Cheerful Giving
Worship
Special Days For Celebration
Worship Resources For Eighteen Occasions Throughout The Year
Order of Service
"Cheerful Giving"
CALL TO WORSHIP
Let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God. (Hebrews 13:15ff)
INVOCATION
Be here for us, Omnipresent God, as we pull back our thoughts from others to center our minds and hearts on you so that we may return to the everyday world and familiar situations with renewed efficacy, our priorities more in harmony with yours as revealed in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
HYMN "All Creatures of Our God and King"
PRAYER OF CONFESSION
Generous God, what do we have that we have not been given? Not to discount our own efforts, we can only exert the energies that are ours from creation and the gifts of the Spirit that we have been granted. Forgive, then, our all-too-frequent cheerlessness in giving and sharing what we have and who we are with others in your service in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen
FIRST LESSON 2 Samuel 24:18-25
PSALM 81:1-7 (adapted, and with an addition)
Sing with joy to God our strength
And raise a loud shout to the God of Jacob.
Raise a song and sound the timbrel,
The merry harp, and the lyre.
Blow the ram's-horn at the new moon,
And at the full moon, the day of our feast.
For this is a statute for Israel,
A law of the God of Jacob,
Who laid it as a solemn charge upon Joseph,
When they came out of the land of Egypt.
I heard an unfamiliar voice saying,
"I eased their shoulders from the burden;
Their hands were set free from bearing the load."
[And a voice was heard by the church saying,
Come unto me all who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn of me,
For I am meek and lowly of heart.
My yoke is easy
And my burden is light. (Matthew 11:28-30)]
GLORIA PATRI
SECOND LESSON 2 Corinthians 9:6-15
GOSPEL Matthew 11:25-30
PRAYER OF THE DAY
Blessed Savior, fit us for bearing the yoke of service with you, that your name will be honored by what we do and how we do it as we are co-laborers with you in the tasks of the church. Amen
CHILDREN'S MESSAGE "Building a Fire"
(Special music might include the following cheerful song by Miriam Therese Winter.)
God Loves a Cheerful Giver
CHORUS:
God loves a cheerful Giver, give it all you've got.
He loves to hear you laughing when you're in an awkward spot,
When the odds add up against you, it's time to stop and sing:
"Praise God!" To praise him is a joyous thing.
1. Peter always made a fuss, Peter was impetuous;
he knew hard times when he denied his Lord.
But hardly had he fallen when he got right up, began again.
The constancy of Jesus was his reward.
2. Jonah was a gloomy sort, he always had a sad report,
he ran from God, he ran and he set sail.
His journey's end was quite abrupt, a fish came by and swallowed him up.
He spent three dark and dreary days inside the whale.
3. Holy Job was richly blessed, he lost it all but stood the test,
for Job was steadfast in his misery.
"God gives to me, He takes away, blessed be the name of God this day."
And he was doubly blessed for his fidelity.
Words and music by Sister Miriam Therese Winter
Copyright 1960 Medical Mission Sisters
PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING AND INTERCESSION
We give thanks, O God, for all who have contributed to the sharing of the Good News with us; for Jesus Christ, who is himself your Good News to the humble; and for the witness of the apostles and all your people through the ages until this day. We are appreciative of all the gifts of music and poetry and art, stained glass, books, hymns, architecture, woodworking, that have brought the Gospel to us in memorable form. Especially we remember with thanksgiving the simple sacraments you have given us to bind us together in the faith, signifying our membership in the church and renewing our connection to you and each other.
Hear our prayers for the whole church and its mission in the world, that we may give in our time the best talents we have and a full share of our means in the preservation of the best of the past and new means of making worship accessible to the handicapped, the hearing-impaired, the blind.
Hear our prayers for those in government, that Christians with all who are citizens of the land may take such responsibility for their own participation that the quality of government may reflect our thoughtful and prayerful engagement ...
Children's Message
"Building a Fire"
Objects: Stones and firewood
Scripture: 2 Samuel 24:25. "Then he built an altar to the Lord and offered burnt offerings ..."
Boys and girls, have you ever camped in a tent and cooked over a wood fire? (Listen for responses and varieties of experiences that may be shared.) How did you arrange the stones and the wood so that the food would cook? (You or a helper might demonstrate simply how this might be arranged.)
