Christ The King
Worship
Lectionary Worship Workbook
Series II, Cycle C Gospel Texts
Liturgical Color: White
Gospel: Luke 23:33-43
Theme: The Ridicule and Crucifixion of Jesus; the Response of the Two Thieves. "The Cross of Christ is God's plus sign to a needy world" (Author unknown).
Celebrating The Presence Of God
Music for Preparation
"God Shall Nought Divide Me," J. S. Bach.
Pastoral Invitation
Invite the people to stand and applaud God with much energy and enthusiasm. Sustain the applause for at least a minute. When the clapping begins to die down, shout "Encore, Encore!" (Idea suggested and used by Doug Adams, Pacific School of Religion, Berkeley, California.)
Choral Response
"Allelu," words and music by Ray Repp, in Folk Encounter. (See Appendix I for address.) Sing the chorus only, several times.
Verbal Response (Reverently shouting)
Pastor and Ministers
P: In and through the events of our lives, Christ the Crucified, Christ the Risen One, Christ the Sovereign, invites and calls us to follow him.
M: His is a call to freedom. His is a call to responsibility. His is a call to new life -- faith, hope, love, truth, justice, and (add your own).
P: I invite us to renew our lives, as individuals, as families, as a congregation, together, under his Lordship, no matter what the cost; because what was so costly for God can never be cheapened by our thoughts, words, and behavior.
M: We celebrate life's joys and sadnesses together under the Lordship of Christ, in the Name of the Living God! Indeed we do, despite our fears, doubts, or questions.
Hymn of Praise
"Come, Christians, Join to Sing," Christian Henry Bateman, 1843; Spanish folk melody; arr. Benjamin Carr, 1824; harm. David Evans, 1927.
Response (With eyes, mind, and heart wide open)
Pastor and Ministers
P: I remind you that this day is beautiful and sacred, because God is alive!
M: But we see little beauty and sacredness beyond these cozy walls!
P: I remind you again that God is beauty ... God is love. We have made that which is ugly, because of our fear, our cowardice, our false pride, our blatant anger, and (add your own).
M: Does God love us amidst our ugliness? Even in the middle of our ugliness? Even when our lives betray the God whom we say we believe and obey?
P: Look again at the Cross; go ahead, look at the Cross. (Fifteen seconds of silence.) The Cross says that God loves us as we are (pause), and forgives us for what we are (pause). Do you understand this incredible truth? Do you?
M: We understand, even when we stumble and bumble and mumble and jumble our way through life. We understand that we are important creations of a concerned God. Now, are we ready to express our thanks to this God for such awesome confidence in us? Lead on!
Response
"Christ, You Are the Fullness," vers. Bert Polman, 1986; Korean melody; harm. Dale Grotenhuis, 1986.
Celebrating The Act Of Forgiveness
Introduction to the Act of Recognizing Our Humanity
I invite us to spend fifteen seconds looking at the cross and saying, "So what! Who cares! Says you, God!" (After fifteen seconds, remind the people) That's what we say when we attempt to run our own lives, and discount, gossip about, and ignore others. (Fifteen seconds of silence.) Now, I invite you once more to look at the cross, and say, "Lord, you did this for me, for the world." (Thirty seconds of silence.) With those words we can receive new life; for as Daniel J. Boorstin has said, "We suffer, primarily, not from our vices and weaknesses, but from our illusions. We are haunted, not by reality, but by those images we have put in place of reality." That was the problem of those people around the cross; that, also, is our problem, and it becomes our addiction. Joan Lunden, on leaving Good Morning, America confessed, "I was addicted to security." One author has suggested, "One way to understand the fall of Adam and Eve, who stand for you and me, is the continuous falling short of our human existence, with respect to our (and God's) highest possibilities." God calls us to live life on dead-center; we choose to live life on the periphery. (One minute of silence.) Write down your thoughts.
Unison Prayer
O gracious Lord, I have forgotten often, this past week, your cross, and what forgiveness means in my life. I have been reluctant to respond to my neighbor's needs, because I'm so wrapped up in my wants. I have talked behind people's backs when they could not defend themselves. I have held on selfishly to spiritual and material idols when I knew better. Forgive me again, Lord. By your Spirit, jog me, jolt me, jab me to see a joyful tomorrow, because I am speaking joy instead of anger, where you and I and the world will work together for mercy and justice.
