How do we respectfully bring the peoples and the cares of the world into our worship experience?
Theresa Eungyong Cho and I led a workshop on 16 October at McCormick Theological Seminary‘s McCormick Days that explored that topic.
A wealth of liturgical resources exist that can be used in designing and leading such worship.
The Presbyterian Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)’s daily mission devotional, features stories from around the corner and around the globe. The Mission Yearbook helps connect us to sisters and brothers and includes a daily lectionary as well as Minutes for Mission, hymn suggestions, and a prayer for each Sunday.
The Ecumenical Prayer Cycle of the World Council of Churches provides a journey in prayer through every region of the world and through every week of the year affirming our solidarity with Christians all over the world, brothers and sisters living in diverse situations, experiencing diverse problems and sharing diverse gifts. In many cases, the prayers are written by our sisters and brothers from across the globe.
There are also many places to turn for information about global issues. Here are some that our ministry finds helpful.
Each of these resources may be used in corporate worship or in personal devotions. Each may be accessed in a variety of ways.
Both help bring the world into our worship experience and provide reminders that God indeed so loves the world.