King David was told by God and by Gad - I'm not teasing: it was by an angel and by a man named Gad - that he should build an altar to the Lord and offer sacrifices to God upon that altar. It was probably much bigger than any campfire arrangement that we make. As king, David might have just taken what he wanted or accepted the offer of Araunah to provide both the firewood and the oxen for the sacrifice. King David declined the offer saying, "I will not give to the Lord what cost me nothing." He paid Araunah for the site which had been a threshing place and built an altar for the sacrifice where the future temple would stand.
When the people of Israel were camping in the wilderness they had a special tent called a tabernacle. It was moved from place to place as a center for their worship of God. After they settled in the promised land, King David's son Solomon would build a beautiful temple where the people would gather for worship.
We can worship God anywhere, but there are special places which may remind us to worship. Perhaps you have been at a camp where a rough cross marks the place as a place of prayer and hewn logs are lined up like pews for campers to sit together to sing and pray. Such places mean more to us if we have had a hand in their making, just as a church building means more to us if we help to maintain it by our work and by our money. Even when we are small we can help keep it clean and share part of the expense in giving from what we have earned or from our allowance.
A Preaching Resource
"When is Easter Really Over?"
Every Sunday (Upon the first day of the week), each of you must put aside some money, in proportion to what he has earned and save it up so there will be no need to collect money when I come. 1 Corinthians 16:2
Picture this cartoon. In the first frame a steam shovel is excavating a foundation for a church, as many sidewalk superintendents look over the fence. In the second frame, the scoop of the steam shovel is clamped on an offering plate and being passed to the onlookers.
Paul does not want to pass the offering plate himself when he arrives in Corinth, so he writes to the Corinthians: "Upon the first day of the week, each of you must put aside some money, in proportion to what he has earned and save it up so there will be no need to collect money when I come."
The First Day of the Week has arrived again. Easter is long past as the high point of the Christian year. Easter is not really over however. Six Sundays of Easter are marked on the calendar specifically to define Eastertide until Pentecost, but every first day of the week, every Sunday, is a "little Easter" to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus from the dead.
Our text today does not appear in the three-year listing of the consensus lectionary, but it is appropriate to note what was one of the activities of the apostolic church of the first century. The end of the previous chapter suggests that the work of the church must always go on. There is no day when everything that needs to be done has been done. "Keep busy always in your work for the Lord, since you know that nothing you do in the Lord's service is ever without value."
The first day of the week has become a new marker of the passage of the time for the Christian church. In the synagogue the Sabbath was the seventh day, the day God rested from creation and therefore a day of rest from labor, a pause from daily routine in the life of the pious Jew. Now since Jesus was raised from the dead on the first day of the week, and God had begun a new creation, there was a new pace set for the onward march of the faith. There was a sense of a new genesis, a new beginning, that the resurrection was a sign that God had begun to create a new heaven and earth without evil.
The first Easter may well have been a pagan spring festival but for the Christians it was a sign of a great Springtime, a new reformation at the end of history. When we watch in our hemisphere the struggle of the earth to throw off the sleeping clothes of winter and put on its Easter clothes, we see a hint of what Paul writes to the Romans: "The universe itself is to be freed from the shackles of mortality and enter upon the liberty and splendor of the children of God."
The first day of the week, every little Easter, was celebrated with the Word and the Sacrament. Luke records in Acts that in Troas, "Upon the first day of the week when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them." The corporate body of Christ, the church, the new body to do the Lord's work, was spiritually renewed by solemn but joyful remembrance of the great act of redemption in both the spoken word and the broken bread by which the Living Word, Christ himself became present to the gathered meeting of the believers.
Old Testament worship included bringing tithes and offerings of various kinds to God's house, especially at particular seasons of the year. This was an essential responsibility of such gravity that Malachi would write that the neglect of it was robbing God. David was not going to pass along a gift either without investing anything of his own in the place where the altar would be built and where the future temple would stand.
Paul does not speak here of an offering as part of worship but rather as an expression of solidarity with suffering Christians starving in Jerusalem. He does not seek to perpetuate the system of tithing in this largely Gentile community. He does recommend, however, a systematic review - not only of one's earnings, but of what proportion of their income was being set aside for benevolence. In this instance the cause was a relief mission for the distant church in Jerusalem. The people of Corinth would choose from among their own some to bear the message of Paul together with their accumulated funds to the needy in that faraway land.
There would be for Paul no ship to bear his name (no equivalent of the corporate jet for today's televangelist), but just a letter of introduction and perhaps the company of Paul himself, guiding their emissaries to the beleaguered congregation in the distant city. No barriers of custom would prevent the Gentile Christians of Corinth from coming to the aid of Jewish Christians in Jerusalem.
