Sunday Liturgy at Mercy Village Church

Each Sunday at Mercy Village, our gathering follows a gospel-shaped rhythm. These movements are intentionally ordered to form us as disciples by rehearsing the story of redemption and renewal in Christ alone. Rather than being a collection of disconnected elements, each part flows into the next, guiding us from honesty before God, to joyful worship, to deep nourishment at the Table, and finally into life and mission.

The word liturgy comes from a Greek term meaning “the work of the people.” In other words, liturgy is not something performed for us, but something we participate in together. Throughout church history, Christians have gathered in patterned ways—not to restrict worship, but to be shaped by it. Over time, these shared rhythms have formed believers in what they love, what they believe, and how they live.

Our liturgy is not about formality or routine for its own sake. It is about intentional formation. Week after week, this ordered movement proclaims the gospel to us—not only through preaching, but through confession and assurance, prayer and song, Word and Table. Especially in a world that constantly forms us in other directions, we believe this time together matters deeply.

Here at Mercy Village Church, our order of worship is designed to help us encounter God honestly, receive His grace fully, and be sent out faithfully. As we gather, we are not merely attending a service; we are being shaped together as the people of God.

This first movement of our gathering names our shared calling as a church and gives voice to who we long to become together. Here, we speak about the kind of people God is forming us to be—shaped by the gospel, faithful in love, and committed to His mission in the world. This moment often includes reminders of our mission, vision, and values, but more broadly it expresses our collective longing to live as God’s people, even as we acknowledge that we are still being formed and have not yet arrived. 

Flowing out of our shared identity, we share life together as a church family. During this time, we communicate important events, opportunities, and rhythms within the life of Mercy Village. These announcements are not interruptions to worship, but expressions of how our identity in Christ shapes our shared life, relationships, and participation in God’s work among us. 

Having named who we are and shared life together, we are now invited into the presence of God. This invitation is not extended because we are worthy or prepared, but because God is gracious and near. We come as we are—imperfect, distracted, and in need—trusting that God welcomes honest people into His presence. 

As we come into the presence of God, we are met with truth about ourselves and the world. In His light, we become more aware of our own sin and the deep brokenness around us. With honesty, we confess our sins and lament the pain, sorrow, and injustice of a fallen creation, bringing both our guilt and our grief before the Lord who hears and receives us. 

From confession and lament, we move into stillness. In silence, we lay down guilt, grief, distraction, and self-reliance, surrendering ourselves again to God. This quiet prepares us to receive what He desires to give, rather than rushing forward in our own strength.

Our next movement flows out of this honesty and stillness as God calls us to Himself. This call to worship is not extended to perfect people, but to those who know their need and feel the weight of the world. Through Scripture, God invites us to lift our heads, rise from stillness, and respond to His grace with our whole selves—mind, body, and soul.

Having been called, we respond by lifting our voices together in praise. These hymns help reorient our hearts upward, declaring who God is in contrast to who we are, and drawing us into wonder, reverence, and joy before Him.

As we behold the holiness and greatness of God, we now hear the good news of grace. Through Scripture, God assures us that in Jesus Christ our sins are forgiven and our guilt is removed. Though there is a great gap between a holy God and a broken people, that gap has been bridged by Christ through His life, death, and resurrection. In this assurance, we are not only forgiven, but restored—welcomed into peace with God and renewed in hope. The same grace that pardons our sin also promises a future where all that is broken will one day be made right. 

Having received the assurance of pardon, we respond with songs of grace and gratitude. These hymns give voice to our joy, strengthen our hope, and help us dwell in the mercy we have received. As we sing, we rehearse the good news that our sins are forgiven and that God’s promises point us toward a future made new.  

In this next movement of our gathering, we turn toward God’s Word with humility and hope. Together, we offer prayers for illumination, asking the Holy Spirit to open our eyes and soften our hearts. Though one voice may lead aloud, the whole church prays, trusting God to reveal truth to us. 

After praying for illumination, we joyfully send our children—and youth when applicable—to learn and grow in Christ. We do this intentionally, knowing that they too will read God’s Word, hear it proclaimed, reflect upon it, and be formed by it, just as we are. 

Continuing in this posture of surrender, we respond by investing in the Kingdom. In this movement, we offer our prayers and our resources—our time, talents, and treasures—as acts of trust and worship. We do not surrender in order to earn God’s revelation, but to receive what the Holy Spirit freely gives, trusting that the Lord leads the humble in His truth. As we intercede for others and place what we have in God’s hands, we prepare our hearts to receive His Word with humility, attentiveness, and faith. 

With surrendered and attentive hearts, we listen to the public reading of Scripture. This moment reminds us that God still speaks and that His Word is living, active, and enduring. As the reading concludes, we proclaim together with one voice: “The grass withers. The flower fades. But the Word of our God will stand forever.”

Having heard God’s Word read, we now receive its proclamation. At Mercy Village Church, this is most often done through expository preaching, where we walk carefully through Scripture verse by verse, so that God’s Word sets the agenda, shapes our understanding, and directs our lives. We believe this steady diet forms us over time—training us to listen attentively, submit humbly, and trust the wisdom of God revealed in His Word. Whether through careful exposition or focused topical teaching, our aim is always the same: that Christ would be exalted and His people formed by the truth of Scripture.  

After the Word is proclaimed, we pause again in stillness in His presence. This shared silence allows what we have heard to settle deeply, creating space for reflection, prayer, repentance, and trust as we prepare to come to the Table. 

Having heard God’s Word proclaimed, we now come to the Table. This moment is the culmination of our gathering—the place toward which every movement has been leading. In the sacrament of communion, we taste and see the grace of God through bread and cup, remembering Christ’s broken body and shed blood for us. Though the elements themselves do not change, we believe that by the power of the Holy Spirit, Jesus is truly present with His people, meeting us with grace and strengthening our faith. Once strangers and enemies, we are now welcomed and seated at Christ’s table, nourished by His sacrifice, sustained by His presence, and given a foretaste of the feast to come. 

Having been welcomed and nourished at Christ’s Table, we respond with prayers of gratitude. Together, we give thanks for the grace we have received and for the mercy that renews us at the Table. Strengthened by Christ’s presence, we ask God to shape our lives in faithfulness and joy as we are sent back into the world. 

In this final movement of our gathering, God has the last word. With a blessing, He sends us out as a people who have been welcomed, forgiven, nourished, and renewed by grace. Strengthened by Word and Table, we go as those chosen, called, and sent to embody redemption and renewal in Christ alone throughout the week. 

Our order of worship is not about rigid form, but faithful formation. These movements are not ends in themselves, nor are they meant to be performed perfectly. Rather, they are a gift—shaping us week by week as we are gathered by grace, formed by God’s Word and Table, and sent into the world in hope. Over time, this gospel-shaped rhythm trains our hearts to tell the truth, receive mercy, and live with gratitude as people who experience and embody redemption and renewal in Christ alone together.