Lent 5
Worship
Lectionary Worship Workbook
Series II, Cycle C Gospel Texts
Liturgical Color: Purple
Gospel: John 12:1-8
Theme: Mary Anoints Jesus' Feet; Judas Protests Her Action. How do we determine our priorities?
Praise Of God
Pastoral Invitation
Rejoice! Our Sovereign draws near, at least on the church calendar. Are we allowing God to draw on our personal calendar? On the one hand, we anticipate the Palm Sunday coming soon. On the other hand, we are not quite ready for what the culture did, and continues to do, to this Messiah. Nevertheless, God calls us to obedience; and God promises the strength of Holy Spirit, as we prepare for Good Friday and Easter. If you are not yet ready, are you willing to use these two weeks to get ready? If so, respond with your favorite words of affirmation.
Hymn of Praise
(Point out that God's business is to deliver the world from bondage, both personal and national, as well as emotional, physical, and spiritual bondage.) "When God Delivered Israel," Michael A. Saward, 1973; Norman L. Warren, 1973.
Prayer of Praise
Incorporate the concept of bondage, and freedom from bondage, in this prayer. At the end of the prayer, ask people to consider, and to write down, in what kind of bondage they find themselves; and, are they willing slaves to that bondage?
Confession Before God
Introduction to the Act of Recognizing Our Humanity
Who was the free person: Mary who anointed Jesus; or Judas who criticized her? Where do we find freedom from our bondage? Grace Ellis, in her book, A Vision to Think About, lists a variety of "What Ifs." (Because I can find no trace of her book, thereby having no way to get permission from Harcourt Brace and Co., I am offering, instead, my own list of "What Ifs.") Listen carefully. (Read the list slowly and deliberately. Invite the people to write down their response to each.) What if -- the church stopped admiring Jesus, and began to obey him? What if -- the church ceased to gossip about each other, and began to gossip the gospel? What if -- the church's educational program focused on the adults, rather than the children and young people? What if -- the church accepted people where they are, instead of where it wants people to be? What if -- the church took seriously, and with humility, its political, social, economic power, rather than spending much of its time, energy, money on banquets, bazaars, bingo? What if -- the church took the risk of putting itself on the frontline, rather than jumping on the bandwagon after the charges occur? What if all of these took place on congregational, community, national, international levels -- beginning with us? NOW! The world might say to us, as it did the early Christians, "These people are turning the world upside down!" (Three minutes of silence. Ask the people to write down their thoughts and resolutions for change.)
Response
"The Rebel," Richard Avery and Don Marsh, from The Avery and Marsh Songbook. (See Appendix I for address.) Follow the directions given.
Following the song, use this quote by James Yerkes: "We live between the blows of despair and the hints of hope. Our despair is our sin; our hope is our forgiveness."
Introduction to the Act of Receiving New Life
Pastor and Ministers
God has called us to a new life in Christ. Did we hear that? If so, what does that mean to you as a Christian, to us as a congregation? (One minute of silence.) When God calls us to repent, God calls us to rethink our lives, and to make new commitments. One way we do that, according to Scott Peck, in The People of the Lie, is that "evil can best be dealt with when good people can ... allow themselves to be pierced by the evil of others."aIn a sense that's what Mary did by anointing Jesus' feet; that's what Jesus did when he received nails in his feet. Gandhi said, "To risk failure is the beginning of faith. There is more to life than increasing its speed."
P: Here is Christ's affirmation: "Be of good cheer; your sin, and your sins, are forgiven."
M: Lord, we believe that intellectually.
P: Help us, Lord, by your Spirit, to believe in, and to practice, your promises with our whole being, heart, mind, strength, will.
P: Amen to that!
M: So be it, in the Name of God the Parent, Child, Spirit.
Response
"Lord, I Want To Be a Christian," American folk hymn. Sing this as follows: Stanza 1, use "heart."aStanza 2 use "mind." Stanza 3 use "strength." Stanza 4 use "will."
Instruction About God
Message with the Children of All Ages
Enact this passage with the children. Ask one child, of any age, well in advance, to anoint your feet, probably not with her hair. Have someone else take the part of "Judas." Judas responds to the action. A reader reads verse 6. "Jesus" speaks verses 7 and 8.
Reading from the Scripture
Clarify verse 8. Multitudes of people, inside and outside of the church, justify poverty by this one verse, and identify the lazy and listless as deserving of their condition.
Proclamation of the Good News
Contrast the act of love by Mary with the con of Judas. How do we as a congregation decide what to spend on ourselves, and how much to give to the mission beyond the local church?
Prayer Response
Focus on Mary's and Judas' responses, and how they infect or infiltrate our decisions.