What can we learn from this instance? We need to be systematic also in setting aside an amount proportionate to our income to help the needy. This may not necessarily be only through the organized church, but it is important for us also to indicate our solidarity with Christians in other cultures and circumstances.
Paul does not suggest some kind of tax or standard deduction, but rather a privately determined contribution that represents a generous proportion of the income that has been earned. Determining that proportion is an individual decision, but it is made in the context of the Christian community.
Easter isn't over. The first day of the week still comes and goes and with it a time to pause and take responsibility for our share in providing food for the hungry, shelter for the homeless, clothing for the naked, and Scriptures for those without the written word which nourishes the church.
So what Paul says, I also say to you in part: "Upon the first day of the week, each of you put aside some money, in proportion to what you earn and save it so there will be no need ..."
As John Wesley suggested: "Earn all you can, and save all you can, so that you can give all you can."
JAMES WEEKLEY
Thanksgiving
Comments on the Service
Praise could hardly be termed as "pulling a slick con job on God." Rather, praise links grace with gratitude. When that chemistry is mixed, authentic worship is staged. Thanksgiving Eve provides us with such a setting, It is a delicate, sensitive time when families come in. Almost like Christmas Eve, hope and anticipation dominate our moods. This "Wings of Praise" service directs all our "thank you's" to God for a bountiful, good year.
Beginning with the choral reading, different age groups will process up the aisles (to the front of the church), taking turns reading the verses of Psalm 96. This should be rehearsed. Beginning the service on such a high note should get the attention of the congregation, because family members are involved. Following the reading, the participants may disperse and sit with their families. Next, the Greeting and Invocation immediately call our attention to God as Creator and Sustainer of our lives. This "Praise of the Heart" opens and elevates our spiritual nature toward him. Following the hymn, the litany deliberately raises questions about our relationship-as-gratitude to God.
The service picks up tempo when we are reminded that praise also involves our minds. An understanding of thanksgiving enriches our expression of praise. The children's message and the "Word Feast" (sermon) can help us to mentally work through biblical truths.
The third stage of the service ("Hand Praise") invites us to place handles on our experience of gratitude. Here, ("Manna Moments") the worship leader will suggest that each person bring canned goods to the front of the church, and place them in baskets. This concluding point in the service can give the worshiper an opportunity to share with others.
Order of Service
"On the Wings of Praise"
(*congregation stand)
A. Heart Praise
PRELUDE "Thanks Be to Thee" Handel
THE LIGHTING OF THE CANDLES
PROCESSIONAL CHORAL READING Psalm 96
THE GREETING
Lift up your heads ... open your ears to his voice. He has made plans for your coming. As you enter his courts of praise, inhale the warm, friendly air around you. Soon, your voices will release the winged syllables of praise ... then you will sense the inflowing power of his Spirit. He is here. He awaits.
INVOCATION
Lord, it's the same old "us" again. We have retraced our footsteps to the door of your great banquet hall. As we knock in humility, won't you open yourself to us? Won't you extend your generous hand, touch us, and embrace our needs? Best of all, challenge us to redistribute our assets with the hungry and the homeless.
* HYMN "When Morning Gilds the Skies"
A LITANY OF PRAISE
LEADER:
What if God gave out hula hoops and gumdrops on Thanksgiving Eve in response to our praises of him?
PEOPLE:
What if the Pilgrims were really angels masquerading in broad-rimmed hats and buckled boots?
LEADER:
What if cranberries were heavenly manna sweetened by hallelujah choruses and there were enough pumpkin pie to go around tomorrow?
PEOPLE:
What if Thanksgiving were a picnic where children would eat blackberry doughnuts and kangaroos would jump with elephants on licorice tamborines?
LEADER:
What really is Thanksgiving if we cannot mix gratitude with the longitude of joy?
PEOPLE:
Thanksgiving is a "heal meal." It brings us all together; it unites funny bones with bone heads. In spite of our differences, for one day at least, we can give God our best praise tapes.
B. Mind Praise
SHARING WITH THE CHILDREN OF PRAISE
ANTHEM "Thanks Be to God" Cain
* Doxology
* HYMN "Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing"
THE GOSPEL Malachi 3:7-12
THE WORD FEAST "The Ungrateful Dead?"
C. Hand Praise
THE GRATEFUL RETURN "Now Thank We" Cruger
* HYMN "Come, Ye Thankful People, Come"
MANNA MOMENTS (Food items may be brought forward)
DISMISSAL
As you leave His "gates of thanksgiving," be assured His goodness will follow. Go in peace but go as a grateful people. You have much to offer as the family of God. Serve effectively.
