General Justice Worship Resources

"The Lord loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love." (Psalm 33:5) 

Because of our Creator's love of justice, we too are called to be people of justice who work in confidence and hope alongside God. We've put together some worship resources to help you and your congregation reaffirm that justice identity in your worship services and throughout the week.

We follow a Christ who is seated at the right hand of the Creator and because of this, we are always drawn upwards at the same time as we are pushed outwards—therefore these resources aim to simultaneously lift our hearts up in worship at the same time as they stretch our arms out in justice.

Prayers 

• Prayer of Confession

  • A beautiful prayer of confession, in simple terms, for our forgetfulness to do justice. Available as a PDF below.  

• Prayers for Justice, Reconciliation, and Peace

  • These prayers are organized by topic and help give voice to our longings for justice, righteousness, and Christ’s redemption of all things.

• Justice: Help I Have to Lead a Prayer

  • A collection of resources to explore various forms of prayer and ways of praying for justice.

Liturgies 

• Checklist for Justice In Worship

  • “A checklist for planning worship services that reflect a concern for justice -- this list was distributed at the “Just Worship” conference in Edmonton, Alberta in January 2003.”

• Let Justice Roll: Worship Planning Resources with a Justice Theme

  • Options as well as guidelines for further worship planning, including some helpful opening notes on why worship and justice go together.

• Proclaiming the Year of Jubilee: Four Service Plans on Isaiah 61:1-2

  • A month of services that proclaim our call to work towards Jubilee—towards “the messianic age, the kingdom of God. The kingdom where God reigns and everything is as it’s meant to be, where everyone has enough and all can flourish, where people are whole and relationships are restored, where creation is renewed.”

• Rattling Heaven's Doors: Six Service Plans Based on the Lord's Prayer 

  • Six services that “plumb each petition within the Lord’s Prayer—to rattle heaven’s doors using Christ’s own words—in search of justice that neither starts nor stops far from home.” Here are the first four and here are the last two. 

Kids Activities 

• Exploring the Word on Justice – Reading the Bible at Every Age

  • Part of a series of resources exploring the relationship between worship and justice and how this specifically applies to children, young people and all-ages together. This resource is structured in two parts. The first provides a brief teaching overview on values, and the second explores practical approaches for parents and leaders to explore in order to apply these principles.

• Exploring Values with the Bible – Justice

  • A resource that will help you and your kids explore, from Scripture, ideas around justice. This resource includes a note on key themes, “a key Bible verse to use, key concepts to unpack, ideas for displays and reflective corners, as well as Bible story links with further connections to material.

• Dwell Sunday School Curriculum

  • CRC-created curriculum that introduces justice topics and themes in the Sunday School classroom. The Dive Year 3 materials (grades 6-8) are specifically about justice, but the curriculum touches on the topic in many ways. It is also just really good material!

• #KidsTalkJustice

  • Discussion starters and activity tips from author Lisa Van Engen.  For more helpful suggestions be sure to check out her book And Social Justice for All  

Devotions 

• How do I Make it Right Study

  • This is a great intro to the big questions of the call in the bible to “do justice.” Great for small groups or personal devotions.

• Live Justly 10-session Study

  • An intro to justice themes for small groups or personal devotions.

• Bread for the Resistance 

  • Looking for a personal devotional that will encourage you on your journey of justice? This one is recommended by our team.