Dedication To God
Stewardship Challenge
"Poverty does not prohibit gratitude; prosperity does not produce it" (author unknown). I heard a statement a few years ago that if our yearly income is 25,000 dollars or more, we are in the top twenty percent of the world's population. We are rich, yet we often plead some form of "poverty."
Response
"Today We All Are Called To Be Disciples," H. Kenn Carmichael, 1985; English Country Songs, 1893; arr. and harm. Ralph Vaughan Williams, 1906.
Charge to the Congregation
Why did we unite with the church? Because of a crisis? Because it was the "thing" to do? Because we chose to serve? Others? Now, if our relationship with Christ and the church has become less significant, why? No one pays any attention to us? We expected the wrong things to happen? We stopped growing, and started groaning, in our faith? We had no conversion experience from the beginning? Others? Now, what do we plan to do about our relationship with Christ and the church? Nothing, and experience none of the abundant life? Look within, rather than outside, of ourself for the cause? Pray for forgiveness and believe that God has forgiven us? Commit ourselves in a new obedience in Christ's love? Find someone who needs Christ and seek to relate our concern? Others?
Hymn of Obedience
"Jesu, Jesu, Fill Us With Your Love," Ghanaian folk song; trans. Tom Colvin, 1969; arr. Jane Marshall, 1982.
Meditation
William Law once said, "If you will stop here and ask yourself why you are not as pious as the primitive Christians were, your own heart will tell you that it is neither through ignorance nor disability, but purely because you never thoroughly intended it" (quoted in Samuel Miller's The Great Realities, p. 25).
Music Possibilities In Addition To Those Already Suggested
Music for Preparation: Medley of Lenten hymns.
Response to the Prayer of Praise: "Our Father, Which Art in Heaven," West Indian folk melody; melody transcribed by Olive Pattison, 1945.
Response to the Message with Children: "I Am the Light of the World," words and music by Jim Strathdee, from The Genesis Songbook. (See Appendix I for address.) Revise the sexist language as you sing.
Response to the Scripture: "Lord, we've heard the words; teach us to respond to your Word." Put this to your own music.
Offertory: "Bless the Lord, O My Soul," Ivanoff.
Music for Dismissal: Medley of Lenten hymns.
Note: In preparation for Holy Week, serve communion in homes of the members, by parishes if you have the congregation divided into parishes (which I highly recommend). Invite members and neighbors and friends and co-workers to share in this sacrament. Then, invite everyone to the Maundy Thursday communion.
Gospel: John 12:1-8
Theme: Mary Anoints Jesus' Feet; Judas Protests Her Action. How do we determine our priorities?
Praise Of God
Pastoral Invitation
Rejoice! Our Sovereign draws near, at least on the church calendar. Are we allowing God to draw on our personal calendar? On the one hand, we anticipate the Palm Sunday coming soon. On the other hand, we are not quite ready for what the culture did, and continues to do, to this Messiah. Nevertheless, God calls us to obedience; and God promises the strength of Holy Spirit, as we prepare for Good Friday and Easter. If you are not yet ready, are you willing to use these two weeks to get ready? If so, respond with your favorite words of affirmation.
Hymn of Praise
(Point out that God's business is to deliver the world from bondage, both personal and national, as well as emotional, physical, and spiritual bondage.) "When God Delivered Israel," Michael A. Saward, 1973; Norman L. Warren, 1973.
Prayer of Praise
Incorporate the concept of bondage, and freedom from bondage, in this prayer. At the end of the prayer, ask people to consider, and to write down, in what kind of bondage they find themselves; and, are they willing slaves to that bondage?
Confession Before God
Introduction to the Act of Recognizing Our Humanity
Who was the free person: Mary who anointed Jesus; or Judas who criticized her? Where do we find freedom from our bondage? Grace Ellis, in her book, A Vision to Think About, lists a variety of "What Ifs." (Because I can find no trace of her book, thereby having no way to get permission from Harcourt Brace and Co., I am offering, instead, my own list of "What Ifs.") Listen carefully. (Read the list slowly and deliberately. Invite the people to write down their response to each.) What if -- the church stopped admiring Jesus, and began to obey him? What if -- the church ceased to gossip about each other, and began to gossip the gospel? What if -- the church's educational program focused on the adults, rather than the children and young people? What if -- the church accepted people where they are, instead of where it wants people to be? What if -- the church took seriously, and with humility, its political, social, economic power, rather than spending much of its time, energy, money on banquets, bazaars, bingo? What if -- the church took the risk of putting itself on the frontline, rather than jumping on the bandwagon after the charges occur? What if all of these took place on congregational, community, national, international levels -- beginning with us? NOW! The world might say to us, as it did the early Christians, "These people are turning the world upside down!" (Three minutes of silence. Ask the people to write down their thoughts and resolutions for change.)