* POSTLUDE "Praise to the Lord" Unfreid
Children's Message
Stone Soup
Text: Romans 15:2, 5
Objects: A medium-sized cooking pot, a carrot, a potato, an onion, and three smooth stones.
There was once a village where the people were selfish. Most were farmers but they never worked together. They didn't even like each other. There was a drought in the land and things were really dry. Each of the farmers grew a different crop, but because of their fear of the famine, they would not share their crop with each other. That means the potato farmer only had potatoes to eat. He could mash them, make french fries and potato chips, but after a while his family got tired of potatoes. The other farmers had the same problem. Still, they would not share with the other.
One day a poor stranger came to town. He was very hungry and asked the people for some food. When they refused, he said, "Okay, I'll make stone soup." "Stone soup!" they laughed. "You can't make soup out of stones." So he built a fire, filled the pot with water, picked up three smooth stones, (pick up three stones) and dropped them into the boiling water.
Then the stranger said, "Goodness, I can't make stone soup because I forgot the potatoes." So the potato farmer donated some potatoes. "I forgot the onions and carrots, too." he said. So the onion and carrot farmers made their donations. When it had cooked for a while, he shared it with the villagers.
He had taught them that by working together, they could really help each other. The village was never the same again because the stranger had taught them how to share. They survived the famine by working together.
The Bible tells us many stories about people working together. Much can be accomplished when we agree to work and cooperate with each other. Noah and his family worked together in building the Ark. As a result Noah saved all the animals from the flood. Moses worked with his brother Aaron so that the children of Israel could escape from the Pharaoh and his slavery. In an important battle, Joshua and a few men were able to make enough noise so the walls of Jericho fell in. Jesus called a few disciples to be his followers. When he went to heaven, he prepared them to start the early church. Paul had friends like Silas and John Mark, a young person like yourself, to help him in his missionary journeys.
Another example with which we are familiar is that of the Pilgrims and the story of the first Thanksgiving. Without the help of the Indians or native Americans, they would not know how to plant fish with the corn to grow their crops. When they ate that Thanksgiving dinner together, true friendships were created. They became real brothers and sisters because they needed each other and worked together.
Preaching Resources
Title: "The Ungrateful Dead?"
Text: Malachi 3:7-12
Introduction. Kurt Singer shares an incident involving Danny Kaye, the late popular entertainer who became a roving ambassador for UNICEF. Once he was asked, "What's the purpose of all of this? After all, isn't malaria, or TB, or even starvation, nature's way of taking care of over-population?" He replied, "Why don't you put it to the test the next time your own child gets sick?" Doesn't the prophet, Malachi, make a similar point in reference to his generation? "Hey, look what God has done for you!" How have you responded? Why you have turned your back on him ... and you wonder why your society is crumbling beneath your heels!"
There is a similar flight pattern here for you and me. We say, "I'm grateful for Thanksgiving as long as I am warm, comfortable, and loved." How narrow our gratitude becomes! Are we not really dead and insensitive at times to the crucial plight of poverty in our own country? Do we not have an ingratitude problem?
1. Ingratitude is a symptom of our deep inner unhappiness with ourselves. On the other hand, authentic gratitude surfaces when we share gigantic proportions of ourselves with others. Kagawa, a Japanese youth, was led to Christ through the reading of the Sermon on the Mount. He heard the voice of God: "I will make you one of my flowers ... There is no need for you to be anxious
stretch out your roots and grow!"
2. Authentic gratitude is circular and self-perpetuating. The dividends are reinvested in our happiness. J. B. Massieu is correct when he suggests that gratitude is a pleasant memory of the heart.
About the Contributors
James M. Bloom is pastor of Beechwood United Methodist Church, Alliance, Ohio.
Leonard H. Budd is senior pastor of The Church of the Savior, United Methodist, Cleveland Heights, Ohio.
Heth H. Corl is pastor of Aley United Methodist Church, Beavercreek, Ohio.
B. David Hostetter is pastor of First Presbyterian Church, Port Jefferson, New York.
John H. Krahn is pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church (LCMS), Hicksville, New York.
Edward S. Long is a retired United Church of Christ pastor living in Lancaster, Ohio.
Charles Michael Mills is pastor of Grace Presbyterian Church, Clarksville, Indiana.
Roger Prescott is chaplain at Bethany Lutheran Home (ELCA), Council Bluffs, Iowa.
Michael L. Sherer is pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church (ELCA), Elida, Ohio.
