have always been calling us into it, and giving to us hope and courage so that we can. Father, that is why we are here this morning. It’s why we gather and why we keep gathering as Your assembled people, week after week, so that we can become Your community— and be sustained as Your committed community… for the long haul, persevering in Your mission, living in union with You and with each other, so that from such a union we can be “holiness”, we can be faithful and loving-kindness, we can be justice, we can be righteousness, and we can be flourishing wholeness. Through Your Son, and empowerd by Your Spirit, we are that body of people. A body of people You’ve redeemed us to be— a body, beckoned by our worship to join You in Your work in the world, making all things new. You are the primary reconciler. Through Christ, You are the Redeemer. By Your Spirit, You are the power behind restored friendship. Help us to discern where exactly we should join You in making some thing new. Help us now to practice being Your kingdom people together. In the name of Jesus, Amen.
This call to worship was given to the small assembly of Christians that gathered in Pathway Church, Beaverdam, Michigan, on May 2, 2021.