Note: Somewhere in this confession, you may want to use a piece of music titled "Crucify That Man," arranged by Paul Abels, from Workers Quarterly: Hymns for Now. (See Appendix I for address.) If you use it, have the Choir(s) sing the stanzas and the congregation or a group of people sing the refrain, "Crucify, crucify that man!" (Note the presentation of the Gospel for added emphasis.)
Introduction to the Act of Receiving New Life
Pastor and Ministers
Before getting into the act of forgiveness, I encourage you to read about prolonged, premeditated, traumatic sexual and physical abuse. In such instances, the abused, violated person cannot forgive until the abuser, violator, has repented. Forgiveness requires repentance.
Now, with that in mind, both yours and the congregation's, for the super courageous, you may want to do what Elias Chacour, a Palestinian priest, describes in his biography, Blood Brothers. He makes a last-ditch attempt to heal the sea of rifts and backbiting in his Melkite Church. One Palm Sunday, he finished Mass, strode to the back of the church, and locked the doors. He refused to unlock them until the members of the church asked pardon and forgave one another for decades of slights and grudges. Result: After sitting in silence for ten minutes, one member rose and asked for pardon. His honesty galvanized the entire congregation, which quickly followed suit. George Herbert said it this way: "The person who cannot [I add, will not] forgive breaks the bridge over which he/she must pass." An African proverb makes clear that "the person who forgives ends the quarrel." (One minute of silence; have your guitarist, or pianist, play "The Sounds of Silence," by Simon and Garfunkle, during the silence. Ask people to write down their thoughts, and what they intend to do with their forgiveness.)
P: The Word of Christ is good news of repentance and forgiveness.
M: Jesus has identified and received our humanity. We can be ourselves.
P: The past, every bit of it, is forgiven. The future, every bit of it, is before us.
M: In our forgiven relationship with God, we live with courage and a deep concern for people.
P: I invite us, encourage us, urge us to give thanks and embrace our lives, so that we will embrace the lives of each other, and others.
M: Okay, Lord. We will! Amen! Let it be! Tah-dah!
Response
" 'Your Kingdom Come!' Great God We Pray," Jane Parker Huber, 1982; Louis Bourgeois, Genevan Psalter, 1551, from Joy in Singing. (See Appendix I for address.)
Celebrating The Word
Message with the Children of All Ages
Do you know what a king is? (Wait.) Do any countries have kings? (Wait. Make certain that the children know what it means.) To borrow a line from a Mel Brooks film, we hear that "it is good to be a king." Explain what that means. Talk about how Christ is King over the world, and over our lives. Identify some ways for them to share in the kingdom of Christ, as for example, through acts of kindness and caring. Ask each one to pick one way for each day of the coming week.
Response
"Let There Be Peace on Earth," words and music by Sy Miller and Jill Jackson. Sing it twice to include "sisters."
Dramatizing the Scripture
For an unforgettable Bible lesson, enact the scene. Have three people simulated on old rugged crosses on the floor of the sanctuary. Have people memorize their parts and practice, practice, practice.
Response
"Our Father, Lord of Heaven and Earth," vers. Henry J. deJong, 1982, Schumann's Geistliche Lieder, 1539; harm. J. S. Bach (The Lord's Prayer).
Proclamation of the Good News
Introduce the sermon with the song, "Were You there When They Crucified My Lord?" You may want to build your message around this idea: What shall we do, what are we doing, with this Jesus, the Crucified One, who became Christ, the Risen One? (1) We can seek to destroy Jesus, as the Jews did. (2) We can trifle with him, as Pilate did. (3) We can laugh at him, as Herod did. (4) Or, we can pray to him, as did the penitent thief. (5) And, to conclude the message, we can sing to him, as written by Isaac Watts, "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross." The choice belongs to us.
Celebrating Our Gifts
Stewardship Challenge
How would you describe your stewardship of forgiveness, with your time, money, and energy? What parts of ourselves do we commit to Christ's mission? Pretend that your offering represents that part of yourself. Now, what obstacles are you permitting to block the other parts from responding? (One minute of silence.)
Doxology
Use the Richard Avery and Don Marsh "Doxology."