James Weekley is pastor of Ebenezer United Methodist Church, Belmont, North Carolina.
"Cheerful Giving"
CALL TO WORSHIP
Let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God. (Hebrews 13:15ff)
INVOCATION
Be here for us, Omnipresent God, as we pull back our thoughts from others to center our minds and hearts on you so that we may return to the everyday world and familiar situations with renewed efficacy, our priorities more in harmony with yours as revealed in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
HYMN "All Creatures of Our God and King"
PRAYER OF CONFESSION
Generous God, what do we have that we have not been given? Not to discount our own efforts, we can only exert the energies that are ours from creation and the gifts of the Spirit that we have been granted. Forgive, then, our all-too-frequent cheerlessness in giving and sharing what we have and who we are with others in your service in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen
FIRST LESSON 2 Samuel 24:18-25
PSALM 81:1-7 (adapted, and with an addition)
Sing with joy to God our strength
And raise a loud shout to the God of Jacob.
Raise a song and sound the timbrel,
The merry harp, and the lyre.
Blow the ram's-horn at the new moon,
And at the full moon, the day of our feast.
For this is a statute for Israel,
A law of the God of Jacob,
Who laid it as a solemn charge upon Joseph,
When they came out of the land of Egypt.
I heard an unfamiliar voice saying,
"I eased their shoulders from the burden;
Their hands were set free from bearing the load."
[And a voice was heard by the church saying,
Come unto me all who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn of me,
For I am meek and lowly of heart.
My yoke is easy
And my burden is light. (Matthew 11:28-30)]
GLORIA PATRI
SECOND LESSON 2 Corinthians 9:6-15
GOSPEL Matthew 11:25-30
PRAYER OF THE DAY
Blessed Savior, fit us for bearing the yoke of service with you, that your name will be honored by what we do and how we do it as we are co-laborers with you in the tasks of the church. Amen
CHILDREN'S MESSAGE "Building a Fire"
(Special music might include the following cheerful song by Miriam Therese Winter.)
God Loves a Cheerful Giver
CHORUS:
God loves a cheerful Giver, give it all you've got.
He loves to hear you laughing when you're in an awkward spot,
When the odds add up against you, it's time to stop and sing:
"Praise God!" To praise him is a joyous thing.
1. Peter always made a fuss, Peter was impetuous;
he knew hard times when he denied his Lord.
But hardly had he fallen when he got right up, began again.
The constancy of Jesus was his reward.
2. Jonah was a gloomy sort, he always had a sad report,
he ran from God, he ran and he set sail.
His journey's end was quite abrupt, a fish came by and swallowed him up.
He spent three dark and dreary days inside the whale.
3. Holy Job was richly blessed, he lost it all but stood the test,
for Job was steadfast in his misery.
"God gives to me, He takes away, blessed be the name of God this day."
And he was doubly blessed for his fidelity.
Words and music by Sister Miriam Therese Winter
Copyright 1960 Medical Mission Sisters
PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING AND INTERCESSION
We give thanks, O God, for all who have contributed to the sharing of the Good News with us; for Jesus Christ, who is himself your Good News to the humble; and for the witness of the apostles and all your people through the ages until this day. We are appreciative of all the gifts of music and poetry and art, stained glass, books, hymns, architecture, woodworking, that have brought the Gospel to us in memorable form. Especially we remember with thanksgiving the simple sacraments you have given us to bind us together in the faith, signifying our membership in the church and renewing our connection to you and each other.
Hear our prayers for the whole church and its mission in the world, that we may give in our time the best talents we have and a full share of our means in the preservation of the best of the past and new means of making worship accessible to the handicapped, the hearing-impaired, the blind.
Hear our prayers for those in government, that Christians with all who are citizens of the land may take such responsibility for their own participation that the quality of government may reflect our thoughtful and prayerful engagement ...
Children's Message
"Building a Fire"
Objects: Stones and firewood
Scripture: 2 Samuel 24:25. "Then he built an altar to the Lord and offered burnt offerings ..."
Boys and girls, have you ever camped in a tent and cooked over a wood fire? (Listen for responses and varieties of experiences that may be shared.) How did you arrange the stones and the wood so that the food would cook? (You or a helper might demonstrate simply how this might be arranged.)
King David was told by God and by Gad - I'm not teasing: it was by an angel and by a man named Gad - that he should build an altar to the Lord and offer sacrifices to God upon that altar. It was probably much bigger than any campfire arrangement that we make. As king, David might have just taken what he wanted or accepted the offer of Araunah to provide both the firewood and the oxen for the sacrifice. King David declined the offer saying, "I will not give to the Lord what cost me nothing." He paid Araunah for the site which had been a threshing place and built an altar for the sacrifice where the future temple would stand.
