Worship · Order of Worship
Public Gospel
Opening Prayer
Note to leader: before the prayer and the beginning of worship, take a moment to encourage God’s people to settle into God’s Spirit, to breath, to be open to Christ’s presence.
Almighty God,
you are the maker of all things
and the giver of life and breath.
You are not far from each one of us,
and yet we often live as though you are distant.
When we keep our faith contained,
draw us into your wider world.
When we hesitate to speak or act,
give us courage shaped by your Spirit.
Gather us in this time of worship,
that we may recognize your presence,
be formed by your truth,
and be sent as witnesses to your grace.
Through Jesus Christ,
who calls us into the world you love.
Amen.
Call to Worship
Based on Psalm 66
selected verses
Make a joyful noise to God, all the earth;
sing the glory of God’s name.
We give glory to the One whose works are mighty.
Come and see what God has done—
whose deeds among us inspire awe.
God has brought us through trial and testing,
through fire and water, into a place of abundance.
Bless our God, O peoples;
let the sound of praise be heard.
God has kept us among the living
and has not let our feet slip.
Come and hear, all who seek God,
and we will tell what God has done.
God has listened to our prayers
and has not withheld steadfast love.
Come, let us worship the living God.
Hymn of Praise
God of Grace and God of Glory, GTG #307
Assurance of Grace
Hear the good news:
The God who made the world and everything in it
is not far from each one of us.
In Jesus Christ,
God has made grace known—
not hidden, not distant, but near.
Where we have been silent, God speaks mercy.
Where we have held back, God offers new life.
We are forgiven.
We are restored.
We are sent to live in the freedom of God’s grace.
Thanks be to God.
Trusting in God’s grace and mercy, let us confess our sins and brokenness together.
Responding to God’s Grace
Unison Prayer of Confession
God of mercy,
you are not far from us,
yet we live as though you are distant.
You call us into the world you love,
yet we keep our faith hidden.
We remain silent
when we are called to speak,
and we speak without love
when we are called to reflect your grace.
We cling to what is safe and familiar,
rather than trusting your Spirit at work beyond us.
Forgive us
for the ways we withdraw,
for the risks we refuse to take,
and for the witness we fail to offer.
Shape us again by your Spirit,
that our lives may bear the good news—
with humility, courage, and truth.
We pray in the name of Christ.
Amen.
Sharing the Peace of Christ
An Embodied Sign of God’s Grace in Christ Jesus
Friends, we have been reminded that God’s grace extends to all. We have confessed our sins, knowing that we have been forgiven and that God is making us a new creation.
In this spirit, let us share the peace of Christ.
The peace of Christ be with you.
And also with you.
(Share Christ’s peace in ways fitting to your community.)
The Written Word
A Reading from the Early Church
Paul at the Areopagus
22So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said:
“Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. 23For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription: ‘To an unknown god.’
What therefore you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you. 24The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made by hands, 25nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all life and breath and all things. 26And he made from one every nation of humankind to dwell on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted times and the boundaries of their dwelling place, 27that they should seek God, and perhaps feel after him and find him—though indeed he is not far from each one of us. 28For in him we live and move and have our being,
as even some of your own poets have said,
‘For we are indeed his offspring.’ 29Being then God’s offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man. 30The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, 31because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.”
Notes
“Very religious” preserves ambiguity. The statement can be heard as acknowledgment or critique.
The “unknown god” becomes a point of contact, not affirmation. Paul begins within their frame but redirects it.
God is described in terms that resist containment and dependence. Creator language undercuts temple-centered assumptions.
Unity of origin (“from one”) grounds the diversity of nations without erasing distinction.
The language of seeking is tentative (“perhaps”), yet the nearness of God is asserted without qualification.
Paul appropriates Greek poetry without endorsing its full framework. The line is recontextualized within his proclamation.
Idolatry is critiqued not only as false worship but as a reduction of divine reality to human fabrication.
“Overlooked” does not imply indifference but delayed judgment. The present moment is marked by a new summons.
Resurrection functions as both assurance and boundary. It confirms the appointed judge and provokes division.
Vocabulary
ἄγνωστος (agnōstos)
“Unknown.” Indicates lack of recognition or knowledge rather than absence of existence.
θεραπεύω (therapeuō)
“To serve” or “to attend.” Here used in the sense of ritual service rather than healing.
ψηλαφάω (psēlaphaō)
“To feel after” or “to grope.” Suggests searching without full clarity.
ὑπεροράω (hyperoraō)
“To overlook.” Can imply passing over without immediate action.
πίστις (pistis)
“Assurance” or “proof.” Here functions as a guarantee grounded in the resurrection.
Gospel Reading
The Promise of the Advocate
15“If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever, 17even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he remains with you and will be in you. 18I will not leave you as orphans; I am coming to you. 19Yet a little while, and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. 21The one who has my commandments and keeps them is the one who loves me. And the one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and will reveal myself to him.”
Notes
The Advocate is both given and known; presence is described as both with and in.
“I will not leave you as orphans” frames departure in relational terms rather than spatial absence.
The layered “in” language (Father, Son, disciples) resists simplification.
Vocabulary
παράκλητος (paraklētos)
“Advocate.” One who comes alongside—helper, counselor, or intercessor.
πνεῦμα τῆς ἀληθείας (pneuma tēs alētheias)
“Spirit of truth.” Associated with revelation and recognition.
ἐν (en)
“In.” A term of relational participation, used repeatedly in layered ways.
Public Gospel
Sharing God’s Word Together
- What do you notice about how Paul engages the people of Athens? What stands out about his tone, his starting point, or the way he enters the conversation?
- Where do you see parallels between Athens and our world today? What are the “altars” or competing voices people are responding to in our context?