Charge to the Congregation
Because Christ is Sovereign, even when we act otherwise, we will serve only one of two gods, either Christ, which takes one form, or self, which takes many forms -- family, job, recreation, television, apathy, nation, or (add your own). Either we call Christ Sovereign; or else, we will usurp Christ by demanding that he, and others, conform to our expectations. We have the choice! We make the choice! Whom will you choose?
Meditation
"The trouble with most people these days is that they want to reach the Promised Land without going through the wilderness" (Survey Bulletin, Sunday School Board of the Southern Baptist Convention).
Music Possibilities In Addition To Those Already Suggested
Music for Preparation: "Ancient Hebrew Melody," Nowakowski.
Choral Invitation: "Let the Spirit In," Richard Blank, from Genesis Songbook. (See Appendix I for address.)
Hymn of Praise: "Father, We Praise thee," attr. Gregory the Great (540-604); trans. Percy Dearmer, 1906; Paris Antiphoner, 1681; harm. David Evans, 1927.
Hymn to Introduce the Confession: "Savior! Thy Dying Love," Sylvanus D. Phelps, 1862; Robert Lowry, 1871.
Response to the Act of Receiving New Life: "You Are the Lord, Giver of Mercy," based on an Appalachian folk melody, music copyright 1972, Westminster Press.
Response to the Message with Children of All Ages: "The Peace of Mind that Christ Can Bring,"aJane Parker Huber, 1982; Thomas Tallis, c. 1567, from Joy in Singing. (See Appendix I for address.)
Response to the Presentation of the Scripture: (Adult Choir) "Lift Thine Eyes," Mendelssohn.
Response to the Sermon: "There Is a Balm in Gilead," African-American spiritual; arr. Melva W. Costen, 1989; alt. (Sing stanza 3 several times, and point out that as servants of the King we are called to be that balm and to tell of Jesus' love.)
Offertory: "Good Friend, for Jesus' Sake Forbear," Beethoven.
Hymn of Commitment: "We Are a New Creation," Jane Parker Huber, 1981; Henry Smart, c. 1835, from Joy in Singing. (See Appendix I for address.)
Response to the Benediction: "Pass It On," words and music by Kurt Kaiser, from Let The People Sing. (See Appendix I for address.)
Music for Dismissal: "Dona Nobis," Mozart.
Gospel: Luke 23:33-43
Theme: The Ridicule and Crucifixion of Jesus; the Response of the Two Thieves. "The Cross of Christ is God's plus sign to a needy world" (Author unknown).
Celebrating The Presence Of God
Music for Preparation
"God Shall Nought Divide Me," J. S. Bach.
Pastoral Invitation
Invite the people to stand and applaud God with much energy and enthusiasm. Sustain the applause for at least a minute. When the clapping begins to die down, shout "Encore, Encore!" (Idea suggested and used by Doug Adams, Pacific School of Religion, Berkeley, California.)
Choral Response
"Allelu," words and music by Ray Repp, in Folk Encounter. (See Appendix I for address.) Sing the chorus only, several times.
Verbal Response (Reverently shouting)
Pastor and Ministers
P: In and through the events of our lives, Christ the Crucified, Christ the Risen One, Christ the Sovereign, invites and calls us to follow him.
M: His is a call to freedom. His is a call to responsibility. His is a call to new life -- faith, hope, love, truth, justice, and (add your own).
P: I invite us to renew our lives, as individuals, as families, as a congregation, together, under his Lordship, no matter what the cost; because what was so costly for God can never be cheapened by our thoughts, words, and behavior.
M: We celebrate life's joys and sadnesses together under the Lordship of Christ, in the Name of the Living God! Indeed we do, despite our fears, doubts, or questions.
Hymn of Praise
"Come, Christians, Join to Sing," Christian Henry Bateman, 1843; Spanish folk melody; arr. Benjamin Carr, 1824; harm. David Evans, 1927.
Response (With eyes, mind, and heart wide open)
Pastor and Ministers
P: I remind you that this day is beautiful and sacred, because God is alive!
M: But we see little beauty and sacredness beyond these cozy walls!
P: I remind you again that God is beauty ... God is love. We have made that which is ugly, because of our fear, our cowardice, our false pride, our blatant anger, and (add your own).
M: Does God love us amidst our ugliness? Even in the middle of our ugliness? Even when our lives betray the God whom we say we believe and obey?