When the people of Israel were camping in the wilderness they had a special tent called a tabernacle. It was moved from place to place as a center for their worship of God. After they settled in the promised land, King David's son Solomon would build a beautiful temple where the people would gather for worship.
We can worship God anywhere, but there are special places which may remind us to worship. Perhaps you have been at a camp where a rough cross marks the place as a place of prayer and hewn logs are lined up like pews for campers to sit together to sing and pray. Such places mean more to us if we have had a hand in their making, just as a church building means more to us if we help to maintain it by our work and by our money. Even when we are small we can help keep it clean and share part of the expense in giving from what we have earned or from our allowance.
A Preaching Resource
"When is Easter Really Over?"
Every Sunday (Upon the first day of the week), each of you must put aside some money, in proportion to what he has earned and save it up so there will be no need to collect money when I come. 1 Corinthians 16:2
Picture this cartoon. In the first frame a steam shovel is excavating a foundation for a church, as many sidewalk superintendents look over the fence. In the second frame, the scoop of the steam shovel is clamped on an offering plate and being passed to the onlookers.
Paul does not want to pass the offering plate himself when he arrives in Corinth, so he writes to the Corinthians: "Upon the first day of the week, each of you must put aside some money, in proportion to what he has earned and save it up so there will be no need to collect money when I come."
The First Day of the Week has arrived again. Easter is long past as the high point of the Christian year. Easter is not really over however. Six Sundays of Easter are marked on the calendar specifically to define Eastertide until Pentecost, but every first day of the week, every Sunday, is a "little Easter" to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus from the dead.
Our text today does not appear in the three-year listing of the consensus lectionary, but it is appropriate to note what was one of the activities of the apostolic church of the first century. The end of the previous chapter suggests that the work of the church must always go on. There is no day when everything that needs to be done has been done. "Keep busy always in your work for the Lord, since you know that nothing you do in the Lord's service is ever without value."
The first day of the week has become a new marker of the passage of the time for the Christian church. In the synagogue the Sabbath was the seventh day, the day God rested from creation and therefore a day of rest from labor, a pause from daily routine in the life of the pious Jew. Now since Jesus was raised from the dead on the first day of the week, and God had begun a new creation, there was a new pace set for the onward march of the faith. There was a sense of a new genesis, a new beginning, that the resurrection was a sign that God had begun to create a new heaven and earth without evil.
The first Easter may well have been a pagan spring festival but for the Christians it was a sign of a great Springtime, a new reformation at the end of history. When we watch in our hemisphere the struggle of the earth to throw off the sleeping clothes of winter and put on its Easter clothes, we see a hint of what Paul writes to the Romans: "The universe itself is to be freed from the shackles of mortality and enter upon the liberty and splendor of the children of God."
The first day of the week, every little Easter, was celebrated with the Word and the Sacrament. Luke records in Acts that in Troas, "Upon the first day of the week when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them." The corporate body of Christ, the church, the new body to do the Lord's work, was spiritually renewed by solemn but joyful remembrance of the great act of redemption in both the spoken word and the broken bread by which the Living Word, Christ himself became present to the gathered meeting of the believers.
Old Testament worship included bringing tithes and offerings of various kinds to God's house, especially at particular seasons of the year. This was an essential responsibility of such gravity that Malachi would write that the neglect of it was robbing God. David was not going to pass along a gift either without investing anything of his own in the place where the altar would be built and where the future temple would stand.
Paul does not speak here of an offering as part of worship but rather as an expression of solidarity with suffering Christians starving in Jerusalem. He does not seek to perpetuate the system of tithing in this largely Gentile community. He does recommend, however, a systematic review - not only of one's earnings, but of what proportion of their income was being set aside for benevolence. In this instance the cause was a relief mission for the distant church in Jerusalem. The people of Corinth would choose from among their own some to bear the message of Paul together with their accumulated funds to the needy in that faraway land.
There would be for Paul no ship to bear his name (no equivalent of the corporate jet for today's televangelist), but just a letter of introduction and perhaps the company of Paul himself, guiding their emissaries to the beleaguered congregation in the distant city. No barriers of custom would prevent the Gentile Christians of Corinth from coming to the aid of Jewish Christians in Jerusalem.
What can we learn from this instance? We need to be systematic also in setting aside an amount proportionate to our income to help the needy. This may not necessarily be only through the organized church, but it is important for us also to indicate our solidarity with Christians in other cultures and circumstances.
