ALL:
As we come to him,
a living stone rejected by men
but in the sight of God chosen and precious,
we like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood,
to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
Leader:
For it stands in Scripture: “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious,
and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”
So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe,
“The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” and
“A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.”
They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.
ALL:
But we are a chosen race,
a royal priesthood, a holy nation,
a people for his own possession,
that we may proclaim the excellencies of him who called us out of darkness into his marvelous light.
(Based on 1 Peter 2:4-9 ESV)
Variation
Leader:
As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
For it stands in Scripture: “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”
So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,”
and “A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.”
They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.
ALL:
But we are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that we may proclaim the excellencies of him who called us out of darkness into his marvelous light.
Once we were not a people, but now we are God’s people; once we had not received mercy, but now we have received mercy.
(Based on 1 Peter 2:4–10 ESV)