P: Look again at the Cross; go ahead, look at the Cross. (Fifteen seconds of silence.) The Cross says that God loves us as we are (pause), and forgives us for what we are (pause). Do you understand this incredible truth? Do you?
M: We understand, even when we stumble and bumble and mumble and jumble our way through life. We understand that we are important creations of a concerned God. Now, are we ready to express our thanks to this God for such awesome confidence in us? Lead on!
Response
"Christ, You Are the Fullness," vers. Bert Polman, 1986; Korean melody; harm. Dale Grotenhuis, 1986.
Celebrating The Act Of Forgiveness
Introduction to the Act of Recognizing Our Humanity
I invite us to spend fifteen seconds looking at the cross and saying, "So what! Who cares! Says you, God!" (After fifteen seconds, remind the people) That's what we say when we attempt to run our own lives, and discount, gossip about, and ignore others. (Fifteen seconds of silence.) Now, I invite you once more to look at the cross, and say, "Lord, you did this for me, for the world." (Thirty seconds of silence.) With those words we can receive new life; for as Daniel J. Boorstin has said, "We suffer, primarily, not from our vices and weaknesses, but from our illusions. We are haunted, not by reality, but by those images we have put in place of reality." That was the problem of those people around the cross; that, also, is our problem, and it becomes our addiction. Joan Lunden, on leaving Good Morning, America confessed, "I was addicted to security." One author has suggested, "One way to understand the fall of Adam and Eve, who stand for you and me, is the continuous falling short of our human existence, with respect to our (and God's) highest possibilities." God calls us to live life on dead-center; we choose to live life on the periphery. (One minute of silence.) Write down your thoughts.
Unison Prayer
O gracious Lord, I have forgotten often, this past week, your cross, and what forgiveness means in my life. I have been reluctant to respond to my neighbor's needs, because I'm so wrapped up in my wants. I have talked behind people's backs when they could not defend themselves. I have held on selfishly to spiritual and material idols when I knew better. Forgive me again, Lord. By your Spirit, jog me, jolt me, jab me to see a joyful tomorrow, because I am speaking joy instead of anger, where you and I and the world will work together for mercy and justice.
Note: Somewhere in this confession, you may want to use a piece of music titled "Crucify That Man," arranged by Paul Abels, from Workers Quarterly: Hymns for Now. (See Appendix I for address.) If you use it, have the Choir(s) sing the stanzas and the congregation or a group of people sing the refrain, "Crucify, crucify that man!" (Note the presentation of the Gospel for added emphasis.)
Introduction to the Act of Receiving New Life
Pastor and Ministers
Before getting into the act of forgiveness, I encourage you to read about prolonged, premeditated, traumatic sexual and physical abuse. In such instances, the abused, violated person cannot forgive until the abuser, violator, has repented. Forgiveness requires repentance.
Now, with that in mind, both yours and the congregation's, for the super courageous, you may want to do what Elias Chacour, a Palestinian priest, describes in his biography, Blood Brothers. He makes a last-ditch attempt to heal the sea of rifts and backbiting in his Melkite Church. One Palm Sunday, he finished Mass, strode to the back of the church, and locked the doors. He refused to unlock them until the members of the church asked pardon and forgave one another for decades of slights and grudges. Result: After sitting in silence for ten minutes, one member rose and asked for pardon. His honesty galvanized the entire congregation, which quickly followed suit. George Herbert said it this way: "The person who cannot [I add, will not] forgive breaks the bridge over which he/she must pass." An African proverb makes clear that "the person who forgives ends the quarrel." (One minute of silence; have your guitarist, or pianist, play "The Sounds of Silence," by Simon and Garfunkle, during the silence. Ask people to write down their thoughts, and what they intend to do with their forgiveness.)
P: The Word of Christ is good news of repentance and forgiveness.
M: Jesus has identified and received our humanity. We can be ourselves.
P: The past, every bit of it, is forgiven. The future, every bit of it, is before us.
M: In our forgiven relationship with God, we live with courage and a deep concern for people.
P: I invite us, encourage us, urge us to give thanks and embrace our lives, so that we will embrace the lives of each other, and others.
M: Okay, Lord. We will! Amen! Let it be! Tah-dah!
