Again from of our friends at the Theology of Work project, here’s a great compilation of prayers, songs, and other worship service materials on the themes of work and vocation.
This is a great place to begin if you’re looking for ways to equip the members of your congregation or group with encouragement and Biblical perspective on their work as worship.
Prayers
- A Benedicite for Human Work – Let the marketers and advertisers bless you, great God, the entrepreneurs sing your praise….
- Litany for the Affirmation of Ministry in Daily Life – As a husband, Dad, physician, farmer, layperson, jail minister, and follower of Jesus Christ, Help me to know you are always present in and around me as I am present to those you have called me to minister in the name of Jesus….
- A Commissioning to Vocation in Daily Life – In the ministry of your daily life and work, will you proclaim by word and example the Good News of God in Christ?
Hymns
- Take My Life & Let it Be (Traditional Hymn)
- How Clear is Our Vocation Lord (Traditional Hymn)
- Sing We of the Modern City (Traditional Hymn)
- God of Concrete, God of Steel (Richard Granville, Jones Frederick, R.C Clarke)
- All Who Love and Serve Your City (Erik Routley)
- God of Offices and Kitchens (Contemporary Lyrics with Traditional Tune)
Contemporary Songs
- Benediction (Maeve)
- Hands and Feet (The Brilliance)
- Crags and Clay (Gungor)
- Servant King, From Heaven You Came (Graham Kendrick)
- God Of This City (Bluetree)
- Before You I Kneel. A Worker’s Prayer (Keith and Kristyn Getty)
Vocational Interviews in Church
“This Time Tomorrow”
Each Sunday, invite a different person to answer three questions in front of the group:
- What will you be doing this time tomorrow?
- What opportunities or challenges will you face?
- How can we pray for you?
From the Stage
Interview a member of your congregation about his or her work, on stage as a part of the church service.
- How to Do Vocational Interviews in Church – Sample questions for vocational interviews during the church service, and examples of other churches doing this.
- Preparing People for Vocational Interviews (video) – Adding a pastoral meeting to the interview prep dramatically increases the impact of these interviews.
- Commissioning Our People for the Workplace – What David Gill learned when he started commissioning workers as part of his Sunday service.
Work in Worship Resources
These resources for Sunday worship come from “Work in Worship,” edited and compiled by Rev David Welbourn.
Prayer Material for Services
- Opening Prayers about Work
- Thanksgiving Prayers about Work
- Confessions about Work
- Creeds about Work
- Offertory Prayers about Work
- Intercession Prayers for Work
- Closing Prayers about Work
Hymns, Psalms & Poems
Readings
- Bible Readings about Work
- Apocrypha Readings about Work
- Modern Readings about Work
- Quotations about Work
Sermons
- The Worth of All Work
- Address by the Archbishop of Canterbury
- Offering Our Work to God in the Sacrament
- All Work in His Service
- Restoring Fellowship in Unemployment
- Church Support for the Unemployed
- From Chaos to Creation
- Industry and the Work of God
- Work in God’s Plan
- Sermon on John 21:1-14
Sample Services
- A Harvest of Work Service in an Ordinary Local Church Setting
- A National Service Celebrating Industry
- A Rogationtide Service of Holy Communion for an Ordinary Local Church Setting
- A Cathedral Service Celebrating the Work of a County
- An Unemployment Service with Holy Communion
- An Unemployment Service without Holy Communion
- Transforming Chaos to Creation Church Service
- The Commissioning & Licensing of an Industrial Chaplain
- People and the Planet: A Service with Holy Communion
- The Blessing of a Ship
Private Prayer
- Prayer for the Start of the Working Day
- Prayers for the End of the Working Day
- Prayer Cycles / Calendars
- Miscellaneous Prayers about Work
For additional resources to use and share, you can download the entire Work in Worship book as a PDF.
Visit the Theology of Work website for more resources and guidance on how to use these assets in your church.
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This post was published August 8, 2017
Jeff Haanen
Jeff Haanen is a writer and entrepreneur. He founded Denver Institute for Faith & Work, a community of conveners, teachers and learners offering experiences and educational resources on the gospel, work, and community renewal. He is the author of An Uncommon Guide to Retirement: Finding God’s Purpose for the Next Season of Life and an upcoming two-book series on spiritual formation, vocation, and the working class for Intervarsity Press. He lives with his wife and four daughters in Denver and attends Wellspring Church in Englewood, Colorado.