Now and then, we’ll take a break from our Sunday Scholar’s Compass rhythm to share other material that can be used in personal reflection and communal worship, and this week we conclude a series of liturgies from a recent InterVarsity conference. Every summer, InterVarsity hosts the Midwest Faculty Conference as a time for faculty to rest, reflect, and meet with God and each other. This year’s theme was The Faculty Vocation: Exploring a Christian Anthropology of the Academic Life. Mike Gehrling, InterVarsity’s Director of International Graduate Student and Faculty Ministry, crafted liturgies for worship at the conference around the theme of vocation. He shares them with us here. Part 1 can be found here, Part 2 here, and Part 3 here.
My Calling at Church – A Liturgy based on Colossians 4:2-18
Song – For All the Saints (William Walsham How and Ralph Vaughan Williams)
Thanksgivings for Saints
For beloved brothers and sisters,
For faithful ministers and fellow servants of the Lord,
For those who know our circumstances
and comfort our hearts,
For those who make known to us the works of God,
We praise thee, O Lord.
(sung from the melody of For All the Saints) Alleluia! Alleluia!
For those imprisoned for the sake of the Word,
For those we welcome in Christ’s name,
For all workers of the Kingdom of God,
We praise You, O Lord.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
For servants of Christ who labor fervently,
For those whose pray for us,
and aid us to stand perfect and complete in Your will,
We praise you, O Lord.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
For those who have been zealous for our salvation,
For those who heal and restore,
For those who show hospitality,
We praise you, O Lord.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
For those who read and proclaim Your Word,
For those who fulfill the ministries You give them,
For those in chains for the gospel,
We praise you, O Lord.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Song – The Church’s One Foundation (S. J. Stone)
A Prayer for Vigilance
Grant us, O Lord,
to continue earnestly in prayer.
Make us to be vigilant with thanksgiving.
Lead us in prayers for your Church,
and for those who proclaim Your word.
Grant to us open doors for Your Word,
that we may speak the mystery of Christ.
Even if the answer to these prayers
leads us to chains,
continue to make Your Word manifest in us,
as we ought to speak.
Song – O Church Arise (Keith Getty and Stuart Townend)
A Prayer for Wise Speech
O Lord,
as we walk into the world,
grant us to walk in wisdom,
that we may redeem the time.
Fill our speech with grace,
and season it with salt,
that we may know how to answer everyone,
and that all who hear us speak will hear Christ.
Part of Mike Gehrling’s Liturgies of Calling series, appearing in the Highlighting Community feature of the Emerging Scholars Network Blog. This post is the fourth and final part of the series. Find Part 1 here, Part 2 here, and Part 3 here.
Rev. Michael Gehrling is InterVarsity’s Director of International Graduate Student and Faculty Ministry, leading GFM’s ministry to international students and scholars across the country. He also serves as co-pastor of The Upper Room, a Presbyterian church plant in Pittsburgh, PA. Find him on social media @mikegehrling.
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