- Paul begins with connection before proclamation. Why does that matter?How does his approach challenge or affirm the way we think about sharing faith publicly?
- What makes a “risk” righteous rather than reactive or reckless? How do we discern when to speak, when to act, and how to do so with both courage and humility?
- Where in your life are you tempted to keep faith private or hidden? What fears, assumptions, or habits shape that instinct?
- What is one right-sized risk you feel called to take this week? A conversation, an action, or a step of presence—where you trust that God is already at work?
Hymn of Reflection
We Are Called, GTG #749
Affirmation of Faith
Spoken together.
We believe in God,
who made the world and everything in it,
who gives life and breath to all people,
and who is not far from each one of us.
We believe in Jesus Christ,
who reveals the fullness of God’s love,
who calls us to live that love in the world,
and who sends us as witnesses to his grace.
We believe in the Holy Spirit,
who abides with us and within us,
who gives us courage to speak and act,
and who guides us in truth.
We believe the gospel is not hidden,
but lived and spoken in the world God loves.
We trust that God is already at work among us,
and we are called to join in with faith and hope.
Amen.
Prayers of the People
Let us pray for the church, the world, and one another.
God who is near,
you give life and breath to all,
and you are not far from each one of us.
Hear us as we pray.
Send us into your world,
and hold us in your grace.
(pause)
Lord, make us faithful witnesses.
For this world,
full of voices, questions, and searching hearts—
for those seeking meaning,
and those unsure what to trust—
Make yourself known.
Draw near in ways they can recognize.
Send us into your world,
and hold us in your grace.
(pause)
Lord, make us faithful witnesses.
Lord, make us faithful witnesses.
For places of conflict and division,
where truth is distorted
and fear shapes the conversation—
Raise up voices of clarity and compassion.
Guide communities toward justice and peace.
Send us into your world,
and hold us in your grace.
(pause)
Lord, make us faithful witnesses.
Lord, make us faithful witnesses.
For those who speak in public spaces—
leaders, teachers, advocates, and neighbors—
Grant wisdom to listen well,
courage to speak truth,
and humility to act with grace.
Send us into your world,
and hold us in your grace.
(pause)
Lord, make us faithful witnesses.
Lord, make us faithful witnesses.
For our own lives,
where we hesitate to speak
or struggle to act—
Give us courage for right-sized risks.
Help us trust that you are already at work,
and that we do not go alone.
Send us into your world,
and hold us in your grace.
(pause)
Lord, make us faithful witnesses.
For those who suffer in body, mind, or spirit—
for those facing illness, grief, or uncertainty—
Be near to them.
Sustain them with your presence,
and carry them through.
Send us into your world,
and hold us in your grace.
(pause)
Lord, make us faithful witnesses.
For those who feel unseen or unheard—
those pushed to the margins
or overlooked in the crowd—
Draw them into your mercy.
Remind them that they are known and loved.
Send us into your world,
and hold us in your grace.
(pause)
Lord, make us faithful witnesses.
For this community,
and for the life we share together—
Form us as a people whose faith is visible,
whose love is active,
and whose witness reflects your grace.
Send us into your world,
and hold us in your grace.
(pause)
Lord, make us faithful witnesses.
For the prayers we carry in silence—
(A time of silent prayer)
God who is near,
you hear the prayers we speak
and those we hold within.
Receive them in your mercy,
and continue to send us into your world,
through Jesus Christ,
who reveals your love to all.
Send us into your world,
and hold us in your grace.
Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer
We pray together, saying:
(The Lord’s Prayer is prayed in the words familiar to the community.)
Hymn of Sending
Lord, You Give the Great Commission, GTG #298
Sending
Go now into the world God has made—
not as strangers,
but as those who know
that God is not far from us.
Live your faith in the open,
with courage and humility.
Take the risks that love requires,
and trust God with the outcome.
Speak with grace.
Act with integrity.
Walk with hope.
And may the God who gives life and breath,
the Christ who calls and sends,
and the Spirit who abides with you,
go with you now and always.
Amen.
Reflections for Later
For Newcomers
You may not be sure what you believe, or where you belong. That’s alright.
In Athens, Paul spoke to people who were already searching—people with questions, curiosity, and even uncertainty. He didn’t begin by correcting them. He began by noticing. By honoring their search.
The claim of the gospel is not that you have to find God on your own. It is that God is already near to you.
Closer than you think.
Present in ways you may not yet recognize.
Faith begins not with certainty, but with openness.
A willingness to listen.
A willingness to wonder.
You are welcome to begin there.
For Those Rooted in This Community
It is possible to be deeply formed in faith, and still keep it contained.
Paul did not remain in the safety of familiar spaces. He stepped into the public square—into a world full of competing ideas, questions, and assumptions—and trusted that God was already there.
The challenge is not simply to believe, but to live what we believe where others can see it.
Not loudly or forcefully,
but clearly and faithfully.
Where have you grown comfortable keeping your faith private?
Where might God be calling you to take a right-sized risk—
to speak, to act, to show up differently?
The gospel you carry is not meant to be hidden.
It is meant to take shape in your life.
For Churches Without a Pastor
The witness of the church has never depended on one voice.
In Athens, Paul spoke—but the gospel did not remain with him. Some were curious. Some believed. A community began to take shape.
The work of faith belongs to the whole people of God.
You do not need a single leader to carry the witness.
You already have what you need:
A shared story,
a living faith,
and a God who is near.
As you gather, serve, and speak together,
trust that your life as a community is itself a public gospel.
Others will see.
Others will hear.
And God will continue to work through you.
Need Help?
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Rights and Use
© Church Commons. 2026
Written by Rev. Matthew J. Skolnik unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved.
These materials may be used and adapted for worship and educational purposes within Christian communities. They may not be sold or redistributed for commercial purposes without permission.
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