Paul does not suggest some kind of tax or standard deduction, but rather a privately determined contribution that represents a generous proportion of the income that has been earned. Determining that proportion is an individual decision, but it is made in the context of the Christian community.
Easter isn't over. The first day of the week still comes and goes and with it a time to pause and take responsibility for our share in providing food for the hungry, shelter for the homeless, clothing for the naked, and Scriptures for those without the written word which nourishes the church.
So what Paul says, I also say to you in part: "Upon the first day of the week, each of you put aside some money, in proportion to what you earn and save it so there will be no need ..."
As John Wesley suggested: "Earn all you can, and save all you can, so that you can give all you can."
JAMES WEEKLEY
Thanksgiving
Comments on the Service
Praise could hardly be termed as "pulling a slick con job on God." Rather, praise links grace with gratitude. When that chemistry is mixed, authentic worship is staged. Thanksgiving Eve provides us with such a setting, It is a delicate, sensitive time when families come in. Almost like Christmas Eve, hope and anticipation dominate our moods. This "Wings of Praise" service directs all our "thank you's" to God for a bountiful, good year.
Beginning with the choral reading, different age groups will process up the aisles (to the front of the church), taking turns reading the verses of Psalm 96. This should be rehearsed. Beginning the service on such a high note should get the attention of the congregation, because family members are involved. Following the reading, the participants may disperse and sit with their families. Next, the Greeting and Invocation immediately call our attention to God as Creator and Sustainer of our lives. This "Praise of the Heart" opens and elevates our spiritual nature toward him. Following the hymn, the litany deliberately raises questions about our relationship-as-gratitude to God.
The service picks up tempo when we are reminded that praise also involves our minds. An understanding of thanksgiving enriches our expression of praise. The children's message and the "Word Feast" (sermon) can help us to mentally work through biblical truths.
The third stage of the service ("Hand Praise") invites us to place handles on our experience of gratitude. Here, ("Manna Moments") the worship leader will suggest that each person bring canned goods to the front of the church, and place them in baskets. This concluding point in the service can give the worshiper an opportunity to share with others.
Order of Service
"On the Wings of Praise"
(*congregation stand)
A. Heart Praise
PRELUDE "Thanks Be to Thee" Handel
THE LIGHTING OF THE CANDLES
PROCESSIONAL CHORAL READING Psalm 96
THE GREETING
Lift up your heads ... open your ears to his voice. He has made plans for your coming. As you enter his courts of praise, inhale the warm, friendly air around you. Soon, your voices will release the winged syllables of praise ... then you will sense the inflowing power of his Spirit. He is here. He awaits.
INVOCATION
Lord, it's the same old "us" again. We have retraced our footsteps to the door of your great banquet hall. As we knock in humility, won't you open yourself to us? Won't you extend your generous hand, touch us, and embrace our needs? Best of all, challenge us to redistribute our assets with the hungry and the homeless.
* HYMN "When Morning Gilds the Skies"
A LITANY OF PRAISE
LEADER:
What if God gave out hula hoops and gumdrops on Thanksgiving Eve in response to our praises of him?
PEOPLE:
What if the Pilgrims were really angels masquerading in broad-rimmed hats and buckled boots?
LEADER:
What if cranberries were heavenly manna sweetened by hallelujah choruses and there were enough pumpkin pie to go around tomorrow?
PEOPLE:
What if Thanksgiving were a picnic where children would eat blackberry doughnuts and kangaroos would jump with elephants on licorice tamborines?
LEADER:
What really is Thanksgiving if we cannot mix gratitude with the longitude of joy?
PEOPLE:
Thanksgiving is a "heal meal." It brings us all together; it unites funny bones with bone heads. In spite of our differences, for one day at least, we can give God our best praise tapes.
B. Mind Praise
SHARING WITH THE CHILDREN OF PRAISE
ANTHEM "Thanks Be to God" Cain
* Doxology
* HYMN "Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing"
THE GOSPEL Malachi 3:7-12
THE WORD FEAST "The Ungrateful Dead?"
C. Hand Praise
THE GRATEFUL RETURN "Now Thank We" Cruger
* HYMN "Come, Ye Thankful People, Come"
MANNA MOMENTS (Food items may be brought forward)
DISMISSAL
As you leave His "gates of thanksgiving," be assured His goodness will follow. Go in peace but go as a grateful people. You have much to offer as the family of God. Serve effectively.