Response
" 'Your Kingdom Come!' Great God We Pray," Jane Parker Huber, 1982; Louis Bourgeois, Genevan Psalter, 1551, from Joy in Singing. (See Appendix I for address.)
Celebrating The Word
Message with the Children of All Ages
Do you know what a king is? (Wait.) Do any countries have kings? (Wait. Make certain that the children know what it means.) To borrow a line from a Mel Brooks film, we hear that "it is good to be a king." Explain what that means. Talk about how Christ is King over the world, and over our lives. Identify some ways for them to share in the kingdom of Christ, as for example, through acts of kindness and caring. Ask each one to pick one way for each day of the coming week.
Response
"Let There Be Peace on Earth," words and music by Sy Miller and Jill Jackson. Sing it twice to include "sisters."
Dramatizing the Scripture
For an unforgettable Bible lesson, enact the scene. Have three people simulated on old rugged crosses on the floor of the sanctuary. Have people memorize their parts and practice, practice, practice.
Response
"Our Father, Lord of Heaven and Earth," vers. Henry J. deJong, 1982, Schumann's Geistliche Lieder, 1539; harm. J. S. Bach (The Lord's Prayer).
Proclamation of the Good News
Introduce the sermon with the song, "Were You there When They Crucified My Lord?" You may want to build your message around this idea: What shall we do, what are we doing, with this Jesus, the Crucified One, who became Christ, the Risen One? (1) We can seek to destroy Jesus, as the Jews did. (2) We can trifle with him, as Pilate did. (3) We can laugh at him, as Herod did. (4) Or, we can pray to him, as did the penitent thief. (5) And, to conclude the message, we can sing to him, as written by Isaac Watts, "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross." The choice belongs to us.
Celebrating Our Gifts
Stewardship Challenge
How would you describe your stewardship of forgiveness, with your time, money, and energy? What parts of ourselves do we commit to Christ's mission? Pretend that your offering represents that part of yourself. Now, what obstacles are you permitting to block the other parts from responding? (One minute of silence.)
Doxology
Use the Richard Avery and Don Marsh "Doxology."
Charge to the Congregation
Because Christ is Sovereign, even when we act otherwise, we will serve only one of two gods, either Christ, which takes one form, or self, which takes many forms -- family, job, recreation, television, apathy, nation, or (add your own). Either we call Christ Sovereign; or else, we will usurp Christ by demanding that he, and others, conform to our expectations. We have the choice! We make the choice! Whom will you choose?
Meditation
"The trouble with most people these days is that they want to reach the Promised Land without going through the wilderness" (Survey Bulletin, Sunday School Board of the Southern Baptist Convention).
Music Possibilities In Addition To Those Already Suggested
Music for Preparation: "Ancient Hebrew Melody," Nowakowski.
Choral Invitation: "Let the Spirit In," Richard Blank, from Genesis Songbook. (See Appendix I for address.)
Hymn of Praise: "Father, We Praise thee," attr. Gregory the Great (540-604); trans. Percy Dearmer, 1906; Paris Antiphoner, 1681; harm. David Evans, 1927.
Hymn to Introduce the Confession: "Savior! Thy Dying Love," Sylvanus D. Phelps, 1862; Robert Lowry, 1871.
Response to the Act of Receiving New Life: "You Are the Lord, Giver of Mercy," based on an Appalachian folk melody, music copyright 1972, Westminster Press.
Response to the Message with Children of All Ages: "The Peace of Mind that Christ Can Bring,"aJane Parker Huber, 1982; Thomas Tallis, c. 1567, from Joy in Singing. (See Appendix I for address.)
Response to the Presentation of the Scripture: (Adult Choir) "Lift Thine Eyes," Mendelssohn.
Response to the Sermon: "There Is a Balm in Gilead," African-American spiritual; arr. Melva W. Costen, 1989; alt. (Sing stanza 3 several times, and point out that as servants of the King we are called to be that balm and to tell of Jesus' love.)
Offertory: "Good Friend, for Jesus' Sake Forbear," Beethoven.
Hymn of Commitment: "We Are a New Creation," Jane Parker Huber, 1981; Henry Smart, c. 1835, from Joy in Singing. (See Appendix I for address.)
Response to the Benediction: "Pass It On," words and music by Kurt Kaiser, from Let The People Sing. (See Appendix I for address.)
Music for Dismissal: "Dona Nobis," Mozart.