Response
"The Rebel," Richard Avery and Don Marsh, from The Avery and Marsh Songbook. (See Appendix I for address.) Follow the directions given.
Following the song, use this quote by James Yerkes: "We live between the blows of despair and the hints of hope. Our despair is our sin; our hope is our forgiveness."
Introduction to the Act of Receiving New Life
Pastor and Ministers
God has called us to a new life in Christ. Did we hear that? If so, what does that mean to you as a Christian, to us as a congregation? (One minute of silence.) When God calls us to repent, God calls us to rethink our lives, and to make new commitments. One way we do that, according to Scott Peck, in The People of the Lie, is that "evil can best be dealt with when good people can ... allow themselves to be pierced by the evil of others."aIn a sense that's what Mary did by anointing Jesus' feet; that's what Jesus did when he received nails in his feet. Gandhi said, "To risk failure is the beginning of faith. There is more to life than increasing its speed."
P: Here is Christ's affirmation: "Be of good cheer; your sin, and your sins, are forgiven."
M: Lord, we believe that intellectually.
P: Help us, Lord, by your Spirit, to believe in, and to practice, your promises with our whole being, heart, mind, strength, will.
P: Amen to that!
M: So be it, in the Name of God the Parent, Child, Spirit.
Response
"Lord, I Want To Be a Christian," American folk hymn. Sing this as follows: Stanza 1, use "heart."aStanza 2 use "mind." Stanza 3 use "strength." Stanza 4 use "will."
Instruction About God
Message with the Children of All Ages
Enact this passage with the children. Ask one child, of any age, well in advance, to anoint your feet, probably not with her hair. Have someone else take the part of "Judas." Judas responds to the action. A reader reads verse 6. "Jesus" speaks verses 7 and 8.
Reading from the Scripture
Clarify verse 8. Multitudes of people, inside and outside of the church, justify poverty by this one verse, and identify the lazy and listless as deserving of their condition.
Proclamation of the Good News
Contrast the act of love by Mary with the con of Judas. How do we as a congregation decide what to spend on ourselves, and how much to give to the mission beyond the local church?
Prayer Response
Focus on Mary's and Judas' responses, and how they infect or infiltrate our decisions.
Dedication To God
Stewardship Challenge
"Poverty does not prohibit gratitude; prosperity does not produce it" (author unknown). I heard a statement a few years ago that if our yearly income is 25,000 dollars or more, we are in the top twenty percent of the world's population. We are rich, yet we often plead some form of "poverty."
Response
"Today We All Are Called To Be Disciples," H. Kenn Carmichael, 1985; English Country Songs, 1893; arr. and harm. Ralph Vaughan Williams, 1906.
Charge to the Congregation
Why did we unite with the church? Because of a crisis? Because it was the "thing" to do? Because we chose to serve? Others? Now, if our relationship with Christ and the church has become less significant, why? No one pays any attention to us? We expected the wrong things to happen? We stopped growing, and started groaning, in our faith? We had no conversion experience from the beginning? Others? Now, what do we plan to do about our relationship with Christ and the church? Nothing, and experience none of the abundant life? Look within, rather than outside, of ourself for the cause? Pray for forgiveness and believe that God has forgiven us? Commit ourselves in a new obedience in Christ's love? Find someone who needs Christ and seek to relate our concern? Others?
Hymn of Obedience
"Jesu, Jesu, Fill Us With Your Love," Ghanaian folk song; trans. Tom Colvin, 1969; arr. Jane Marshall, 1982.
Meditation
William Law once said, "If you will stop here and ask yourself why you are not as pious as the primitive Christians were, your own heart will tell you that it is neither through ignorance nor disability, but purely because you never thoroughly intended it" (quoted in Samuel Miller's The Great Realities, p. 25).
Music Possibilities In Addition To Those Already Suggested
Music for Preparation: Medley of Lenten hymns.
Response to the Prayer of Praise: "Our Father, Which Art in Heaven," West Indian folk melody; melody transcribed by Olive Pattison, 1945.
Response to the Message with Children: "I Am the Light of the World," words and music by Jim Strathdee, from The Genesis Songbook. (See Appendix I for address.) Revise the sexist language as you sing.
Response to the Scripture: "Lord, we've heard the words; teach us to respond to your Word." Put this to your own music.
Offertory: "Bless the Lord, O My Soul," Ivanoff.
Music for Dismissal: Medley of Lenten hymns.
Note: In preparation for Holy Week, serve communion in homes of the members, by parishes if you have the congregation divided into parishes (which I highly recommend). Invite members and neighbors and friends and co-workers to share in this sacrament. Then, invite everyone to the Maundy Thursday communion.