* POSTLUDE "Praise to the Lord" Unfreid
Children's Message
Stone Soup
Text: Romans 15:2, 5
Objects: A medium-sized cooking pot, a carrot, a potato, an onion, and three smooth stones.
There was once a village where the people were selfish. Most were farmers but they never worked together. They didn't even like each other. There was a drought in the land and things were really dry. Each of the farmers grew a different crop, but because of their fear of the famine, they would not share their crop with each other. That means the potato farmer only had potatoes to eat. He could mash them, make french fries and potato chips, but after a while his family got tired of potatoes. The other farmers had the same problem. Still, they would not share with the other.
One day a poor stranger came to town. He was very hungry and asked the people for some food. When they refused, he said, "Okay, I'll make stone soup." "Stone soup!" they laughed. "You can't make soup out of stones." So he built a fire, filled the pot with water, picked up three smooth stones, (pick up three stones) and dropped them into the boiling water.
Then the stranger said, "Goodness, I can't make stone soup because I forgot the potatoes." So the potato farmer donated some potatoes. "I forgot the onions and carrots, too." he said. So the onion and carrot farmers made their donations. When it had cooked for a while, he shared it with the villagers.
He had taught them that by working together, they could really help each other. The village was never the same again because the stranger had taught them how to share. They survived the famine by working together.
The Bible tells us many stories about people working together. Much can be accomplished when we agree to work and cooperate with each other. Noah and his family worked together in building the Ark. As a result Noah saved all the animals from the flood. Moses worked with his brother Aaron so that the children of Israel could escape from the Pharaoh and his slavery. In an important battle, Joshua and a few men were able to make enough noise so the walls of Jericho fell in. Jesus called a few disciples to be his followers. When he went to heaven, he prepared them to start the early church. Paul had friends like Silas and John Mark, a young person like yourself, to help him in his missionary journeys.
Another example with which we are familiar is that of the Pilgrims and the story of the first Thanksgiving. Without the help of the Indians or native Americans, they would not know how to plant fish with the corn to grow their crops. When they ate that Thanksgiving dinner together, true friendships were created. They became real brothers and sisters because they needed each other and worked together.
Preaching Resources
Title: "The Ungrateful Dead?"
Text: Malachi 3:7-12
Introduction. Kurt Singer shares an incident involving Danny Kaye, the late popular entertainer who became a roving ambassador for UNICEF. Once he was asked, "What's the purpose of all of this? After all, isn't malaria, or TB, or even starvation, nature's way of taking care of over-population?" He replied, "Why don't you put it to the test the next time your own child gets sick?" Doesn't the prophet, Malachi, make a similar point in reference to his generation? "Hey, look what God has done for you!" How have you responded? Why you have turned your back on him ... and you wonder why your society is crumbling beneath your heels!"
There is a similar flight pattern here for you and me. We say, "I'm grateful for Thanksgiving as long as I am warm, comfortable, and loved." How narrow our gratitude becomes! Are we not really dead and insensitive at times to the crucial plight of poverty in our own country? Do we not have an ingratitude problem?
1. Ingratitude is a symptom of our deep inner unhappiness with ourselves. On the other hand, authentic gratitude surfaces when we share gigantic proportions of ourselves with others. Kagawa, a Japanese youth, was led to Christ through the reading of the Sermon on the Mount. He heard the voice of God: "I will make you one of my flowers ... There is no need for you to be anxious
stretch out your roots and grow!"
2. Authentic gratitude is circular and self-perpetuating. The dividends are reinvested in our happiness. J. B. Massieu is correct when he suggests that gratitude is a pleasant memory of the heart.
About the Contributors
James M. Bloom is pastor of Beechwood United Methodist Church, Alliance, Ohio.
Leonard H. Budd is senior pastor of The Church of the Savior, United Methodist, Cleveland Heights, Ohio.
Heth H. Corl is pastor of Aley United Methodist Church, Beavercreek, Ohio.
B. David Hostetter is pastor of First Presbyterian Church, Port Jefferson, New York.
John H. Krahn is pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church (LCMS), Hicksville, New York.
Edward S. Long is a retired United Church of Christ pastor living in Lancaster, Ohio.
Charles Michael Mills is pastor of Grace Presbyterian Church, Clarksville, Indiana.
Roger Prescott is chaplain at Bethany Lutheran Home (ELCA), Council Bluffs, Iowa.
Michael L. Sherer is pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church (ELCA), Elida, Ohio.
James Weekley is pastor of Ebenezer United Methodist Church, Belmont, North Carolina.
